Leo opened the show with some picking and banter, recalling the last time that he played at a library in Albuquerque. He explained that the stage was sort of a plank and it happened to be Father's Day. Kottke had strummed a few songs when a kid came up and asked if he could play. Leo had said no and the dads present did not seem pleased. Leo then thought that the plywood he was standing on started to move. He admitted to hoping that he would fall on the kid. This was one of many off-beat antidotes that Kottke shared as he played the six and twelve string acoustic guitars that he had with him.

This lengthy tale preceded the first song but eventually Kottke got around to playing some music, getting off to a fast start with the bouncy and engaging "Too Fast" - his standard opening number as of late.

Leo is apt at layering leads and rhythm and at some points it sounded like he was playing three and four parts. Kottke mentioned a friend in Amsterdam and a vegetarian dog as a prelude to "Fourth Sense", saying something to the effect that the song talks about a time when there was nothing and four senses would have been "close enough". The piece was melodic, moody and multi-layered. It was followed by "Julie's House" which was a combination of storytelling and strumming.

Leo Kottke on stage in Ringwood, New Jersey. (Photo by Bob Gramegna)

Many of the songs that Leo performed were instrumentals. Kottke also mentioned John Fahey who had inspired him and Leo paid tribute to his friend with a snappy instrumental song. Mid-set Kottke switched to the 12-string aiming for a more twangy tuning. He used a finger slide to add depth to the music mixing picking and strumming in lively layers.

Leo recalled that as a child he was amazed how his German grandparents would sit at the kitchen table talking in their native tongue. The next piece called "Gewerbegebiet" was pretty and pensive flowing like a conversation in the way Leo played the exchange of notes. He joked that this Germanic word did for consonants what the Hawaiian language did for vowels. It was followed by a lighter lilting track with Leo alternating between picking and strumming techniques.

Leo talked more about John Fahey and a guy he knew who rode the rails for a living. He mused that he chats in concert to give himself a chance to figure out what to play next as he does not use a set list when playing solo. The next instrumental had shades of 50's rock blended in and flowing into more intricate fret work that worked into the Allman Brothers' "Little Martha".

Leo - who had been switching between guitars throughout the show - played the 12 string for the encore. Kottke blended circling chord progressions with fanciful finger style fretwork. Kottke's set was an entertaining mix of stories, songs and singular acoustic guitar playing. Leo had a distinctive style that melded different types of music with techniques that were tricky and tasteful.

Leo Kottke, who's most recent album is with Mike Gordon, performed at the New Legacy concert series in October 2011.

Related Links: For more information on LEO KOTTKE and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Leo Kottke | Ringwood Public Library

(Originally Published on October 10, 2011)