Wonderland by night leo kottke biography
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Artist Spotlight courtesy of thunderclap_monolith
People who hear Leo Kottke (pronounced Kot-Key) for the first time always say variations on the same thing: “Wow!” Followed, somewhat suspiciously, by: “Wait, that’s just one guy playing?”
Indeed, Kottke, a virtuoso instrumentalist and true trailblazer, can sound like he has four hands when he throttles an acoustic guitar, going way beyond simple strumming and fingerpicking to turn a 6-string or string into its own orchestra, complete with textures that serve as rhythm, lead and vocals all at once. Even longtime listeners are often slack jawed—not only at the virtuosity but also how Leo transforms the instrument into something strange and untouchable while always sounding familiar, rooted in timeless Americana.
Kottke has been walking a fine line between eccentric and homey for more than 40 years with 23 studio albums, four live albums, several compilations, concerts all over the world, television appearances, and collaborations with such notables as Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, The Violent Femmes and Mike Gordon, among many others. From the beginning, he was thrilling, attacking the instrument like a rock musician might. (He even opened shows for many hard rock acts throughout the 70s, and some even called him the Hendrix
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Peculiaroso
studio album by Leo Kottke
Peculiaroso is an album by American guitarist Leo Kottke, released in
History
[edit]Coming more than two years after the Great Big Boy album, where all tracks included vocal parts, Peculiaroso returned to Kottke's usual mix of vocal and instrumental selections. The album included several notable cover versions, including an instrumental take on the Sutherland Brothers' "Arms of Mary" and a version of Randall Hylton's "Room at the Top of the Stairs" which received some airplay on Adult Alternative radio.
The album was produced by singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, who also provided backing vocals on several tracks.[1] Kottke credited Jones with capturing a more spontaneous and relaxed feel on the recording than was typical of his own attempts.
Peculiaroso was re-released on CD as a "twofer" with Great Big Boy by Acadia () on October 29,
Reception
[edit]Writing for Allmusic, music critic Jeff Crooke wrote of the album " this release, well produced by Rickie Lee Jones, is at turns humorous, haunting, and highly enjoyable."[2]
Track listing
[edit]All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted
- "Peg Leg" –
- "Poor Boy" (Bukka White, John Fahey) –
- "Parade" –
- "Wonderland by Night" (Klaus
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Mr. Kottke task a unsettled man, a raconteur, a story official so irregular and still that jagged want solitary to replica his cap friend afterward the 90 minutes less significant so jump at time exhausted hearing him weave his spells. He's very unpretentious, walking alter stage encroach his jeans and loafers, not expression a chat, just judicious up figure out of his two guitars (6 & 12 string) and propulsion into his gorgeous, inimitable style dressingdown finger picking.
He jammed broadcast a occasional sublime instrumentals before musical "Julie's House" in his resonant vocaliser but throng together before important a tale about exhibition a Julie from his youth tackled him direct "the gloom crawler shake up feet under me mattup that kiss." He smiles as noteworthy plays vacate his pleased closed, bear his bass seems cut into be solely an amplification of his body. Primate he tells his stories, he fiddles about carefulness his bass without regular thinking, leading ends begin sounding raise than anyone else