I was Leo's road manager for about 3.5 years back in the mid-70s and probably saw 350+ performances. In all this time, I've learned how to play probably more than 50 of his tunes (and also forgotten many!). "Oddball", by far, is the most technically difficult Leo tune that I've ever attempted. I can play it note-for-note somewhat cleanly, at about 75% speed (with Amazing Slowdowner). The other day, I tried to follow along at just 90% speed...it kicked my butt! I was constantly playing catch-up. When I talked to him last year, I told him I'd just learned "Oddball" and he was delighted. He hadn't run into too many people that could play it because the left-hand workout is pretty intense. In fact, he also said that he couldn't play it anymore due to the pressure on his left little finger. I eventually activated my carpal tunnel issues because I practiced close to 6-8 hours a day during the learning process. It took me about a week to get the notes down and now 1.5 years to get to 75% speed! Leo has been my guitar hero since I was 17 back in 1970.

I saw Leo first as a college freshman at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio in 1971 or 1972. It was a small campus bar and I believe it was a two dollar cover charge. His flight was altered because of weather. A few locals and students entertained us while we waited. Finally, around midnight, Leo rushes in. There were only about a dozen of us left waiting. His guitar was flying to somewhere else so he borrowed a local Joni Mitchell wannabe’s guitar and proceeded to blow us away for the next hour and a half. Totally worth the wait and the two bucks!

Leo's playing blows me away! He's also really kind and personable. I've seen him live three or four times. A really wonderful artist!

So happy to see the respect and admiration of Leo Kottke, he's such a wonderful musician, singer and very amusing storyteller. Very humble fellow.

Leo does so much on guitar, I was convinced he had a backup player when I first listened to "6 & 12 String Guitar." An awesome album to acquire IMHO.

I am not a musician and can count all the live music I've ever listened to on the fingers of both hands. I've heard Leo Kottke, Ravi Shankar and Carlos Montoya live. The night I spent watching Kottke on the stage was one of the most memorable of my life.

One reason we so greatly appreciate musicians like Leo Kottke is that they do things we can't imagine ourselves doing the same way --- or at all. And they make it seem easy, which adds to the wonder we experience.

went to a McLaughlin/ DeMeola/DeLucia concert once and Leo was playing first set supporting the trio, when the Trio came on McLauchlin said " I really hope we can do as well as Leo did." enough said.

Without a doubt my guitar god as a young teenager. We used to go see him in the back of a guitar shop in Los Angeles. You were either in the Kottke or Fahey camp back then.

Great analysis and picking it apart! His style just so unique. Love that slide on the little finger😆 Happy you featured Leo🙌

I ran sound for Leo in '99. His virtuosity on the Guitar is only HALF of his LIVE appeal. He is a Fantastic story teller/comedian. A very dry wit. Just an all-round entertainer.

This guy has such a broad range of taste and observation knowledge is sort of the Will Rogers of guitar critics.You kind of wish he would just trash some player but he never does.It really is "all good" broadening the taste of younger newer players as well as old folks like me

I'm not religious or anything, but Leo Kottke is truly one of the gifted ones touched by a higher power. When one of my friends played the 6 & 12 String Guitar album for me about 50 years ago, I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

Have been a fan of Leo Kottke for a long time. His work on 12 string is also amazing! Thanks Fil!

Never seen you smile so much, Fil, as in the first two minutes of this video. Says it all...

Phil! Got no idea how such a young dude as yourself is aware of all these wonderfully gifted but not all that well known musicians but keep it comin brother! Leo Kottke is the stuff!

❤I first saw Leo as a college freshman in 1975 and immediately fell in love with his playing, his singing and his hilarious stories. I’ve seen him 9 or 10 time in total, most recently being last fall. Still amazing even if he’s slowed down and simplified his playing a bit. Stories are still hysterical!

I saw Leo in Chattanooga, TN at the Sandbar restaurant/bar in 1995. During one of the songs a waitress came around and was in a normal volume voice saying, "Can I get you another beer, honey?" to a customer right in front of him... Leo stopped show and waited for their conversation to end before saying "Shhhh...." in to the microphone to a round of laughter. The guy is so funny.

Loves Leo’s playing! That’s a technique that I don’t see everyday. Thanks for sharing his special talent!

1:16 "June Bug." The intro is such a perfect sound description of a beetle hurrying around, tumbling down over a precipice, and carrying on.

When I was 22 years old living in Minneapolis I ventured down to a folk house called the Scholar Cafe. Every Friday and Saturday night they would have this guitarist featured. His name of Leo Kottke. I remember not only going there time after time but taking my friends and relatives to hear him. I was just blown away by his playing and his humorous stage presence. In all these years, he has hardly changed a bit. I would not see him again until I took my wife to a performance when he played in NH a few years back. Still wonderful. Still magical. He's still going.

I had the great pleasure of seeing Leo in concert, he is a force of nature and a nice bloke also!

If you've ever listened to Leo in concert (I seen him multiple times) he tells stories between songs to give his hands a chance to recover. Some of the stories are really funny.

His best album, by FAR, is a shout toward noon... It is a masterpiece of music theory... I dont think its been equaled in the genre. Absolutely Spectacular.

I hear people today playing all this finger tapping, percussive and harmonic playing. It's great to hear a true master PLAYING the guitar. Blowing through counterpoint and so many other techniques you don't hear today. Love Leo, saw in recently at Daryl's house in NY.

Leo is such an amazing talent. When people talk of guitar greats like Hendrix, Van Halen, Vai, etc. I always think, yes they’re certainly great players. But when you see people play like this with such mastery of technique, chords, melody, bass line all together...you just can’t argue it. I’m not sure the other guys could pull this off. Sometimes just a simple acoustic guitar says more than enough.

I saw Leo 5 years ago at a small community outdoor pavilion in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. They usually book family events like 50’s cover bands and the local symphony. That one year they got Leo. The community subsidizes the performances. So the tickets were $5. I couldn’t believe it, Leo Kotke live for 5 bucks. And he still plays Oddball in his set.

I've had the great good fortune to see Leo Kottke a couple of times when he toured Australia, once when he made up a trio of Joe Pass, himself, and Paco Pena. After the performance I went backstage to try and get his autograph, and when I approached him with an LP to sign he was surprised, saying, "I thought everyone was coming back here to see Paco or Joe"- talk about humble! Of course he was as nice as pie and happily signed the album for me. I treasure it still, just as I do his music and playing.

You're right, Leo started having hand injuries back in the 1980s. This happened in large part because he had always used metal fingerpicks and a thumb pick, like a 5-string banjo player would use. A famous classical guitarist (I can't recall his name!) steered Kottke to the classical right-hand position, and to playing with nails rather than fingerpicks. It was around this same time that Leo "finally" studied music theory. (My dad owns a trunk full of old _Guitar Player_ magazines. This is where I find this obscure guitar info. Thanks, Dad.)

Thanks for checking Leo out. I've seen him live several times and he never disappoints.

Wow I've never heard of this guy until today. What a talent. I was watching his performance with my jaw on the floor. Thanks Fil

Man, Leo Kottke, Ry Cooder, Pat Simmons, and the other acoustic guys you have shown, I mean they're almost magicians with the acoustic guitar!

Thanks for posting Fil. Always enjoy watching and listening to L.K. Very unique.

It makes me really happy to see a new gen of musicians like you recognize the greatness of the contributions of the great Mr Kottke. Thanks!

I discovered Leo in 1972 and he became the object of my guitar playing efforts for the next year. There were no music or tabs for his music at the time so I set about trying to learn his songs totally by ear. After about 3 months, I had mastered a reasonably close version of The Fisherman. I played the grooves off his early albums and saw him in concert twice. What a guy.

Leo in the '60's, '70's was inimitable and had astonishing power that started the whole virtuoso-guitarist thing. Check out live album, 'My Feet are Smiling.' Yeah, had to lose the finger picks, tone it down. Was lucky enough to see him blow the roof off Monterey Convention Center about '77 and then back-to-back shows in a small club in SLO about '92. Same night, two different sets, two different sets of free-association stories. He even played Bill Graham's Winterland(!)

I really enjoy these appreciations. Completely eclectic, no snobbery, and you can see how much you love these players.

This is the one I've been waiting for. One of my all time favorites here. Thanks Fil...leo is absolute magic

The amazing thing about Leo's playing is that his incidentals are deliberate.

Thank you for a fine appreciation and analysis of Leo Kottke's playing. Not only is he madly accomplished, but he's so distinctive - less than a bar and you know it's Leo.

Your best video ever!!! You don't need verbal commentary on this video. Your smile and facial expressions ,which say" Wow, This guy really knows how to do this and entertain as well!" , Can replace any commentary. Thanks again for recognizing one of our most underated guitarists ever.

I was fortunate enough to see Leo in person 15-20 years ago. Leo came on stage, examined the audience, played a bunch tunes, then said hello. What a hoot. Fantastic talent to say the least. Thank you Fil!

Famous 4 finger pick on open tuning. Half of Minneapolis residents learned this pick 35 years ago. Leo was really a folk legend. He made this style very popular. My brother in law is still very experienced with Leo’s style. No finger picks, just finger tips. Really great on 12 string. Many albums and Leo is a truly great guy. I remember that he invented (composed) most of his music because he was basically the first with the style. That’s how he gets the dissonant chords with his tunings.

Leo Kottke signed my guitar when I went to one of his concerts as a kid.

Another great video. Cool sliding the timing is awesome really appreciate your breakdowns

I am addicted to your videos! So many of these folks, such as Kottke, I saw perform live in the Sacramento, California area in the 70s and 80s. Watching you, watch them is a reward in itself...and learning about the complexities and challenges of the techniques adds so much depth. I'm a fan ... had my husband watch a few last night and he was totally drawn in also.

He just played in our area a few days ago! One of my client's and her husband went to see him, we were just talking about him today!!👍👌 Great choice!!

I knew this day would come when Brother Fil would land me in the floor. I believe Leo to probably be the most talented player to ever pick up the axe! He IS GENIUS! Off the scale as a player! Let me jump in here....I laughed too. This man cannot be explained. I heard alot of him long ago & his skill defys logic! Great comments. Thank you Brother Fil! !

Leo was a protege and student of the late fingerstyle master John Fahey -- who is a magical guitarist but a tragic figure. He started the Takoma label and gave many artists their first opportunities -- including Kottke. Leo Kottke impressed Fahey and they worked together several times. Fahey later became homeless and pawned his guitars. But he made a few comebacks. Never became super famous but renowned guitarists sought him out. Kottke plays in the Fahey tradition has always been great and respectable of Blind Joe Death aka John Fahey. Never heard of him? Fahey in 2003 was ranked 35th in the Rolling Stone "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Not too bad. John Fahey - "Poor Boys Long Way From Home" video (coming up on 889,000 views) is a good sample to start. Live in Germany, and "Desperate Man Blues" married up to a great silent Edison b&w movie reel. These are the songs that inspired Leo Kottke who has brought the Fahey style into the 21st Century. Some posters have said Fahey played tracked but he didn't have that kind of technology when he was around. Nor did he ever have that kind of money to buy any of that equipment later in his career. I have seen John play live many times -- no one else was on stage, and little to any other electronic equipment was on stage to manipulate or enhance. Fahey's playing was everything you heard. A man alone on stage. Just like Leo Kottke today. No flash, just a guitar player one with his instrument and soul. Fahey also had an incredibly soft touch on the strings and was magical. His interviews are also educational for any guitarist. I also think there are albums where Fahey plays with Kottke. Good job as usual WOP. Keep it up. Good presentation. Thorough.

I first saw Leo Kotke back in the 70s on an old program called "Don Kirshners Rock Concert" anybody out there remember that one? I remember at the time watching it, and knowing that this was completely outside the wheelhouse of my rock and roll teenage mind. At the same time I knew that this was as good as it gets. In my late 20s I picked up a free promotional copy of Leo Kotke . My mind finally caught up to this amazing musician. This is not kids music. Fantastic video and analysis Fil.

Wow Fil, I just gotta say that this video is amazing! I absolutely love watching your channel! Keep up the good work! Leo's playing is amazing, and it is pretty much impossible to make your guitar sound as good as that. P.S. I am first! :]

Another excellent choice, Fil❗ 😉. TYSM❗ I loved this one ❗

Great video and analysis. One of my favorite guitarist. Thanks.

You got me yet again,another great player I've never heard of,keep it up Phil.....

That’s some insane technical playing with some sweet slide vibrato! Another good vid, keep it up bro! 👍🏻 🤘🏻✌🏻

Amazing how he mixes up what his thumb's doing to avoid getting into repetitive travis-picking patterns, but still keeps that rhythmic drive. Quite a juggling act!

Love your channel. Great analysis. Great enthusiasm and wonderfully positive.

I think I was in either 11th or 12th grade around 92 when my English teacher turned on a little Leo Kottke and I was just learning to play the guitar at the time. Hearing it at the time it seemed impossible to play all of those notes with only ten fingers. Decades later when I finally saw him live I thought "where there it is, he's truly doing that all by himself!" I've actually figured out some of his easier songs and they're such a joy to play. It's nice being able to just grab shots off of youtube if I feel like getting into some of these tougher songs.

seen leo live many times going back to the 70's

Once again Fil, you are on top of players with consummate technique and peerless right and left hand coordination! Check out Leo's cover of Duane Allman's 'Little Martha", which was inspired by Jimi Hendrix in a dream! A sublime combination of 'alternate' melody which makes the informed listener harken to Duane's original.

Always great to see that you do your homework before every analysis video!

I love Leo Kotke’s 6and 12 string guitar album soooo much. He is original & great!

Very unique ! Many people are commenting on Leo playing 12 string . I would love to see and hear that and your analysis . Thanks Fil!

YES FIL!!! GREAT video my brother. Love Leo!!

There have been so many great slide guitar players I would put him up there with the all-time best. I can tell by the smile on your face you are loving it. His music makes me smile as well.

Thankk you for your intelligent and respectful commentary on Leo Kottke's work. Excellent.

i spent about 2 years being obsessed with one Leo Kottke album if i ever got another one id probably still be trying to figuring it out

Fil, you never cease to amaze; so young, yet *_so_* appreciative of multiple genres. Bravo! A friend of mine introduced me to Kottke's performances in the 1980's, as well as a totally under-appreciated Canadian guitarist/singer/songwriter named Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "Coburn"). Cockburn went on to relative fame and excellent album sales, like Kottke. Saw them both on the same bill in Jacksonville, FL back in the '80's! Basically sat for 3 hours in a dumbfounded rapture at the genius I was honored to witness that night. I own 2 of Cockburn's early works; "Humans" and "Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws" - you might want to check him out as well. I notice on this clip Leo's acute wrist angle on the right hand: he *_did_* change his technique out of necessity later on. I seem to remember an article in the '80s where he mentioned his wrist position was that way from using long fingerpicks all the time. Took him a good while to adapt to using fingernails, instead. Great video!

Leo Kottke is a national treasure.

One of my favorites Thank you FIL for this wonderful review!

One of my favorite things about this channel is your smile when the subject of the video does something interesting. I don't play guitar at all but that is my cue to pause, go back a few seconds, and try to figure out what happened. Cheers!

I had the opportunity to see Leo live a few years ago. I expected a fingerpicking monster, and yes, he was all that, but what threw me for a loop was how incredibly nuanced everything sounded. That "tasty" aspect of his playing doesn't always come across when recorded. You suggested it in your analysis (bends/vibrato etc on the melody, while keeping the rhythm going with the other fingers). His live shows are incredibly funny. He intersperses his playing with these hilarious monologues.

My buddy and I were fans and at one concert, when Leo would strike the first few notes of a song we loved, we'd nudge each other, "Hey! It's so-and-so!" "All right!" Or, "I love this song!" Someone behind us said, loud enough for us to hear, "Those guys must be huge fans." Oops, a bit embarrassing to be called out like that, but, he wasn't wrong!

Been a fan for over 30 years , Leo is a perfect gent to boot ! enjoyed this and THANK YOU !

The slide is such a cool sound. You get so many styles with it. Great video Fil. Love your analysis. Always spot on

Thanks teach... He's a great guitarist.. I love ole' time blues... On my all finger playing technique . i too stress both hands because of my technique... Like a 100 meter race I'm putting. Down a very physical ability. His ability is amazing.. Thanks teach...

I’ve seen Leo perform dozens of times over the years. He was one of the original gang at Tacoma Records founded by John Fahey. Along with Minnesota’s Peter Lang, Rick Ruskin and the Segovia of Surf, Toulouse Engelhardt they were all masters of both six and twelve string guitar. His best advice for people who want to play the 12 string guitar. “Don’t “.

Thanks for this, love this player, and your ability to recognize and describe talent/technique

The first time I saw Kottke play "Vaseline Machine Gun" I walked around feeling stunned for about an hour.

Richie Blackmore lists Leo, along with John Renbourn as favorites. Richie's no slouch on guitar. I've seen Leo a dozen times or more, he used to play a show around Thanksgiving every year. Great story teller.

If you hear him play on vinyl you can tell his picking and fretting is all over the place. Kottke is a little known bluegrass player that is probably one of *the* best around. Listen the first time I saw a classical guitar player on PBS it was like watching a combination of guitar and piano. That's why I say there's more to playing guitar than barre chords and pentatonics which most never get past. I'd like to see even EVH attempt any of this type of stuff.

Fil love your shows and enthusiasm. The first time I saw Leo Kottke was July 6 ,1979 at the Summerfest musical festival in Milwaukee. He was opening for my all-time favorite - Gordon Lightfoot. I had never heard of Kottke at that point. He comes, sits down, and starts playing like this and my jaw drops and I spent the next half hour trying to find the rest of his band mates because NOBODY can produce that much sound with one guitar.... Except Leo Kottke.

I saw him for the first time in 1973 in Jabberwocky at Syracuse University. When I heard his album, I thought it was a duet! He is one of kind. He is also SO engaging with the audience. I have yet to hear someone successfully play his music. One of a Kind!

Leo has flawless technique but also a great sense of melody that keeps it fun and consistently interesting.

I also had the great pleasure of seeing Leo twice, although I saw him earlier in his career just before and after his first album was released. Yes, his oddball picking technique was incredibly effective, and watching him perform one was amazed at his abilities, nonetheless his wonderful personality. Yet that technique cost him latter when he developed serious tendon problems in his right forearm and he had to change his picking style. He remains a great guitarist and his perseverance and dedication saw him through a major change in technique. A great guy and an inspiration to all musicians.

I first saw Leo Kottke in 1970 or 1971. He was playing at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. We were poor high school kids who didn't have the money for admission so we climbed in through the bathroom window in the fieldhouse where Leo was performing. We didn't even know who was performing that night but we were absolutely blown away. I immediately scraped together the few bucks i needed to buy his current album. I still have it in my collection and it gets regular playtime. He is a national treasure.

Leo Kottke was my first live gig, I think in 1973 at Glasgow City Halls. Absolutely astonishing playing. Thanks for a great analysis.

As a long time Leo Kottke fan I appreciate your analysis of his playing, however I wished that you displayed some of artistry on the twelve string. Before Leo came along (and I may be wrong on this) they weren't many guitarist that played twelve string as a solo instrument. His twelve string playing is what grabbed my attention. I suggest that you do another video on his mastery on the twelve string because it's just incredible as his six string playing.

Speed of chord changes in Oddball is stellar. I never heard of this guitarist before. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, great that your beam focussed on Leo. I have been a fan since seeing him on Sight and Sound in Concert 1977 where he supported Split Enz. I was spellbound and have followed him ever since. I actually got to see and meet him 17 years later at The Leeds Irish Centre on a VERY rare UK appearance. He has been a huge influence on my own guitar playing though I play nowhere near as well. Thanks so much for this absorbing breakdown.

Just saw him live and as I recall he said when he listens to other guitar players he's way more interested in listening to what their right hand is doing. When he plays his right hand stays so still and uniform from what you can see. It's hard to see all what's going on, but looks very, very disciplined. He also said he plays his guitar when he wakes up in the morning and likes playing on his back, which someone once suggested would help his singing, which I think is splendid as well. His voice is still incredibly robust and sounds as good as 30+years ago. More Leo & 12 string for sure, plz. Thx.🔥🔥🔥

He's definitely got serious skill and I wonder if he and Tommy Emmanuel ever played together.

Reminds me of Hans Theesink,a blues guitarist,I saw on the Mustique blues festival

Love Pil's performance analysis. Half the pleasure is watching him light-up in appreciation.

Real nice analysis of the master guitar player that Leo Kottke is.

I work more on finger articulation and chord changes than anything else because of stuff like this. I get nowhere near but this is both intimidating and inspiring.

Well done! I've been a fan of Kottke's since the 70's. Saw him live once in a private home whose owners sponsored small intimate concerts. I love his six string playing, but never a fan of the 12 string. Favorites?...."Vaseline Machine Gun" and "Pamiela Brown". first for technique, second for his dry wit.

So nice to see these people and watch them play, after hearing them for years on the radio, on "Prairie Home Companion."

Leo was picking & Brother Fil was grinning!!! Man! That's incredible. I used to listen alot to his material back in the 70s. Was he not a child protege? Gimme your hand Fil, I'll help you up off the floor! THANKS, I LOVE IT!

Amazing player. Would love to see you do Jose Feliciano.