Leo Kottke
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Leo Kottke | |
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Background information | |
Born | Athens, Georgia, U.S. | September 11, 1945
Genres | American folk, Americana, new acoustic, American primitive guitar |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1966–present |
Labels | Capitol, Chrysalis, Private Music, Oblivion Records |
Website | Official website |
Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an American
Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Athens, Georgia, Kottke moved with his parents so frequently that he was raised in twelve different states.[2] As a youth living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he was influenced by folk and delta blues music, notably that of Mississippi John Hurt.[2] Kottke learned to play trombone and violin before trying the guitar and developing his own unconventional picking style.
A mishap with a firecracker permanently damaged the hearing in his left ear,[2] a condition that would be exacerbated by exposure to loud noise during firing practice while he served in the United States Navy Reserve, when the hearing in his other ear was also damaged.[3]
Kottke attended the University of Missouri for two semesters, where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He left Mizzou after his second semester. After being
In the early 1970s, he recorded with vocals and backing musicians on albums. In 1972, he released Greenhouse and, in 1973, the live My Feet Are Smiling and Ice Water. Kottke closed out his contract with Capitol with his seventh album, Chewing Pine, in 1975. By then, he had gained an international following largely due to his performances at folk festivals. With his 1976 eponymous release, he moved to Chrysalis Records.[4]
Injury and new playing style
In the early 1980s, Kottke began to suffer from painful
He took a long break from recording and performing and simultaneously moved from his relationship with major labels to the smaller Private Music label. Private Music was considered a new-age music label in the Windham Hill style, and Kottke often found his music categorized as such during this period. After the reflective A Shout Toward Noon, in 1986, he took a brief break from recording before returning with Regards from Chuck Pink in 1988.[citation needed]
Later career
Kottke released an album annually from 1989 to 1991: My Father's Face, followed by That's What and then Great Big Boy, which featured guest appearances by Lyle Lovett and Margo Timmins. Two years later, he returned with Peculiaroso, produced by Rickie Lee Jones. The solo album One Guitar, No Vocals was released in 1999. In 2004, Kottke released another solo album, Try and Stop Me (2004).
In 2002, Kottke and Mike Gordon (the bassist from the band Phish, which was on an extended hiatus) collaborated on Clone, an album featuring instrumental work and vocals from both musicians. A second album from the pair, Sixty Six Steps, followed in 2005. The duo toured in support of both albums.[6] In August 2020, Kottke and Gordon announced a new collaborative album, Noon, released that month on Megaplum/ATO Records. It was their first collaboration since Sixty Six Steps and Kottke's first studio album since 2005.[7]
Kottke received an honorary Doctorate in Music Performance from the
Tunings
Kottke's guitars are often tuned unconventionally; early in his career he heavily used
Orchestral works, re-recordings, and other collaborations
In 1976, Kottke collaborated with arranger
Kottke combined previously recorded tunes into new compositions, notably the mini-suite "Bigger Situation", also released on One Guitar No Vocals. In 1990, he and composer Stephen Paulus created Ice Fields, a work for amplified acoustic guitar and orchestra in a concerto format. Ice Fields featured five movements, each based on an existing Kottke composition, with orchestral backing and interlude sections.[12] It was premiered by Paulus's Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has been performed occasionally since but has not been released on record, partly because of the high cost of producing a recording with a full orchestra.[10]
Discography
Videography
- Home & Away (1988), Wienerworld
- Home & Away Revisited (2006), Mvd Visual
References
- ^ 1994 James Jensen interview with Kottke Archived 2007-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, solidairrecords.com; accessed April 29, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Ankeny, Jason; accessed September 27, 2008 All Music Review
- ^ a b c Life in Northern Colorado interview, May 2007 Archived 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine; accessed May 30, 2008.
- ^ a b Leo Kottke Anthology: liner notes
- ^ James Jensen Interview with "Mr. Natural" Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine; accessed April 29, 2008.
- NPR's World Cafe, November 24, 2005.
- ^ "Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke Announce New Album 'Noon', Share Singles". Relix Media. August 18, 2020.
- ^ Guitarist Kottke receiving UWM honorary degree, onmilwaukee.com, May 30, 2008; accessed August 8, 2014.
- ^ Monterey County Weekly: Neo Leo, March 2013; accessed February 5, 2015.
- ^ a b Prasad, Anil. "Leo Kottke: Duo Dialogues". Innerviews: Music Without Borders.; accessed February 5, 2015.
- ^ Prasad, Anil. "Leo Kottke: Choice Reflections". Innerviews: Music Without Borders.; accessed April 29, 2008.
- ^ Stropes, John. "In Search of the Great American Guitar Concerto", Acoustic Guitar Magazine, March 1991; accessed August 8, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- Kottke fan site
- Leo Kottke at IMDb
- Leo Kottke at AllMusic
- Leo Kottke discography at Discogs
- "Kottke and Gordon: Calypso-Brushed Guitars" by David Dye, from NPR's World Cafe, November 24, 2005; accessed August 8, 2014.
- The Leo Kottke/Procol Harum connection; accessed August 8, 2014.
- Interview on Minnesota Public Radio, November 9, 2007; accessed August 8, 2014.