blues

Those Good Shepherds of Classic Blues: Hot Tuna Returns

Those Good Shepherds of Classic Blues: Hot Tuna Returns
Jorma Kaukonen, 81, and Jack Casady, 77, no longer look the way they did on this album cover for Hot Tuna from 1998, but their voices and playing still sound as sweet. Photo from Amazon.com

This year has already been marked with the deaths of many beloved entertainers and public figures (up to and including the death of fashion icons Andre Leon Talley and Thierry Mugler and spiritual guide Thich Nhat Hanh).

Rather than just finding it all depressing, there is a carpe diem message here: Sieze the day and if you’ve ever wanted to see someone perform a live show, now is the time. For many of us, the musicians we love the most are aging out. Buy those tickets, see that show.

Since we’re dwelling on death anyway: Most venues are requiring that you have proof of vaccines, and many shows are being canceled at the last minute.

There seems to be hope that the worst of omicron will be over by the end of January. Certainly (is anything certain anymore?) a show in April should be safe. Worst case, you’ll get a refund.

The particular performance  I’m steering you toward is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, at Infinity Hall in Hartford, Conn. On stage will be aging but still legendary acoustic and electric blues performers Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, who came together as teens, then helped create the original Jefferson Airplane and have continued to sing and play under the name Hot Tuna.

In Chicago, where I come from, the most authentic blues musicians always seemed to be the ones who were the most aged, who had seen a bit of life and whose voices had developed a whisky rasp. Jorma’s voice remains velvety, whether he’s singing the entire blues canon (much of it from the Rev. Gary Davis) or telling funny stories. And these two fingerpickers remain fit, fast and flexible on the strings.

Don’t miss them while you have the chance. Tickets are $60 to $85. Get information, watch a YouTube video of a Hot Tuna performance of “Good Shepherd” and pick your seats at www.infinityhall.com.

blues

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less

Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less

North East town records brought into the digital age

North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less