Leo Kottke: Man and His Guitar at the Door Community Auditorium

It seems a tricky business to describe a man whose career has spanned over three decades with 25 albums of music (not including albums Leo has appeared on).

His music defies norms, and his outstanding ability and commitment to his craft are breathtaking. Kottke’s music doesn’t fit comfortably in any genre. It has been labeled as “folk,” but at times he gets quite jazzy, and he has also been identified with “new age.”

Leo Kottke

One thing that’s apparent from his interviews is a quirky sense of humor and refreshing modesty about his talent. For a man who has so widely and profoundly pushed the boundaries of his instrument he maintains an “Oh, thanks,” attitude towards compliments and mostly believes it’s a compliment that he’s able to do what he loves, and people love listening.

In an interview with PureMusic in 2002, Kottke said, “I couldn’t ask for more. It’s a privilege to play, and on top of that, they pay you for it. So it’s pretty hard to beat.”

He goes on, “Especially after this much time, it’s clearly what I’m supposed to be doing. I think it’d be dangerous for me to say one day, ‘Well, I think I’m going to have a vacation for a year.’ That’s really looking for trouble – even saying it sounds scary to me. Playing music, it’s good for you. And over time it makes you kind of grow up a little bit.”

In another interview I came across from The Woodstock Independent in 2010, Kottke said, “One of the things with this job, when you’re new at it, is you need to see brand-new towns and venues all the time, otherwise you’ll starve to death. But at a certain point, maybe 10 years in, you realize that it’s not about playing in a new place every time. It’s about being asked back.”

The Door Community Auditorium asked Kottke back, and he returns to Door County for a concert this Sunday, September 18.

This is an excerpt from Brittany Jordt’s blog, Today I’m 20-Something. To read the full post, other previews or reviews of 2011 Door Community Auditorium performances, visit http://bjordt.wordpress.com.

A Few Bits of Kottke Trivia:

• Kottke is one of the most important and influential acoustic steel-string fingerstyle guitarists of the 20th century

• In his many years in the business, Kottke played and recorded with a wide range of musicians: Chet Atkins, Mike Gordon, Leon Redbone, Doc Watson and Violent Femmes, to name a few.

• He was voted the Best Folk Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine four years in a row (1974 – 1978).

Just for Fun:

• His favorite album: Bill Evans, You Must Believe in Spring, 1980

• His favorite author: Saul Bellow, recently read, The Adventures of Augie March

This is an excerpt from Brittany Jordt’s blog, Today I’m 20-Something. To read the full post, other previews or reviews of 2011 Door Community Auditorium performances, visit http://bjordt.wordpress.com.