Leo Kottke

Posted Sat Sep 6, 2003 in Music

I’ve been following the career of Leo Kottke for a long time now. In fact, I bought my first recording of his work, Chewing Pine, way back in 1975 (on vinyl) just after it came out. (In fact, I still have this album!)

He has a unique style of guitar playing that is unlike anyone else I’ve ever heard, and I listen to a lot of different guitar players. His fingerstyle is based on open tunings, much of the time, and he uses a slide and a twelve-string guitar often as well. His work is very enjoyable and easy to listen too.

His voice is clearly a baritone and is not his strong point. Nonetheless, he has a good sense of pitch and his singing is pleasant enough. His lyrics tend toward the weird and I enjoy them as well.

His music can best be classified as quirky, but in a really good way. It comes recommended and I’ll be collecting the remainder of his albums as I can.

I recently stumbled on Clone, a collaboration between Kottke and Mike Gordon, the bassist for Phish. The two musicians are virtuosos, each in their own element, and together they bring something complementary to the other’s work. The music is odd, but strangely appealing. I really like Car Carrier Blues and the title track, Clone. This recording is recommended.

In the process of looking around the ‘net for information about Kottke, I came across this interview, done in 1999. I also found another site with some interesting links to interviews and music here.

Anil Prasad’s site has a couple of interviews with Leo Kottke (here and here). The interviews are in the archives. One passage that caught my eye was:

For some, Kottke’s signature, resonant vocals and endearingly quirky lyrics are an acquired taste. Recent years have seen him situate those talents in contexts as diverse as chamber music, pop, funk and even hip-hop. But his skills as a guitarist and composer are universally acclaimed. One Guitar, No Vocals showcases both in peak form.

(BTW, I managed to pick up a copy of One Guitar, No Vocals in the used section at Hastings this morning. What a treasure to find!)

Many years ago I often found myself working on Sunday mornings, trying to get a drafting job out. The family would all be off to Mom and Dad’s, or to church. Because the work only required partial concentration, I often listened to National Public Radio. One Sunday morning, while listening to St. Pauls Sunday Morning, I had the opportunity to listen to the playing of and an interview with Kottke. That was a blast.

N.B. As a treat, I came across a site dedicated to the late Michael Hedges, who was another fabulous guitar player. I have a number of his recordings and will be adding the remainder of his solo work to my collection as I can find it.