Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) 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…

Leo Kotke's 1995 release, Leo Live, is a welcome addition to his repertoire. Kotke has gotten past his earlier reluctance to perform vocals, and his voice here sounds comfortable and assured on tracks like "Room at the Top of the Stairs" and the talking blues "Jack Gets Up." Yet, as is characteristic of his style, it's his instrumental work on cuts like "Peg Leg," "Little Martha," and a mellow version of the old classic "Twilight Time" that show the artist in peak form. Kotke's mildly "Oddball" proclivities may come through in song titles like "I Yell at Traffic" and "Flattened Brain," yet whatever he names it, his playing is consistently top of the mark. Definitely recommended.

Leo Kottke - Standing In My Shoes (1997) {Private Music 01005821462}
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© 1997 Private Music / BMG | 01005 82146 2
Finger-Picked Guitar / Progressive Folk / Jazz Blues / Contemporary Folk / New Acoustic

Working with former Prince sideman David Z, Leo Kottke comes up with one of his most unusual records with Standing in My Shoes. David Z doesn't necessarily bring Kottke toward funk, but the spare rhythm section gives the guitarist a stronger sense of groove than ever before, and Kottke really shines in such a setting. His solos are loose and swinging, and even his trio of vocal numbers have a charming, carefree quality. Standing in My Shoes does bog down occasionally, particularly when the execution is more compelling than the material, but on the whole, it is one of his more fascinating records of the '90s.

Leo Kottke - Burnt Lips (1978) {Chrysalis–BGO Records BGOCD259 rel 1994}
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© 1978, 1994 Chrysalis Records / BGO Records | BGOCD259
Finger-Picked Guitar / Progressive Folk / Contemporary Folk / New Acoustic

The subjects of death and betrayal permeate this understandably dark album. Opening with the Nick Lowe chestnut "Endless Sleep" as a slow acoustic blues, this unpredictable guitar un-star also sings about "Sonora's Death Row" and offers the opinion that "Everybody Lies." His always problematic singing assumes a prominent role, which might not be the best strategy. He showcases his string wizardry on "A Dull Thud" and several other instrumentals.

Leo Kottke - Peculiaroso (1994) {Private Music–BMG 01005-82111-2}
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© 1994 Private Music / BMG | 01005-82111-2
Finger-Picked Guitar / Progressive Folk / Contemporary Folk / New Acoustic

In terms of musical mastery, few instruments deserve more attention and respect than the twelve-string guitar, and few masters of that instrument deserve that same attention and respect more than Leo Kottke. From his lyrics ("Room at the Top of the Stairs") to his playing ("Wonderland by Night"), this 1994 Private Music release, well produced by Rickie Lee Jones, is at turns humorous, haunting, and highly enjoyable.

Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon - Sixty Six Steps (2005) {RCA Victor 82876 68909-2}
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© 2005 RCA Victor | 82876 68909-2
Finger-Picked Guitar / Progressive Folk / Americana / Contemporary Folk / New Acoustic

The second collaboration of Leo Kottke with ex-Phish bassist Mike Gordon finds the duo exploring breezy Caribbean sounds, with a few surprise covers. The musicians work wonderfully together, with Gordon's meaty yet malleable bass grounding and darting around Kottke's distinctive and agile fingerpicked lines. Percussion reinforces the island sound (the album was recorded at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau) and provides a terrific backbone for the album's tropical approach. Neither Gordon nor Kottke have great (or even good) voices – the bassist's is particularly thin – but they admirably dig into the songs, singing on about half of the tracks with a charming, easygoing quality that suits the material and shows they are enjoying this ride.

Leo Kottke - Regards From Chuck Pink (1988) {Private Music 259 641}
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© 1988 Private Music | 259 641
Contemporary Folk / Finger-Picked Guitar / Progressive Folk / New Acoustic

This 13-song set of instrumentals purports to explore, in Kottke's words, "lifetimes or moments…that have not only endured but prevailed against the test of Pink." Chuck Pink, that is – a personified force of self-censorship and blame. Kottke's always been good at tagging his songs with quirky titles, and Chuck Pink is no exception, with tunes like "I Yell at Traffic," "Dog Quiver," and "Theme From Doodles."