Hot Tuna - Electric - at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts December 14 | Press Releases

The legendary acoustic and electric blues band, Hot Tuna, appears at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts Friday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m.

Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, founders and continuing core Hot Tuna members, have worked together consistently for 50 years and their music reflects that longevity.

They began with an acoustic sound as teenagers in Washington D.C. and, in the 60s, broadened their repertoire of sounds to include electric when they joined a new San Francisco group, The Jefferson Airplane. While playing with The Airplane, they continued developing their own sound and in the early 70s launched an odyssey with Hot Tuna that has persevered for more than 35 years. Today, it incorporates a new generation of musicians.

Beginning in 2004, Hot Tuna returned to some of its own roots by adding an electric set to their acoustic one. Joined for the electric sets by Erik Diaz, a sharp young second-generation drummer, this energetic, talented and skilled musician is able to match anything that Jack and Jorma - once famous for working drummers nearly to death - throw at him.

Mandolin virtuoso Barry Mitterhoff, a veteran of bluegrass, Celtic, folk and rock-influenced bands including "Tony Trischka and Skyline" and "Bottle Hill," has developed a new voice working with Hot Tuna. The addition of the Mitterhoff mandolin fits seamlessly with the group, giving the impression that he has been there from the beginning.

Diaz's energy and musicianship rekindle the feeling that permeated the legendary Hot Tuna concerts of decades ago. Mitterhoff's wide array of electric mandolins and similar instruments unfamiliar to most, add an unforgettable quality to the group.

Tickets are $50, $45, $40 and are available online at www.quickcenter.com or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.