Electric Hot Tuna

The two real big fish in Hot Tuna--Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady--seem to be in there as solidly as Star Kist. After 27 years, the torrid fish band is still going strong and will play this evening at the Ventura Theatre, with Electric Blue opening.

Kaukonen and Casady formed their first band in the nation’s capital back in 1958, or when Beaver Cleaver was still trying to figure out girls. Later, while attending Antioch College in New York City, Kaukonen got a case of the blues after hearing Robert Johnson and the Rev. Gary Davis--a case that has yet to be cured.

After transferring to the University of Santa Clara, Kaukonen became involved with the local folk scene, which included such famous future rock stars as Paul Kantner, Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia and, later, Jimi Hendrix.

“I’m probably not the one to ask about Jimi Hendrix,” said Kaukonen, during a recent phoner. “I mean, Jack recorded with him. All I know is that he was a real nice guy and a great musician. We’d see each other around, and we were kinda pals. I’m sure he’s one of those guys who would’ve been much happier if he was still alive.”

In 1965, Marty Balin, Kaukonen and Kantner decided to put together a rock band, and Kaukonen came up with the name, Jefferson Airplane. Soon, Kaukonen invited Casady to play bass, and the band took off, eventually recording nine albums that made the Top 20 on the charts. With San Francisco clearly the center of the rock ‘n’ roll universe, all those long-haired hippie freak musicians from bands such as the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Steve Miller, Moby Grape and Country Joe & the Fish became rock stars.

“We didn’t view ourselves that way then, but, in retrospect, I guess, there it was. It was a more innocent time. We were young and anything was possible. Cream was the greatest performing band that I ever saw. The Dead, Janis and all of them--we were all friends, but Cream just blew me away. They invented that whole rockin’ blues thing.”

There’s that blues thing again. While on the road with the Airplane, Kaukonen and Casady were roommates and would sit around playing bluesy stuff, which eventually evolved into an act, Hot Tuna. Sometimes they’d even open for themselves, Hot Tuna for the Jefferson Airplane. The pair left the Airplane in 1973, and the band went on to become rich, famous and profoundly annoying as Jefferson Starship. Kaukonen and Casady still have those blues.

“It’s been great--25 years, and we’re still out there. The blues aspect of it all is something of a constant. It never goes out of style. I’ve been in this business for a long time, and I can still get out and do it. The gigs themselves are still fun, and we attract all kinds of people. We get a lot of youngsters, gracefully aging hippies and everyone else in between. But riding on a bus was more fun when I was 18.”

In varying incarnations, Kaukonen and Casady have recorded nearly 30 albums together, including 15 Hot Tuna albums. Sometimes acoustic, this particular tour will be Hot Tuna electric, with the full band, which also includes Michael Falzarano on guitar, Harvey Sorgen on drums and Pete Sears on piano and accordion.

“When we do acoustic, it’s just Jack and I and maybe one other person, and we do more traditional finger-picking stuff. As a band, we open things up more. The current band has been together for eight years now, and have gelled into quite a band. We just let everyone do their job.”

No stranger to the area after decades of touring, Kaukonen played numerous times in the ‘60s and ‘70s with the Airplane at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Hot Tuna has played the Ventura Theatre before and again last year with Los Lobos and others at the Further Fest at the Fairgrounds.

In the early ‘90s Kaukonen relocated to southeastern Ohio, where he owns a 119-acre ranch in the foothills of the Appalachians. When not on the road, Kaukonen sponsors the Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, which offers instruction on a variety of instruments, as taught by a faculty of virtuoso players. And Kaukonen seems to like the Buckeye State just fine.

“I was never much of a Bay Area dude, except that the Raiders will always have a place in my heart. I totally respect regionalism in sports. Now I’m an Indians fan: They have cool hats. We’re actually closer to Cincinnati, but how could anyone root for Marge Schott? Ohio is a really cool place. There’s a lot of musicians around here, plus we have the Hall of Fame.”

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Since neither Big Bad Voodoo Daddy nor Signicci are playing locally New Year’s Eve, Saturday night is the last chance this year to see them. They will play Nicholby’s and the Bombay Bar & Grill in Ventura, respectively.

BBVD, those kings of swing who seem to be turning up everywhere lately (commercials, soundtracks and television), will very likely sell out its Nicholby’s gig. So act accordingly. Tickets are $12 and are on sale now.

To see Signicci, which features half of Raging Arb & the Redheads, plus a bunch of other guys, will set you back half as much BBVD. Since the Redheads are on the back burner once again, following their grueling dozen gigs (maybe) this year, Signicci is the only way these days to hear Redhead and Rolling Stones songs played with four guitars. In fact, Signicci will begin work on an album in January while BBVD’s big label debut is due out about the same time.

BE THERE

Hot Tuna and Electric Blue at the Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St., tonight, 8:30 p.m. $19.50. (805) 653-0721.