GRASS VALLEY, CA, April 26, 2024 – The Center for the Arts is pleased to present An Evening with Leo Kottke in the Marisa Funk Theater on June 23, 2024.
Leo Kottke, a two-time GRAMMY nominee, has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “an American legend in the guitar world.” His mastery of acoustic fingerstyle guitar has set a new benchmark in the industry. Kottke’s music combines elements of blues, jazz, and folk, showcasing his unique playing technique on both 6- and 12-string guitars. He is also celebrated for his original renditions of classic songs like “June Bug,” “Pamela Brown,” “Julie’s House,” and “Jack Gets Up.”
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,” produced by Leo’s old friend and Prince producer David Z. With his spontaneous and witty stage banter, Kottke delivers a thoroughly engaging performance.
Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but was 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. After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.
Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London, and into the Navy, with his twelve string. “The trip was not something I enjoyed,” he has said, “I was broke and met too many interesting people.” Discharged 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. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.) 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.
With a career spanning over 5 decades, Kottke knows how to deliver an impressive performance. Don’t miss your chance to see him live at The Center for the Arts on June 23, 2024.
WHAT: An Evening with Leo Kottke
WHERE: The Center for the Arts | 314 West Main Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
WHEN: June 23, 2024 | Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:30 pm
TICKETS: $32-52 | https://thecenterforthearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0SUZ000000XdVd2AK
WEBSITE & INFO: thecenterforthearts.org | (530) 274-8384