Leo Kottke
Getting to Mouth Off
by Anil Prasad
It's hard to believe it's been nearly 20 years since Leo Kottke released an album of solo guitar instrumentals. After all, creating inimitable acoustic steel-string, fingerstyle pieces is what he does best, what he was first known for, and a prime motivator in his life.
"It's probably been my spiritual connection. What I'm always trying to do is write a guitar tune. It's my big thrill," he said just before hitting the stage at the Solfest solar and wind energy festival in Hopland, California, last June. Apparently, Kottke's had a lot of thrills lately, as his latest release, the self-explanatory One Guitar, No Vocals, offers up the first bushel crop of new solo pieces since 1981's Guitar Music. It's also kin to his seminal 1969 album, 6 and 12 String Guitar. So why was 1999 the right time to return to the solo format?
"The main reason is the new head of A&R at the label wanted it," he said in his typically deep, rumbling voice. "But I've asked every record label, 'Can I just do a solo guitar record?' So the chance to do it was really welcome to me. Fortunately, I had a fair amount of material, so away we went."
For some, Kottke's signature, resonant vocals and endearingly quirky lyrics are an acquired taste. Recent years have seen him situate those talents in contexts as diverse as chamber music, pop, funk, and even hip-hop. But his skills as a guitarist and composer are universally acclaimed. One Guitar, No Vocals showcases both in peak form.
"The title seems to be a spoof on the music business — years of trying to figure out what category Leo's music fits into and inane conversation about whether he should sing more or less," said John Stropes, a renowned authority on fingerstyle guitar and the only person Kottke trusts to transcribe his work. "Leo's music captures a broad variety of idiomatic sounds from the fullness of American life. His genius for technical idiosyncrasy, his robust inclusion of coloristic effects, percussive elements, and an infectious rhythmicality make this music come alive on one guitar. He possesses an effortless virtuosity. His contributions to guitar technique have been staggering and are still not fully understood. Like Frédéric Chopin, he has created a fresh, new virtuosic literature for his instrument which fires our imagination and stirs our emotions."
One of the more stirring pieces on the new record is "Bigger Situation," a nine-minute epic that illustrates Kottke's gift for melodic development and inventive structures. Full of unique twists, turns, and roundabouts, it's without a doubt a highlight of his career, which spans more than 30 years.
"It started out as three separate pieces, and somewhere along the line they connected beautifully," said Kottke, relaxing in a backstage trailer, decked out in faded jeans and a white, untucked dress shirt. "The middle section folds back in on itself, so they became one piece. It happened over several years. I was knocked out about that. It's all the same geography. It's sort of like finding out you've been living next door to your brother for 20 years and didn't even know you had a brother."
One Guitar, No Vocals also offers up "Accordion Bells," Kottke's first and only Christmas tune. It originally debuted on a Windham Hill collection titled Carols of Christmas II. It's a warm, poignant piece suitable for any occasion, but he gave it a yuletide moniker to satisfy his label's penchant for seasonal records.
"The two themes of my career with labels have been that I should have a chick singer and that I should make a Christmas album," said Kottke, his boyish face wincing. "I used to suspect it, but because I've kind of canvassed audiences, I know that one of the reasons they keep coming to hear me is because I haven't made a Christmas album or a record with a chick singer. I did the tune because [Windham Hill] is now a new outfit with new people, new A&R, and I didn't have to do a whole record. I just contributed a tune. That's it."
This is an excerpt from Dirty Linen #85 (December '99/January '00)
