A Nice Pair: Jefferson Airplane

It’s Sunday which means it’s time for A Nice Pair – book and record pairings that go together like large piles of leaves and the urge to jump into them. Today we’re pairing the book Been So Long: My Life and Music by Jorma Kaukonen with the album Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane.

Been So Long: My Life and Music by Jorma Kaukonen is a candid memoir tracing his journey from a diplomat’s son to a legendary guitarist in Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Blending personal reflections, song lyrics, and diary entries, Kaukonen explores his musical evolution, struggles with addiction, and relationships with iconic artists like Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia

Surrealistic Pillow, released in 1967, is a landmark album that helped shape the psychedelic sound of the San Francisco music scene. With Grace Slick’s powerful vocals and hits like Somebody to Love and White Rabbit, it captured the spirit of the counterculture movement. The album’s dreamy, experimental vibe made it a defining piece of the Summer of Love era.