Jorma Kaukonen

The perfect complement to an all-impressive solo catalogue, River of Time mines the same acoustic blues and country music that first captured Kaukonen's imagination as a child. A clear sense of camaraderie is audible throughout River, its very title personal to Kaukonen, triggered by a dream he had about his grandmother, Ida, and other loved ones who have passed. Themes of family and friendship flow through the album, culminating in "A Walk With Friends," an emotion-fired instrumental (co-written by Kaukonen, Larry Campbell and Barry Mitterhoff) that leans on mandolin, fiddle and pedal steel to swell the heart as it lifts the spirits. From opening track "Been So Long," as intoxicating an original as any he has penned, to another high point, Kaukonen's cover of Roy Book Binder's "Another Man Done A Full Go Round," Kaukonen and his compatriots have improved on the faultless Stars in My Crown. A soulful blend of blues, gospel and country, this is heart-rousing material featuring an always-fascinating selection of covers interspersed between each jaw-dropping original.