Leo Kottke - 1993-04-02 - Bottom Line - New York, NY

Leo Kottke
1993-04-02
The Bottom Line, New York, NY
Digital Soundboard recording (Jerry Moore's dat clone), excellent quality
Available in both lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (@320 kbps) versions

More Leo! A bit later. This was several years after his return following his near career-ending bout with tendonitis and nerve damage in his hand. As part of his therapy and adjustment for the tendonitis, he changed his picking style to a more classical, less aggressive approach, and changed his hand positioning to reduce stress on his tendons. He also began to delve more into jazz and classical style compositions and playing styles. Thus, beginning with his return to recording in 1986 (A Shout Toward Noon), he moved to the new age-oriented label Private Music, and his albums showed a kinder, gentler, more jazzy styling, but still just as impressive, and probably even more beautiful sounding. Subsequent releases included Regards From Chuck Pink (1988), My Father's Place (1989), That's What (1990), and Great Big Boy (1991). At the time of this show in 1993, he was preparing songs for his next album, which would be Peculiaroso (1994).  So, here is Leo in those middle years, with a sweeter sound, but still showing some of the finest acoustic picking and slide work you will ever hear, as well as a plethora of great songs and his quirky personality and stories. Plus, a stellar digital soundboard recording and bonus tracks from the 2nd (late) set to boot. 

Tracklist (early show):
01 - William Powell
02 - Porky And Pale
03 - Rings
04 - Oddball
05 - Airproofing - Conductor story - Griddle Slide
06 - Everybody Lies
07 - Living In The Country
08 - Jesus Maria
09 - The Driver
10 - Twilight Time
11 - Peg Leg ('Filbert') - Heimlich Story
12 - Louise
13 - Medley - Available Space/June Bug/Train and The Gate/Vaseline Machine Gun/Jack Fig
14 - Lying in the Arms of Mary

Bonus tracks (from late show)
15 - Eggtooth
16 - (Unidentified Instrumental)
17 -  Eight Miles High
18 - Last Steam Engine Train
19 - (Unidentified Instrumental)
20 - Little Martha
21 - Room At The Top Of The Stairs - Minnesota Story
22 - Griddle Slide
23 - Jack Gets Up - History Book Story
24 - Closing Instrumental

Note: Several late show songs that were repeated from the early show were excluded here.

New Links (Updated 07/07/21)
Mp3 - Leo Kottke_1993-04-02_Bottomline_mp3.part1.rar
Leo Kottke_1993-04-02_Bottomline_mp3.part2.rar

FLAC - Leo Kottke_1993-04-02_Bottomline_FLAC.part1.rar
Leo Kottke_1993-04-02_Bottomline_FLAC.part2.rar

Leo Kottke - 1978-09-29 - Washington DC

Leo Kottke
1978-09-29
Washington, D.C
Soundboard recording, very good quality
mp3 @ 256


Here's more from virtuoso guitarist Leo Kottke, a few years after the previously posted show. By this time, Kottke had released 2 albums for his new label Chrysalis, Leo Kottke (1976) and Burnt Lips (1978), and this show features several selections from those newer albums, in addition some of his older material, both with and without vocals, but far more guitar-playing than singing, which is as it should be. Kottke would record 3 more albums for Chrysalis (Balance-1978, Guitar Music-1981, and Time Step-1983). However, by this time (early eighties), his unusual, hard-driving finger-picking style of playing was taking its toll on his body, as he developed severe tendinitis and nerve damage in his hand, which almost ended his career. He took 3 years off from recording and performing, in which time he changed the way he played to reduce stress on his hand, and basically re-learned how to play the guitar in a way that would work with his affliction. So, in 1986, he came back, with a new album on the Private Music label, which featured more slow, somber, jazzy, and beautiful songs over the more high-speed workouts of earlier years. His guitar-playing was still sensational, despite the difficulties, but more about that later. For now, enjoy Leo during these last years of his pre-injury playing featuring his unique style and songs.

Tracklist:
01. June Bug
02. Vaseline Machine Gun
03. Pamela Brown
04. Julie's House
05. Grim to the Brim
06. Last Steam Engine Train - Stealing
07. Range
08. Medley
09. Can't Quite Put it Into Words
10. Endless Sleep
11. Orange Room
12. The Fisherman
13. Bean Time
14. Airproofing
15. The Quiet Man
16. Louise
17. Don't Know Why
18. Driving of the Year Nail
19. I Called Back
20. Up Tempo
21. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
22. Standing in My Shoes - Busted Bicycle

Leo Kottke_1978-09-29_WashDC.rar

Leo Kottke - 1975-10-31 - Champaign IL

Leo Kottke
1975-10-31
Champaign, IL
FM broadcast recording, very good quality
mp3 @ 256 kbps

Here's more from the amazing Leo Kottke. This show, a fine FM broadcast from 1975, a couple years after the previously posted show. Thus, in addition to his earlier songs, this show features several songs from his subsequent Capitol albums, Ice Water (1974), Dreams and All That Stuff (1974), and Chewing Pine (1975) for a rousing and wonderful show from the gifted guitarist. This actually was around the time I first saw him live at a small college in Illinois, and as great as he is to hear on a recording, it was really awesome to see him play in person. Just a totally unique talent, and a really interesting personality. More Leo Kottke, from the old days.
 
Tracklist:
01. "Hello Ladies and Germs" / Mona Ray
02. Morning is the Long Way Home
03. Ojo
04. Eight Miles High
05. Eggtooth
06. Power Failure
07. Sailors Grave on the Prairie
08. Pamela Brown
09. "Self Defense"
10. Can't Quite Put it Into Words
11. Tiny Island
12. Bean Time
13. Monkey Money
14. The Scarlatti Rip-Off
15. June Bug
16. San Antonio Rose / America the Beautiful
17. Shadowland
18. Grim to the Brim
19. Louise
20. Tennessee Toad
21. Hear the Wind Howl
22. Busted Bicycle
23. Crow River Waltz
24. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
25. Jack Fig

Leo Kottke_1975-10-31_Champaign.rar
New Link (Updated 07/07/21)

Leo Kottke - 1973-05-09 - Clark University, Worcester, MA

Leo Kottke
1973-05-09
Clark University, Worcester, MA
Soundboard recording, very good quality
Mp3 @ 256 kbps

Listening to Ry Cooder's acoustic slide work on the 1979 Cambridge Folk Festival recordings reminded me of another great American acoustic slide guitarist from the '70's that I love but hadn't listened to in a long time, and who also could be placed in this elusively diverse category labelled 'Americana' or 'Roots' music. Leo Kottke, one of the all-time great acoustic guitar players, and certainly the most unique, plays in a blistering fast, aggressive, syncopated, polyphonic, unconventional picking style that is all his own, and is totally amazing to hear. He began playing in and around coffeehouses in the late 'sixties and recorded his first album live at a coffeehouse in Minnesota (12-String Blues) in 1969, and then recorded an all-instrumental album for John Fahey's Tacoma Records (6- and 12-String Guitar), which established his reputation as a dynamic and powerhouse guitarist. His popularity increased with a series of albums for Capitol in the 1970's, which featured his unconventional singing voice, in addition to his virtuoso guitar playing. Here is a show from 1973, from around the time of his 3rd Capitol album, My feet Are Smiling, which was a live album, and followed Mudlark-1971 and Greenhouse-1972. Although his vocals (a resonant, but sometimes shaky baritone) are something of an acquired taste (I happen to like it), his guitar-playing (and guitar compositions) are spectular, and no one else played like him. Check out the sick picking and slide work on songs such as 'June Bug', 'The Spanish Entomologist', 'Vaseline Machine Gun', and 'Busted Bicycle', to name just a few. Just unbelievable. He also is a great story-teller with an offbeat sense of humor, and his between song commentary is always entertaining. 

Tracklist
01 - Cradle to the Grave (2:43)
02 - Chuck Pink (5:43)
03 - Louise (4:20)
04 - Living in the Country (1:38)
05 - Last Steam Engine Train (2:39)
06 - Fisherman (3:21)
07 - Eight Miles High (3:58)
08 - Ojo (3:31)
09 - June Bug (2:56)
10 - Spanish Entomologist (4:16)
11 - Bean Time (2:51)
12 - Tiny Island (3:25)
13 - Stealing (3:55)
14 - Sailor's Grave on the Prarie (3:55)
15 - Vaseline Machine Gun (3:41)
16 - Busted Bicycle (2:18)
17 - Standing in My Shoes (3:29)
18 - Crow River Waltz (3:10)
19 - Jesu, Joy of man's Desiring (1:59)
20 - Jack Fig (2:04)

Leo Kottke_1973-05-09_WorcesterMA.rar

Ry Cooder & Nick Lowe - 2009-06-27 - Rome, Italy

Ry Cooder & Nick Lowe
2009-06-27
Rome, Italy
Audience recording, Good quality
mp3@ 256 kbps

Here's one more Ry Cooder show, bringing us up to more recent times, and also a show that has him teamed up with another great, Nick Lowe. So, we get a little bit of everything here, from throughout his career (Blues, folk, rock, Mexican, etc.) plus Lowe's added vocals and pop sensibilities and stylings, all combined into a very unique show.  Not a great recording, but, overall a pretty good audience recording, and a very enjoyable performance.

Tracklist
01. Fool Who Knows
02. Fool For A Cigarette / Feelin' Good
03. Vigilante Man
04. Losing Boy
05. Chinito Chinito
06. Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)
07. One Of These Days You Gotta Pay
08. Crying In My Sleep
09. Down In Hollywood
10. The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)
11. Half A Boy And Half A Man
12. Teardrops Will Fall
13. Jesus On The Mainline
14. Impossiblo / You Have to Go
15. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding
16. Little Sister

Bonus Tracks
2009-11-11 - Orchard Hall, Tokyo, Japan
17. A Shrinking Man
18. Across the Borderline
19. Raining Raining
20. 13 Question Method

Ry Cooder-Nick Lowe_2009-06-27_Rome+bonus.rar
Link updated 09/13/21

Ry Cooder & David Lindley - 1990-07-06 - Milano, Italy

Ry Cooder & David Lindley
July 6th, 1990
Palatrussardi, Milano, Italy
Audience recording, good quality
mp3 @ 320 kbps


Here's more from Ry Cooder, from a a little later in his career, and this time he's joined by another talented multi-instrumentalist, David Lindley. Although Lindley is best-known for his work with artists such as Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, and many others, he also had his own band (El Rayo-X) and released many albums on his own. He is known as an expert at almost any instrument with strings (ranging from guitars to the zither and everything in between). So here we get Ry and David Joining forces for a diverse, extensive, and eclectic set of songs from throughout their careers featuring their virtuoso talents.

Tracklist:
01 Bon Ton Ruling
02 Crazy 'Bout An Automobile
03 Jesus On The Mainline
04 Paris, Texas - Vigilante Man
05 Billy The Kid
06 Across The Borderline
07 It's All Over Now
08 Blue Moon Instrumental
09 Coot From Tennessee
10 Mercury Blues
11 The Long Riders
12 Instrumental
13 Jessie James
14 Bourgois Blues
15 Wooly Bully (Flaco Jimenez on vocals)
16 Hard For You Baby (Can't Get Enough of Your Love)
17 The Very Thing That Makes You Rich
18 Oh Death
19 Goodnight Irene

(Flaco Jimenez opened for Ry Cooder)

Ry Cooder_David Lindley_1990-07-06_Milano.part1.rar
Ry Cooder_David Lindley_1990-07-06_Milano.part2.rar