Hot Tuna
Burgers

Far from the lysergic atmospheres of a few years ago, at the beginning of the '70s decade, Mr. Jefferson's old airplane was gliding. Within the band, the feeling that the journey had run its course was already evident. The creation of a record label, Grunt in fact, aimed to allow for the development of parallel projects that the individual band members had matured over the course of their careers. This band spin-off featured Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, guitarist and bassist respectively, who were more inclined to blues than to continue the psychedelic ride of the previous decade. It's true, there's a lot of blues in Burgers, but the main experience gained by Kaukonen and Casady is fully appreciated throughout the entire record. Many of the tracks start from a blues construction but drift into paths that never end up being delirious. In some tracks, like Sea Child (but not only), you expect to hear Grace Slick's voice come in, as if some of their melodies couldn't do without her input. It's an interesting record, full of insights mostly brought to fruition and it's a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Burgers is the group's fourth work, also featuring Papa John Creach (violin) and Sammy Piazza (drums and percussion), and it no longer represents the toy of the Kaukonen/Casady duo. It's a blues and surroundings album that holds its own, with a well-realized and characterful sound. Probably the others understood this and pushed the accelerator to conclude the airplane experience and board the spaceship.