Legendary Guitarist Leo Kottke Playing St. Cecilia's Next Month

When I moved over to The Rocker earlier this year, names and songs that I hadn't thought about in a long time started coming back to me. Bands, that while I may have played on a casette tape, or more recently on my phone, I hadn't heard in a long time I've been getting reacquainted with. And today I saw the name Leo Kottke, and instantly my mind flashed to the early 1970's. I admit I had to google him to remember it. "Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies." That's from wikipedia.

(NPR Music on YouTube)

Of course, when I kept reading I was even more intrigued. "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 six and twelve string guitars."

Reading Kottke's bio, I now remember hearing him on what then were called "progressive rock" stations:

"Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, Mudlark, positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s Greenhouse and 1973’s live My Feet Are Smiling and Ice Water found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique. - Leo Kottke biography.

All this is leading up to saying, Leo Kottke is playing St. Cecilia's Music Center in Grand Rapids on Friday, November 19th. Here's the link to the link for tickets.

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