Kottke 8-10-1991

[@valeriesoper7631]

Everything this guy does is pure genius. I have cherished his music since 1972, starting with the album with the greenhouse art on the cover. It changed my life, and I shall always treasure the memory of my first hearing it, while lying back in a cozy rec room in suburbia, lounging on the carpet with old and new friends, with the wine and the music flowing. Those were the days.

[@skylark5789]

Ditto! 1972 as well. We rocked.

[@davidragland6161]

What a treat to see live renditions of tunes from “Great Big Boy.” To me, the genius of his songwriting really shines in this era.

[@mccnumber2son]

1st heard Leo in '71 waking up on the floor post- long party: someone had his Armadillo (6 & 12 String) album on a portable record player. Thought it was 2 guys playing such low, throaty stuff on a 12 string- and the bottleneck slide. Been a fan ever since and seen his shows across the U.S. Thanks for John Stropes & Mark Hanson for Leo's tabs for guitar-kept me playing for the past 53 years.

[@MarkSeibold]

I've seen Leo perform and almost always up close, and photographed him several times. This concert here was possibly one of his best. Most flawless perfection on the guitar, and although he was still singing in his early tenor range back in the early 90's, he sounds great here and so at ease. Thank you for also posting the early full sound test and pre-concert tune-up, as it is all part of Leo' complete art and musicianship.

[@andrewjurman3256]

Glad you enjoyed it. When I recorded this show back in '91, I did it because I love Kottke and wanted to preserve his music on video. It wasn't until recently that I decided to share it on facebook with other Kottke fans like yourself.

[@peternicholson233]

Brilliant, but just a shame there's too many voices in the recording.

[@klarifoon]

And again a highly appreciated footage! Proves a soundcheck is worthwhile watching at. Thank you for sharing.

[@BB-xe1jl]

not only a great musician, but such a great performer..

[@bucc5207]

"This guy used to send me pieces of his fingernails in the mail. This was long before I met him." OMG that's the most Leo thing ever.

[@lucky56ification]

ty for this can never get enough of this genius cheers

[@pereraddison932]

lucky56ification ... This is just pure masturbation, and I'm getting off, right along with the GENERIC UNION GUY... X

[@stevenmajewski3870]

Mr Kottke, thank you!

[@boonhawk]

This is tremendous - thanks so much...

[@Kaleidoscope369]

Can never get enough is right!!

[@odor9]

Love this! Great to see the set spat the beginning and a great show!

[@RonaldvanHoove]

This man is the real thing, a joy for the ears and wonderful energy and humor. Thanks for the video!

[@riabossuyt7149]

Much better than all the "Greats". Way to underrated !

[@JohnDoe-gk7ok]

Johan Staelens I can only imagine the reaction of guitar players when the Armadillo album was released in ‘69. Was there anything released before that displayed the virtuosity that he displayed on that record? John Fahey, Robert Johnson, John Renborn, etc. were all great, but this guy was in another galaxy

[@GaryIrving-x5o]

*too

[@GaryIrving-x5o]

​@JohnDoe-gk7ok I prefer Renbourn but Kottke is nonetheless a superb and singular guitarist.

[@dreamwell2020]

I don't think I've ever seen him enjoy playing "Rings" more than he does here - at around 42:00. This whole set is wonderful. Thank you.

[@dirtyhiggins5484]

Rings brings a tear of joy to my eye every time.

[@mehrten]

Aw, those first minutes are a treat! And to see Leo wearing a belt! Priceless!

[@ehaber197]

+Donna Mehrten he looks like a big little boy in that t-shirt haha

[@mrsjones2925]

Great Big Boy! LOL

[@optimXprime]

Time in a bottle

[@sprawlnod8117]

you're thinking of Jim Croce

[@andrewjurman3256]

Perhaps I should have mentioned this when I posted this video, but the first 20 minutes is tuning and sound checks. The actual concert starts at around 21:00.

[@charlesbeals1607]

Good to know.

[@richardcasey4439]

My god what awesome playing

[@docwill184]

😅 First heard Vaseline Machine Gun in ~'69 behind a commercial on Top-40 KLIV in S.J. CA. Raced to the phone. "Who ARE those two guys?" After a minute, "His name is Leo 'Codkey.'" ("His?") I wrote it down that way. Rediscovered the Armadillo album after two years of travel and sundry adventures. He IS one-of-a-kind. His first albums were astonishing, until fingerpicks caused some form of carpal tunnel syndrome which forced a radical change of style....

[@23Brettski]

Did FOH with him many times as Not So Sound Company. . .Leo I AS THE BEST!!!

[@HarryVsingersongwriter]

wonderful stuff indeed. And the comments are really out there. Loved reading the lot while listening to a really great musician. Thanks for sharing +Andrew Jurman!

[@jonathanmoran8932]

leo reminds me of a great card magician, when there is a packet in had or guitar in this case, can't help but play with it. why he is one of the greats and so original! so awesome. love me some leo, AD!

[@bluerev]

Amazing footage!

[@dirtyhiggins5484]

If you guys haven't heard him play with Phish bassist Mike Gordon you should check them out. Their albums are incredible.

[@ursalena]

Loved Mike's stories about how he recorded bass parts to some of Leo's recordings and sent them to him as a fan. And it's further interesting that apparently Leo had a lot of people do that to him over the years, and he would turn most of them down. But he "said yes" to Mike! What a twist lol

[@curtcrosby3844]

Thank you so much for this.

[@WilliamBrownGuitar]

"Who's the guy up on the plinth? Just a generic union guy?" (10:42). Leo's funny even when he's warming up. Great footage Andrew. Thanks.

[@jamesfriestad3164]

In this episode Leo embarrasses anyone who ever picked up a guitar.

[@jimbouldin9164]

...as with every other episode.

[@leeharrison2722]

Sure includes me.

[@pereraddison932]

James Friestad... yep. And, alone, his sound checks are worth turning up 4... he's having fun, and so am I...

[@pereraddison932]

James Friestad .. I wish, you wish, we'all wish! He figured it out. And what he figured out was the formula. And so did I. Find a unique n tasty sound n fuck it up. Add long lotsa dry humour, n then Milk it for all it is worth. He could do a 2 hour concert non stop playing only one song. But, if you break it up into previously calculated sections; you got a gig. And thank God for Leo Kottke...

[@richardanthony2923]

leo at the top of his game.

[@IElrekkaI]

set starts at 21:45

[@HarryVsingersongwriter]

cool.

[@davidosilverman900]

Thanks, still doing sound check 15 minutes in...

[@dennisjohndreher7258]

Worth the wait.

[@harveywallace2046]

Completely nuts. Crazy genius.

[@UR2Compliant]

He was like, 'screw all of you, I'll come out when my sound is perfect'.

[@kevinr4454]

My I add - In scrolling down to read the comments of others for the first time, I see that "others" have shared my same feelings and thoughts. It's a matter of expectations. I saw your description and based on that was looking forward to listening to early Kotkee. Instead, in the beginning, I heard endless sound checking and tuning. That is why I suggested a change in your description as I did below. It could be a good heads up for those who simply want to listen to his actual performing. I hope my comments are helpful. AND - Yes - thank you for posting video, truly.

[@jimbouldin9164]

Classic Leo humor starting at 34:39. The guy is one of a kind.

[@pereraddison932]

Jim Bouldin .. na na, na na na na na 666 classic Leo humour right from the start...

[@jwbarnhartmusic]

Sounds better tuning then most people do performing.

[@richardanthony2923]

why wasn't this guy ever as famous as say tommy emmanual not saying tommy isn't great but leo is on another level

[@andrewjurman3256]

Unfortunately Leo never really gained the level of fame that other great guitarists did. He has his own following ... people that grew up listening to him like I did. I'll bet that only 5% of the people you ask ever even heard of him.

[@ryan9600]

Saw Tommy Emmanuel In Liverpool few years back, was bored.

[@pereraddison932]

Richard Anthony ... Leo is on his own level. But his very 1st album is still selling after 50yrs Cop that... for underrated insignificance...

[@mrmusic248]

I saw Leo in 1989. As dumbstruck as I was listening to his records, seeing him live almost made me turn my guitar into a planter in the back yard. Or, perhaps kindling wood??? Thank God people were filming shows, back in the day. I want that 12-string that he's playing here. LOL!!!

[@andrewjurman3256]

I don't think that many people were filming him back then. I haven't seen many shows coming up on KZbin from that era. Glad that I did, and am able to share those shows now.

[@Mindy-s-channel]

No words

[@solomantaylorplayer]

"I really do have a bug problem."

[@mntyz2]

12 string tuning @ 9:45

[@harveywallace2046]

Leo is the most talented, intelligent guitarist that can drive you completely crazy with his OCD

[@gregdavidson5898]

Weird to see Leo standing to play. Michael Hedges stood as well. Most seem to sit while playing

[@sprawlnod8117]

I guess you can call that tuning. Whatever . . . He was a waaaay better tuner back in the '70s when he was in the depths of his crack and angel dust addiction. He totally sold out when he got sober and started closing tuning to the public and only let in VIP spenders. What's a Kottke show without a tuning party? I saw my first tuning in July 1976 at Chicago LakeFest and immediately knew I saw something special. Things really blew up after Glastonbury when Bob Seger, Neil Young and Jerry Fucking Garcia! joined him for a superstar tuning. Nothing will ever top the 5-hour tuning at Marin Co. Fairgrounds in '78, though - I was there and everyone in the crowd saw God that day. Fucking incredible - those were the days. Kottke was wild back then. You ever hear him tell the story about a the hole in his guitar after he stepped on it? Never happened. Truth is Kottke was wasted on PCP and tequila, when he started huffing gold spray paint prior to his slot at Detroit SummerFest in 1979. Jimmy Buffet was the act before him and Kottke thought he was tuning like shit and ruining his crowd, so Kottke stumbled out on the stage with gold paint all over his face and clocked Buffet on the head with his guitar, which is how the hole really got there. He was still the best tuner out there for a few more years. When he did New Years at Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton was going to sit in with Kottke for some of the B-string tuning. Well, Clapton was so amazed and jealous watching Kottke tune before he was about to go onstage that he had a nervous breakdown and never made it - Clapton watched the rest of the tuning from backstage, crying the whole time. It's too bad Kottke got tied up in that phenobarbital sting with the Yakuza when he was filming his shows at Budokan in 1980 because that was pretty much the end of the great tuning era. I hate to say it, but I kind of wish he would start doing drugs again so that I can hear more of the best tuner the world has ever seen.

[@HarryVsingersongwriter]

Thanks! Don't know what I love more, the tuning or this really enlightening story. I think it's the story, well written sprawl nod! Wonderful!

[@lvgeorge]

Are any of these "Super Tunning" sessions available on KZbin for me to listen in on? I'm a big fan however never been able to catch him in concert. Amazing story, glad he survived that scene, hard for me to believe he had a wild streak back then! I've admired Leo's musical talent since back in the early 70's Chicago radio broadcasts (Austin City Limits, NPR,,,!

[@south644]

luvit

[@kevinr4454]

And I added a "like" for you to benefit.

[@sblack48]

the funniest guitar player alive

[@cptnoremac]

Wait, what did the record labels ask him to do? Why was it cut out? I have to know!

[@andrewjurman3256]

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you're talking about here.

[@cptnoremac]

Andrew Jurman I don't know the timestamp, but he started to tell a story about record labels asking him to do something before the show started and it got cut off.

[@andrewjurman3256]

If you can tell me where in the video this is, I can see it for myself. As far as I know, I've posted the entire show.

[@godssdog]

I believe the comment cptoremac is referring to begins at about 55:17 I'm wondering the same.

[@andrewjurman3256]

Great Big Boy is on the Private Music label. This show was recorded in August of '91, so you can also check and see what label he was recording on at that time.

[@tedscott1478]

No sound why..?

[@andrewjurman3256]

Must be your system. There is sound with this video.

[@reevedavey]

Gave up at 8.22 seconds of tuning tweeking

[@elektrolyte]

you're a chop! they included his sound check at the top of this clip

[@23Brettski]

stage fright. . .

[@georgesmith4639]

It's curious that he's not playing an LKSM 12 string (i.e., his Taylor Leo Kottke Signature 12 string). They were being sold to the public many months before the date given above for this performance. I would think he was under contract to use them in public. Could the date of this performance actually be in 1990 or earlier?

[@pereraddison932]

George Smith ... he began using a very different brand of guitar name of; Bozo. They were stolen, & these 2 original 6 n 12 strings would now be worth literally very many millions of $£¥¥€ anywhere...

[@kevinr4454]

I love Leo and have been a fan my entire life and I've seen he many a time live. And - this is a really annoying video. I'm stopping 17 minutes into it.

[@andrewjurman3256]

Kevin - Sorry that you are "annoyed" by this video. You are one of the very few that has a problem with it. If your computer has a scroll bar, you can advance to the 21 minute mark where the show starts, or don't watch it at all.

[@kevinr4454]

@@andrewjurman3256 Andrew - Thanks for getting back to me. May I suggest that you add a comment in your description notes that X thru X is Leo tuning and sound checking with the live playing beginning at X. - Please understand, I meant no malice.

[@andrewjurman3256]

@@kevinr4454 No harm done. I've added that info now. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@joker-mo8cb]

Slipknot brought me here

[@mauricerogerson5825]

Play the goddam piece, Leo! I get tired of watching you try to tune to perfection, when all of us guitar players know that is IMPOSSIBLE, considering the instrument's characteristics! Play, dammit!

[@andrewjurman3256]

Maurice - sorry that you're unhappy with the video. I think you're the first. Do you have a scroll bar on your computer? If so, use it next time to advance the show, or don't watch it at all!

[@josephreese]

I was a friend.very sweet ,strange man!

[@Oliver1917th]

Got any stories?