Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known … Read Full Bio ↴Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand, to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument. He currently resides in the Minneapolis area with his family.
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".[1] In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on 6- and 12-string guitars.
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".[1] In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on 6- and 12-string guitars.
Eggtooth
Leo Kottke Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Leo Kottke:
All I Have To Do Is Dream Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream, dream, dream, dream Wh…
All Through the Night The day is my enemy, the night my friend, For I'm…
B.J. By your side, satisfied through and through Cause I was born…
Back In Buffalo We got out of Buffalo Locked inside the plane And underneath…
Bean Time i n s t r u m e n t…
Big Mob On The Hill They're burying someone at Forest Lawn There's a big mob on…
Blue Dot They said that Louise was not half-bad It was written on…
Born to Be With You By your side, satisfied through and through Cause I was bor…
Bumblebee Your love's like a flower about to bloom Stand back baby…
Buzzby Buzzby's running, he's running up the street Bonanza Mango, …
Corrina Corrina Corrina, Corrina, Where you been so long? Corrina, Corrina, …
Disguise She said she was drinking the wine 'Cause it always made…
Don't You Think Don't You Think by Marty Robbins Copyright 1973 Mariposa Mus…
Driver Way down there it's raining dust And snakes police the roads…
Easter i n s t r u m e n t…
Eight Miles High Eight miles high and when you touch down You'll find that…
Endless Sleep When you're walking in the street spoiling for a fight Hopin…
Everybody Lies I don't remember what it was like to go back…
Flattened Brain A sunny day, cruise control A couple trees, a smooth road …
Frank Forgets Jane alone and someone else Set out across the lawn After th…
From the Cradle to the Grave Feeling like a ship out of the ocean About to go…
Great Big Boy I was 29 and it absolutely stank I made a lot…
Hear the Wind Howl (i don't know the Tempo) ----------------------- Some cloudy…
Husbandry She's sixty-one years old and hiding in a school bus Kind…
I Still Miss Someone At my door the leaves are falling A cold wild wind…
Jack Gets Up Everyday in the morning when you get up and you…
Julie I climbed the hill to Julie's house The place I used…
June Bug i n s t r u m e n t…
Last Steam Engine Train INSTRUMENTAL…
Learning the Game Hearts that are broken and love that's untrue These go with…
Living in the Country i n s t r u m e n t…
Louise They said that Louise was not half-bad It was written on…
Lullaby Sleep tonight I want you there Folded silence unaware That i…
Mary Late last night I stood outside this room Without the moon…
Memories Are Made Of This The sweet sweet memories you gave-a me You can't beat the…
Mona Ray i n s t r u m e n t…
Monkey Lust Fowley-Kottke In the hobo jungle Underarms ain't always …
Morning Is the Long Way Home I heard your voice at midnight By the river shore I saw…
Pamela Brown I'm the guy who didn't marry pretty Pamela Brown Educated, w…
Parade Problems in a little town, disrupting of the rain Diesel tra…
Pepe Hush The sun comes up on a fleabag our hero checks…
Poor Boy Fahey-White (Instrumental)…
Power Failure Power Failure By Gary Brooker, Keith Reid Copyright 1971 Blu…
Rings Ring, ring, telephone ring, somebody said Baby, what ya doin…
Rio Leo Não volte pra casa, meu amor, que aqui é triste Não…
Running Up The Stairs She jumps up running, running up the stairs She jumps up…
Saginaw Michigan I was born in Saginaw, Michigan I grew up in a…
Sonora's Death Row Mescal is free in Amanda's saloon for the boys from…
Standing in My Shoes Like a stone gone to water I can't help but see That…
Standing on the Outside I've been on the outside loving you Seen from far away Every…
Stealing i n s t r u m e n t…
Summer's Growing Old Summer's growing old, her smile is not so bold Summer's grow…
Sweet Emotion Sweet emotion Sweet emotion Talk about things that nobody c…
Tell Mary Late last night I stood outside this room Without the moon…
The Banks Of Marble I've traveled 'round this country from shore to shining sho…
The Fisherman I heard your voice at midnight By the river shore I saw…
The Other Day I met a guy the other day he said he…
The Tennessee Toad INSTRUMENTAL…
Tilt Billings and the Student Prince Tilt Billings saw a guitar in a pawn shop window Not…
Tiny Island I wish I had a tiny island floating in the…
Tumbling Tumbleweeds See them tumbling down Pledging their love to the ground L…
Turning Into Randolph Scott Turning into Randolph Scott Some things never change Dried u…
Twice When the stars up in the sky When the lights along…
Vaseline Machine Gun INSTRUMENTAL…
Why Ask Why Why can?t you fix my car? What kind of fool you…
With By your side, satisfied through and through Cause I was bor…
World Turning Everybody's trying to say I'm wrong I just wanna be back…
You Know I Know You Know You Know I Know You Know by Leo Kottke Copyright 1973 Overdr…
You Tell Me Why You Tell Me Why By Ron Elliot Copyright 1965 Clears Music, I…
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cottonclarksa
Elite performers call it, "getting in the Zone."
Michael Jackson did it with his infamous Moon-Walk.
Michael Jordan did it in the NBA Finals when he had the flu yet STILL stole the show in the 4th quarter to win an NBA Championship.
Tiger Woods did at the Masters just last year, coming back from back surgeries and doubters aplenty.
And countless others.
But this... this performance supersedes all other elite performers, and it ain't even close. Leo often finds a "Zone," and it's fantastic, something beyond mere mortals. But this rendition of Eggtooth elevates it above the Zone. Totally above. This is by far the best execution of the infamous 12-Bar boogie rhythm I've ever heard, the famous rhythm we've all heard in countless jazz, blues, and pop music, i.e., the 1-4-1-5-4-1 chord structure, all compressed into 12 bars.
Yet, while that is a classic Americana formation of music, Leo interjects his signature double-stroke finger pick style that makes it sound like multiple guitars are playing at the same time. THEN, he goes about schooling all the mechanical metronomes out there in the 2-4 back-beat throughout Eggtooth. It is simply stunning how rich and robust the sound is from one man and just one 12-string guitar... yeah, that very same feisty stringed instrument that conjures so many love/hate relationships among us mere mortals! To get anywhere close to proficiency on the 12-string, you must have the forearm and grip strength of a gorilla, yet at the same time you need the speed, grace, and power of a Bolshoi Theatre ballet dancer. And Leo shows all that and then some in this rendition, keeping time like he was an atomic clock.
Wow, just WOW! This is stunning!... simply stunning. Congratulations, Leo. I know this was performed some time ago - maybe 25 years or more ago - but it's perfection is timeless.
BerrysJSRD
Absolutely his best performance of this tune I have ever heard! The acoustics are perfect and Leo is playing in peak form. Superb. Thank You!
juspasenthru
I've listened to him since 1972 and finally heard him in person about two months ago. Brilliant, of course, but he's also a witty guy with a delightful stage persona.
Brian E
Gonna try to catch his show (FINALLY!) in October when he comes to the Aladdin Theater in Milwaukie, OR. His picking and fretting has slowed over the years but it's still as clear and complex as it's always been; and it's worth it just to hear that down-home sly wit between songs. Love his sense of humor, just a treasure of musical talent and stories that wouldn't be funny coming out of anyone's mouth but Leo Kottke's.
Robert Belyea
U lucky bastard!
Matt Flynn
Kottke at his finest. Best 12-string player ever.
UCD BNXT
Saw him in Pasadena and his middle strings were single strung.. so 10 strings... 😍😍😍😍😍
B Weeks
I think so
cottonclarksa
Agree completely!... Leo's 12-string ability is simply off the chart. And his humor is wickedly off the wall, to boot. To wit, he said this about his long time passion for the 12-string along with his inclusion of the 6-string: "... I spent a lot of time on the six-string, but I was basically married to the twelve — and I still am, but it's an open marriage now. ... " That is hilarious!! Source: https://www.westword.com/music/the-most-surreal-leo-kottke-interview-youll-ever-read-10856998
Confounded Bridge
Leo Kottke is an American treasure.
Dayonda Stribling
@Don Rico Now spending my old age nights "with" Leo: Insomnia has it's high points!!!