The Hot Tuna band is the blues act that Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady started in 1969.
The two founders have played together for more than 60 years.
Hot Tuna began as an acoustic duo.
It later turned into a loud electric power trio, then settled into doing both.
The band has broken up and reformed several times without ever really stopping.
This guide covers the full history, the lineups, the albums, and where things stand today.
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Image Credit: Grunt Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
📋 Table of Contents [+]
What Is the Hot Tuna Band?
The Hot Tuna band is an American blues-rock group formed in San Francisco in 1969.
Its two constant members are guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady.
Both men played in Jefferson Airplane at the same time, a band covered in full across this site.
Hot Tuna started as their after-hours blues project and outlived the Airplane by decades.
The music sits where prewar country blues meets long electric jamming.
Kaukonen sings most of the songs and picks in a fingerstyle rooted in Reverend Gary Davis.
Casady plays melodic, roaming bass lines that work like a second lead voice.
The duo has toured almost every year since the mid 1980s.
Key Takeaways
- The Hot Tuna band formed in 1969 as a Jefferson Airplane side project by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady.
- The two founders met as schoolboys near Washington, D.C., and have played together for more than 60 years.
- The band moves between an acoustic duo format and a full electric lineup.
- Its best-charting record was the 1970 live acoustic debut, which reached number 30.
- Electric Hot Tuna played its last tour in 2023, and the acoustic duo still performs.
How the Hot Tuna Band Formed in 1969
In 1969 Jefferson Airplane was one of the biggest bands in America.
Kaukonen and Casady were its rhythm engine, but they wanted more room to stretch out.
They had been jamming country blues together on nights off and after Airplane shows.
That side project picked up a name and a few extra players in 1969.
Singer Grace Slick then needed throat surgery for vocal-cord nodules.
With the Airplane grounded, the pair suddenly had time to work.
An early gig in June 1969 put them in Santa Rosa opening for the Grateful Dead.
Drummer Joey Covington and harmonica player Will Scarlett rounded out the first lineup.
Airplane singer Marty Balin also took a few early vocal turns before stepping away.
By the fall the group was recording shows for a debut album.
Kaukonen and Casady: Friends Since the 1950s
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady did not meet in San Francisco.
They met as teenagers in the Washington, D.C., area around 1958.
Kaukonen grew up in Chevy Chase, and Casady lived nearby on Reno Road.
They played together in a high-school rock band called The Triumphs.
The group once backed the rockabilly singer Jimmy Clanton at a show in West Virginia.
The two also cut informal blues recordings in Casady’s basement in 1960.
Those tapes sound like a rough sketch of the band that came later.
When Kaukonen joined Jefferson Airplane in 1965, he called Casady to take the bass chair.
How the Hot Tuna Band Got Its Name
The name almost was not printable.
The players first joked about calling themselves Hot Shit.
That was never going to fit on a concert poster.
Kaukonen has said a friend with a quick wit shouted “hot tuna” during a hang.
The phrase came out of a bawdy line in the old song “Keep On Truckin’.”
The cleaner version stuck, and the Hot Tuna band had its name.
Kaukonen still tells the story on stage, usually with a grin and no details.
The 1970 Acoustic Debut Album
The first Hot Tuna album came out in 1970 on RCA Victor.
It was recorded live at the New Orleans House, a club in Berkeley.
The set is mostly acoustic country blues, with Kaukonen on guitar and Casady on bass.
Will Scarlett adds harmonica across the record.
The song list leans on Reverend Gary Davis tunes like “Hesitation Blues” and “I Know You Rider.”
It reached number 30 on the Billboard 200, the highest chart spot the band ever hit.
Some fans call it the “breaking glass album.”
You can hear a glass shatter in the room during one quiet passage.
💡 Did You Know?
Jorma’s younger brother Peter Kaukonen played rhythm guitar in the earliest Hot Tuna lineup.
He later formed his own band, Black Kangaroo, and worked as a session player.
Hot Tuna Plugs In
The second album changed the sound.
“First Pull Up, Then Pull Down” arrived in 1971 as a loud electric live record.
It brought in electric violinist Papa John Creach and drummer Sammy Piazza.
The album peaked at number 43.
In 1972 the band cut its first true studio album, “Burgers.”
“Burgers” mixes acoustic picking, the instrumental “Water Song,” and heavy electric jams.
It rose to number 68 and is still the fan favorite of the early run.
By now Kaukonen and Casady were splitting time between two working bands.
Image Credit: Photo by Michael Borkson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Papa John Creach and the Power Trio Years
Papa John Creach played electric violin with Hot Tuna from 1970 to 1973.
He also toured with Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship at the same time.
His fiddle gave the early electric shows a swing and a blues cry.
When Creach and Piazza left, the group tightened into a hard power trio.
Bob Steeler took the drum seat in 1974.
The 1974 album “The Phosphorescent Rat” is darker and moodier than the records before it.
“America’s Choice,” “Yellow Fever,” and “Hoppkorv” followed between 1975 and 1976.
These shows were long, loud, and built on Casady’s bass runs.
Kaukonen dropped the acoustic sets almost entirely during this stretch.
Breakup and the Rocky 1983 Reunion
The first version of the band wore down by 1978.
The final 1970s show was at the Palladium in New York on November 26, 1977.
The live album “Double Dose” came from those last tours and reached number 92.
Kaukonen went solo, cut a punk-leaning record, and moved east.
Casady joined the new-wave band SVT in San Francisco.
A brief 1983 reunion did not go well.
Reports from the time describe fans walking out of the shows.
The two founders backed off and let the idea rest for a few years.
💡 Did You Know?
Jack Casady played bass on “Voodoo Chile,” the long blues jam on Jimi Hendrix‘s 1968 album “Electric Ladyland.”
He walked into that session straight from a night out.
Reforming for Good in 1986
Kaukonen and Casady put the Hot Tuna band back together in 1986.
This time it held.
They played as an acoustic duo and as a larger electric group depending on the tour.
Rhythm guitarist Michael Falzarano joined the electric lineup for years of road work.
Paul Kantner even sat in on rhythm guitar for a stretch in the late 1980s.
The 1989 Jefferson Airplane reunion tour carried an acoustic Hot Tuna opening set.
In 1990 the band released “Pair a Dice Found,” its first album of new songs in 14 years.
From here on, Hot Tuna was a steady touring act again.
The 1990s and the Relix Records Era
Through the 1990s Hot Tuna recorded mostly for the independent label Relix.
“Live at Sweetwater” and its sequel captured the acoustic shows at a Mill Valley club.
“Live in Japan” and “And Furthurmore” documented the electric side.
Keyboardist Pete Sears, from Jefferson Starship, played with the band from 1992 to 2001.
Drummer Harvey Sorgen held the seat for most of the decade.
The group toured hard but did not release a new studio album for two decades.
Kaukonen filled that gap with solo records and, in 1998, a guitar camp in Ohio.
The Fur Peace Ranch became a second home base for the band.
Steady as She Goes: Back in the Studio
In 2011 Hot Tuna released “Steady as She Goes.”
It was the first studio album of new material since 1990.
Larry Campbell produced it and played on most of the tracks.
The sessions happened at Levon Helm‘s studio in Woodstock, New York.
Guests included Charlie Musselwhite, David Bromberg, and Jim Lauderdale.
The record did not reach the main Billboard 200.
It did chart on Billboard’s Tastemaker and independent-album lists.
Reviews were warm, and the album gave the touring band fresh songs to play.
Image Credit: Photo by Michael Borkson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Acoustic vs Electric Hot Tuna Band Explained
The Hot Tuna band tours under two names, and the difference is real.
Acoustic Hot Tuna is the original format: Kaukonen on acoustic guitar, Casady on bass.
The songs are prewar blues, ragtime, and gospel, played with a light touch.
Electric Hot Tuna adds a drummer and turns the same songs into long, loud jams.
Kaukonen uses a thumbpick and two fingerpicks in both settings.
Casady runs his bass through a bright, trebly rig that cuts like a guitar.
Fans often see both versions on back-to-back nights during a tour.
The acoustic duo is the version that has run without a break since 1969.
Hot Tuna Band Members Through the Years
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady are the only constant members of the Hot Tuna band.
Papa John Creach played electric violin from 1970 to 1973.
Drummers have included Joey Covington, Sammy Piazza, Bob Steeler, and Harvey Sorgen.
Michael Falzarano played rhythm guitar and sang from the late 1980s to 2002.
Pete Sears added keyboards through the 1990s.
Mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff was a key part of the sound from 2002 to 2014.
Justin Guip has been the electric band’s drummer since 2014.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams often join as guests rather than full members.
The Final Electric Tour in 2023
In the fall of 2023 Hot Tuna ran its “Going Fishing Tour.”
Kaukonen announced it would be the last electric Hot Tuna tour for the foreseeable future.
He was 83 and said a two-hour electric set with a heavy guitar had become too hard on his body.
The last electric show took place at the Paramount Theatre in Denver on December 7, 2023.
Kaukonen was careful to say the band was not retiring.
The plan was to keep going in the original acoustic duo format.
Casady framed it simply: they had toured as Acoustic Hot Tuna from the very start.
The Hot Tuna Band Today
As of 2026 the Hot Tuna band tours as the acoustic duo.
Kaukonen and Casady have kept a full road schedule since the electric farewell.
Kaukonen turned 85 on December 23, 2025.
He marked it with an 85th birthday celebration tour and a concert at Carnegie Hall.
Casady missed the Carnegie Hall date because of a health issue but played other shows.
A 2025 archival release called “Reno Road” collected early Kaukonen and Casady tapes.
2026 also marks the 60th anniversary of Jefferson Airplane’s first album.
Acoustic Hot Tuna has dates booked into the fall of 2026.
Hot Tuna Band Discography and Chart History
The Hot Tuna band has released seven studio albums and more than a dozen live albums.
The self-titled 1970 live debut reached number 30 on the Billboard 200.
“First Pull Up, Then Pull Down” hit number 43 in 1971.
“Burgers” reached number 68 in 1972.
“The Phosphorescent Rat” charted at number 148 in 1974.
“America’s Choice” reached number 75 and “Yellow Fever” number 97, both in 1975.
“Hoppkorv” peaked at number 116 in 1976.
Later albums “Pair a Dice Found” and “Steady as She Goes” did not reach the Billboard 200.
💡 Did You Know?
In 1996 the band issued two compilations, “Classic Hot Tuna Acoustic” and “Classic Hot Tuna Electric.”
That same year, Kaukonen and Casady entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Jefferson Airplane.
Legacy of the Hot Tuna Band
The Hot Tuna band helped keep prewar country blues on stage for a rock audience.
Kaukonen and Casady turned a side project into one of the longest partnerships in American music.
The band never had a hit single and never chased one.
It built a loyal following through constant touring instead.
Younger fingerstyle guitar players still study Kaukonen’s right hand.
Casady’s lead-voice bass style shows up in jam bands that came decades later.
Hot Tuna is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as its own act.
Both founders are enshrined there for their Jefferson Airplane work, inducted in 1996.
People Also Ask About the Hot Tuna Band
Who is in the Hot Tuna band?
The core of Hot Tuna is Jorma Kaukonen on guitar and vocals and Jack Casady on bass.
Touring lineups have added a drummer, and for years a mandolin player, when the band plays electric.
How did Hot Tuna get its name?
The players first joked about a cruder name, then a friend shouted “hot tuna” during a hangout.
The phrase traced back to a rude line in the song “Keep On Truckin’,” and the clean version stuck.
Is the Hot Tuna band still touring?
Yes, the acoustic band toured through 2025 and has 2026 dates booked.
The electric lineup played its final tour in 2023.
What is the difference between Acoustic and Electric Hot Tuna?
Acoustic Hot Tuna is the Kaukonen and Casady duo playing blues and ragtime with a light touch.
Electric Hot Tuna adds drums and stretches the songs into long, loud jams.
Is Hot Tuna in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Hot Tuna is not inducted as its own band.
Kaukonen and Casady were inducted in 1996 as members of Jefferson Airplane.
What was Hot Tuna’s most successful album?
The 1970 self-titled live debut was the highest charting, reaching number 30.
The 1972 studio album “Burgers” is the best known among fans.
Watch Hot Tuna Perform
Hot Tuna plays “Hesitation Blues” for the radio show eTown.
Shop Hot Tuna Band Music
These four albums trace Hot Tuna from its acoustic start to its studio return.
Hot Tuna
1970 live debut
The acoustic New Orleans House shows that started the band.
Their highest charting record, built on Reverend Gary Davis blues.
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Burgers
1972 studio album
The first Hot Tuna studio record and the usual fan pick.
Home to the instrumental “Water Song.”
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The Phosphorescent Rat
1974 studio album
The darker, heavier turn into the power trio years.
Kaukonen, Casady, and drummer Sammy Piazza as a tight unit.
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Steady as She Goes
2011 studio album
The first album of new songs in 20 years.
Produced by Larry Campbell at Levon Helm’s Woodstock studio.
🛒 Check Price on AmazonYou Might Also Like
Spencer Dryden: Jefferson Airplane’s Jazz-Trained Drummer
Dryden held the Airplane drum chair while Kaukonen and Casady built Hot Tuna on the side.
Signe Toly Anderson: Jefferson Airplane’s Original Female Singer
Anderson sang on the same first Airplane album that put Kaukonen and Casady in a band together.
Another 1960s player who moved between acoustic folk roots and loud electric rock bands.
Robert Fripp: King Crimson’s Guitarist and Only Constant Member
Like Kaukonen in Hot Tuna, Fripp is the one fixed point in a band that keeps changing shape.
For more on the era the band grew out of, see our coverage of 1970s rock.
More than 55 years on, the Hot Tuna band still plays the blues Kaukonen and Casady started in 1969.