Leo Kottke (Band)
Biography:
Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.
Known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies, Leo Kottke overcame many obstacles on his way to emerging as a widely recognized master of his instrument.
In 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label.
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
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.
With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time. He also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, "Clone," caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called "Sixty Six Steps".
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations and a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies, Leo Kottke overcame many obstacles on his way to emerging as a widely recognized master of his instrument.
In 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label.
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
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.
With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time. He also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, "Clone," caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called "Sixty Six Steps".
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations and a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Website: https://www.leokottke.com/
Links:
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