He’s Finally Gotten Over Sage Fright

Leo Kottke has spent most of his musical career as a loner. But in recent years he’s opened the door a crack to working with other songwriters, from Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne to opera composer Stephen Paulus. He’s discovered that having that second perspective “for me is exactly like bringing a couple more klieg lights to let you see this territory, this musical place a little better.”

A self-contained, almost insular player, Kottke also has been playing more with other musicians, both with the crew on his latest album, dates with orchestras and less-structured get-togethers with other soloists. He and fellow guitarist Chet Atkins have shared the bill at several venues, including mutual friend Garrison Keillor’s radio show. Though Kottke says he learns a lot from playing with the finger-picking master, he was initially reticent to get on a stage with him.

“I’ve sometimes turned down a chance to play on stage with somebody because I’m so inexperienced at playing with other people. But I went down to see Chet in Minneapolis last year, and Chet said, ‘Why don’t you come out and play something with us?’ And I kind of dug my toes in the sand and said ‘Aw, shucks’ and tried to get out of it, just out of pure bashfulness. So Chet went off, and his drummer said, ‘Yeah, jeez, you ought play with us. A week from now we’re not going to all be sitting around and saying, ‘Gee, you remember that wonderful night when Leo didn’t come out and play?’ ‘ So that got me out on stage and it was fun.”

He’s always surprised when he finds that such guitar greats as Atkins and jazz players including Joe Pass and Barney Kessell not only know his music, but like it.

“I find it pretty easy to embarrass myself when I receive praise from people like that. What strikes me with all these players is they are that sound stream I’ve heard all my life. And to see this musical idea that floats around everywhere all of a sudden after so many years become a human being right before your eyes is chilling in a way, and wonderful,” he said.

“I remember when I was little kid in Cheyenne, I saw Gene Autry ride by on a horse in a parade, and it was an unspeakable thrill. It was something like that to meet people like Joe Pass and (jazz pianist) Marian McPartland.”