Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen, Jr. (/ˈjɔːrmə ˈkaʊkənɛn/; YOR-mə KOW-kə-nen; born December 23, 1940) is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist. Kaukonen performed with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #54 on its list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.\n', '

Jorma Kaukonen was born in Washington, DC to Beatrice Love (née Levine) and Jorma Ludwig Kaukonen, Sr. He had Finnish paternal grandparents and Russian Jewish ancestry on his mother\'s side. During his childhood, Jorma\'s family lived in Pakistan, the Philippines and other locales as he followed his father\'s State Department career from assignment to assignment before returning to the place of his birth. As a teenager in Washington, he and friend Jack Casady formed a band called The Triumphs, with Kaukonen on rhythm guitar and Casady on lead.\n', '

Kaukonen departed Washington for studies at Antioch College, where friend Ian Buchanan taught him fingerstyle guitar playing. Buchanan also introduced Kaukonen to the music of Reverend Gary Davis, whose songs have remained important parts of Kaukonen\'s repertoire throughout his career. \n', '

Return to Jorma Kaukonen Autograph Profile