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Hot Tuna's acoustic sets were copiously speckled with medleys of worn-out rural blues and refried newgrass. Ironically, those were the initial influences that guitarist Jorma Kaukonen brought to the first, pre-Grace slick/folk-rock rendition of the Jefferson Airplane. 

As the versatile fretman notes on the cover, this disc closes a long-arched musical circle by choosing an album of vintage favorites ("Blues Stay Away From Me," "I'm Free From The Chain Gang Now") rendered with some of the best of the new-fangled fingerpickers (mandolin player Sam Bush, dobro player Jerry Douglas and double bassist Byron House along with th banjo man Bela Fleck on a couple tracks). 

Those purists who would consider Jorma as a rocker come-lately will be surprised by his inventive, Doc Watson-like freestyle- a mix of slack-key slidework and busy, supportive rhythm work to Douglas' soaring lines. While I've always considered Jorma's vocals an acquired taste, his solemn, fragile-tho-strong-willed delivery has a certain fitting Grapes Of Wrath grace that sets an appropriate mood for this project.