Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945, Athens, Georgia, U.S.) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument. He currently resides in the Minneapolis area with his family.
Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone described by himself as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day". In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on his 6- and 12-string guitars.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Athens, Georgia, Kottke moved with his parents so frequently that he was raised in twelve different states. As a youth living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he was influenced by folk and delta blues music, notably that of Mississippi John Hurt. Kottke learned to play trombone and violin before trying the guitar and developing his own unconventional picking style.
Leo Kottke (album)
Leo Kottke is the first album on the Chrysalis label by American guitarist Leo Kottke, released in 1976. It reached #107 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts.
History
After six releases on Capitol, Kottke and his manager/producer Denny Bruce changed labels. This release of all instrumental pieces written by Kottke (with the exception of "Buckaroo") also includes orchestrations by Jack Nitzsche.
The composition "Airproofing" was significantly re-worked and released as "Airproofing II" on Kottke's A Shout Toward Noon. "Death by Reputation" was covered by John Fahey on his album John Fahey Visits Washington D.C..
It was re-issued on CD by BGO in 1996.
Reception
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Chip Renner called the album "Very good guitar playing."
Track listing
All songs by Leo Kottke except "Buckaroo"
Side One
Side Two
Leo Kottke: 1971–1976
Leo Kottke: 1971–1976 is a compilation album of songs released on Capitol during Kottke's tenure with that label. It is sometimes referred to as Did You Hear Me? due to the handwritten caption on the photo on the cover. It peaked at #153 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts.
History
After the release of Chewing Pine, Kottke subsequently signed with Chrysalis Records. Six of the songs here were edited or re-mixed for this release. The track "Morning is the Long Way Home" is an edited down version of the original release from Ice Water, minus the vocals. Kottke would re-record this version again in 1999 on One Guitar, No Vocals.
The song "Pamela Brown" was also featured as the sole Leo Kottke track in a promotional-only compilation album from 1976 issued by Capitol records entitled The Greatest Music Ever Sold (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512), which was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign. The campaign promoted 15 different Best Of... albums released by the label. Each of the actual albums represented were adorned with a gold-foiled round sticker which read "The Greatest Music Ever Sold", adhered to the front of the shrinkwrap.
Podcasts:
Leo Kottke
ALBUMS
- Sixty Six Steps released: 2005
- Try And Stop Me released: 2004
- 1971-1976 Did You Hear Me? released: 2002
- Clone released: 2002
- Ice Water released: 2000
- One Guitar, No Vocals released: 1999
- Hear the Wind Howl released: 1997
- Standing in My Shoes released: 1997
- The Leo Kottke Anthology released: 1997
- Dreams and All That Stuff released: 1996
- Live in Europe released: 1995
- Guitar Music released: 1995
- 6- and 12-String Guitar released: 1995
- Leo Kottke Live released: 1995
- Peculiaroso released: 1994
- My Feet Are Smiling released: 1992
- Great Big Boy released: 1991
- Essential Leo Kottke released: 1991
- That's What released: 1990
- My Father's Face released: 1989
- Regards From Chuck Pink released: 1988
- The Best of Leo Kottke released: 1987
- Leo Kottke / Peter Lang / John Fahey released: 1987
- A Shout Toward Noon released: 1986
- Time Step released: 1983
- Guitar Music released: 1981
- Balance released: 1979
- Burnt Lips released: 1978
- Leo Kottke 1971-1976: Did You Hear Me? released: 1976
- Leo Kottke released: 1976
- The Best released: 1976
- Chewing Pine released: 1975
- Greenhouse released: 1972
- Mudlark released: 1971
- Circle 'Round the Sun released: 1970
- 12 String Blues released: 1969
- 2003-06-13: Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN, USA released:
- Fingerpicking 1997: Savigliano, Italy released:
- 2002-11-15: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO, USA released:
- Instrumentals: The Best of the Chrysalis Years released:
- Instrumentals: The Best of The Capitol Years released:
The Leo Kottke Anthology
Released 1997- The Driving of the Year Nail
- Ojo
- Vaseline Machine Gun
- Busted Bicycle
- Cripple Creek
- Eight Miles High
- Bumblebee
- Bourrée
- Bean Tme
- Tiny Island
- In Christ There Is No East or West
- Last Steam Engine Train
- From the Cradle to the Grave
- Louise
- Easter
- Medley: Crow River Waltz / Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring / Jack Fig
- Pamela Brown
- You Tell Me Why
- Born to Be With You
Essential Leo Kottke
Released 1991- Up Tempo
- Embryonic Journey
- Rings
- Mr. Fonebone
- Julie's House
- Side One Suite: Some Birds / Sounds Like / Slang / My Double / Three Walls and Bars / Reprise: Some Birds
- Sonora's Death Row
- Learning the Game
- The White Ape
- Buckaroo
- Tell Mary
- Airproofing
- Part Two
- Agile N.
- Tumbling Tumbleweeds
- Sleep Walk
- The Credits: Out-takes From Terry's Movie
- Little Shoes
- The Train and the Gate: From Terry's Movie
- All I Have to Do Is Dream
- Frank Forgets
- Here Comes That Rainbow Again
Guitar Music
Released 1981- Part Two
- Available Space
- Side One Suite: Some Birds
- Side One Suite: Sounds Like...
- Side One Suite: Slang
- Side One Suite: My Double
- Side One Suite: Three Walls and Bars
- Side One Suite: Reprise: Some Birds
- Perforated Sleep
- Strange
- Little Shoes
- Jib's Hat
- Tumbling Tumbleweeds
- Agile N.
- A Song for "The Night of the Hunter''
- All I Have To Do Is Dream
- Sleep Walk
Fingerpicking 1997: Savigliano, Italy
- William Powell
- Oddball
- The Room at the Top of the Stairs
- Wonderland by Night
- Rings
- Sleepwalk
- Available Space - June Bug
- Pamela Brown
- Snorkel
- Across the Street
- Too Fast
- Room Service (At the Tahiti Motel)
- Eight Miles High
- Little Martha
- Cripple Creek
- Corrina, Corrina
- Chamber of Commerce
- Louise
- Mona Ray
- Jack Fig
- Standing in My Shoes
- Bean Time
2002-11-15: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO, USA
- PA / Tuning
- Disco
- Living in the Country
- I'm Going Back to the Old Home
- The Collins Missile
- William Powell
- Rings
- From Pizza Towers to Defeat
- I Can't Hang
- Standing in My Shoes
- Last Steam Engine Train
- Te Veo
- Cripple Creek
- Clone
- Middle of the Road
- Corrina Corrina
- Car Carrier Blues
- Ya Mar
- Deep River Blues
- Eight Miles High
Instrumentals: The Best of The Capitol Years
- June Bug
- Ice Miner
- Poor Boy
- Machine #2
- Bean Time
- In Christ There Is No East or West
- Owls
- Lost John
- Blue Dot
- Eggtooth
- Medley: Crow River Waltz / Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring / Jack Fig
- Mona Ray
- Twilight Property
- Taking a Sandwich to a Feast
- A Good Egg
- A Child Should Be a Fish
- The Scarlatti Rip-off
- Grim to the Brim
