Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 String Guitar (Sonet, Licenced from Takoma Records, 1972, USA)

Leo Kottke is an American folk/fingerpicker guitarist virtuoso (Athens, GA, 1945), championed as one of the major figures in the American Primitivism movement and is often credited along with legends like John Fahey or Robbie Basho.

Most of his fame is due to his first record, which will be the topic of this new entry. And the fact is that he conceived a top notch album, a timeless piece of art. He was not an innovator –we already had the guitar excursions of the extraordinaire Fahey, or the fantasias of Sandy Bull- but he was so bold in fussing his immaculate virtuosity and speed with tons of passion, resulting on a stunning beautiful record, a record that swings between the thick line of experimentation and meditation. Raising the acoustic guitar into new aces as a solo concerto instrument.

Kottke was a savior vagabond; he hitchhiked all over North-America in his adolescence, with his eyes wide open (he partially lost his audition while manipulating a firecracker) absorbing as much folk musical influences as he could. And that’s what this album is about: his idealization of rural America. You can be illegally riding in a freight train; be hit by a dust bowl; hitch-hick with a beat companion; breath the freshness of the Appalachian forests or even jam with Mississippi John Hurt.

The pieces chosen are short, not exceeding the 3 minutes, and are very eclectic. Styles range between acoustic blues structures, traditional folk, rags, classical or even guitar excursions à la Fahey with weird tunings, a delightful use of the slide and a delicious tone of the crystalline jangly 12 string guitar.

Almost every track is a scorcher, and don’t be fooled if doesn’t appeal at first listen, play it on a regular basis and you will become heavily addicted. By the way, the chain between “The Sailor’s Grave on the Praire”, “Vaseline Machine Gun” and “Jack Fig” is stellar.

So, hope you enjoy this terrific piece of art as I do. I treasure this one along with Dale Miller Kicking Mule releases and several Fahey and Basho projects as pristine examples of top-notch fingerpicking/American primitivism relics.

Tracks

A1. The Driving of the Year Nail (Kottke)

A2. The Last of the Arkansas Greyhounds (Kottke)

A3. Ojo (Kottke)

A4. Crow River Waltz (Kottke)

A5. The Sailor’s Grave on the Praire (Kottke)

A6. Vaseline Machine Gun (Kottke)

A7. Jack Fig (Kottke)

B1. Watermelon (Kottke)

B2. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (composed by J. S. Bach;arranged by Kottke)

B3. The Fisherman (Kottke)

B4. The Tennesse Toad (Kottke)

B5. Busted Bicycle (Kottke)

B6. The Brain of the Purple Mountain (Kottke)

B7. Coolidge Rising (Kottke)

Personnel

Leo Kotke: Accoustic 6 & 12 string guitar

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The Dean Davis Company - IInd time Around (ETC Enterprises, USA, 196?)

The Dean Davis Company was an obscure folk-rock group from Colorado, active during the golden era of late sixties/early seventies. Whose brainchild was singer-rhythm guitarist Dean Davis, producing three private pressed records under his name (one as Dean Davies, two as Dean Davis Company) and one other as Winterwood on the odd ETC Enterprises label.

On today’s post we will cover his second LP. A little search in the net has shown me that exist two different covers: the one I own, showing a black and white photo of the four members giving a concert for a peculiar audience of four child mounted on their tricycles (beautiful and peaceful, isn’t it?). The other, consisting on five lines, repeating the disc name each time a row in a black and white descending color scale.

The album has a very nice rural folk period flavor, certainly XIAN, providing an enjoyable listening experience, mostly because of the use of acoustic instrumentation (12 string acoustic guitar!), minimalistic electric guitar arrangements, byrdish suave drumming and beautiful and subtle male/female harmony vocals.  

Songs are mostly covers of seminal folk artists like Phil Ochs, Arlo Guthrie and Buffy St. Marie, imprinting their own identity with the creation of very beautiful atmospheres and passages. There’s also time for two originals: “What the World Needs Now” and “Suzzanne”. The first one consisting a introductory narrative speech and a second part song. But it’s on the terrific “Suzzanne” where the band suns through the clouds. “Old Blue” is also stunning with their combination of musiqued speech and chorus response, so real!

More information about this amazing artisan band will be warmly welcomed! Drop me a line.

Tracks

A1. Highway in the wind (Arlo Guthrie)

A2. Crucifixion (Phil Ochs)

A3. What the World Needs Now

A4. Saint of CSU (Saint of San Walkeen) (John Stewart)

B1. Lazy Morning (Chet Hanson)

B2. Suzzanne

B3. Old Blue (traditional)

B4. Until It's Time for Me to Go (Buffy St. Marie)

Personnel

Lead Guitar: Dave Bigalow

Rhythm Guitar: Dean Davis

Vocals: Paula Streiff, Rich Curran, Dean Davis

Bass: Ed Bigby

Drums: Vince Haffey

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