My Top Two (2) Guitarists Of All Time
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2022
- Just some thoughts about two of my favorite guitar players
~Of course I like other guitarists as well, but since they are quite similar in many ways, I thought I’d make this video just about Fahey and Kottke~
Clips used:
John Fahey-Red Pony 1969
JOHN FAHEY - Hamburg - 17 03 1978
John Fahey 1981 Santa Monica
John Fahey live at the New Varsity 1981
"Poor Boy A Long Way From Home" taught by John Fahey
John Fahey Interview '80s
Vestapol - Elizabeth Cotton
The Country Blues - Son House & Bukka White
Leo Kottke - Junebug/Part Two (live)
Leo Kottke live in Germany 1977
Leo Kottke (improved) - Six String; Medley: Available Space / June Bug, Arms of Mary, Oddball
Leo Kottke - June Bug, Pamela Brown, Orange Room (Six-String/Phaser), Louise (Six-String)
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Further reading:
www.johnfahey.com/index.html
www.guitarmusic.org/kottke/ind...
www.johnfahey.com/pages/catal...
www.johnfahey.com/trkottke.htm
www.guitarmusic.org/kottke/gtl...
www.newyorker.com/culture/cul...
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of this, this video was made for informational/educational use only.
Been listening to Fahey and Kottke for 20+ years, and to me what really sets them apart from others, is their singularity. They don't play "songs", as much as they play what they hear in their head, and feel in the moment. That fluidity and freedom is so incredibly unique.
One of the few I can think of who're young and active today, continuing on in a similar playing style, and also with their own singularity, is Gwenifer Raymond.
Thanks for putting this compilation together! It was delightful to watch and listen to!
John Fahey, founded Takoma records in Bladensburg, Maryland I met Leo K there in 1969 Fahey is really responsible for encouraging Leo to become the professional he became. Fahey, was and Kottke still is a great musician. Their styles vary greatly, but everyone can appreciate the immense talent of both.
Thanks for all these clips, much appreciated.Just happen to be my favourite acoustic guitarists too.
Let's not forget Doc Watson. RIP 😢
Great video, many thanks. Liked your comments, too.
Mine too. ❤ Jack Rose took up the "American Primitive" torch, and now Gwenifer Raymond has it.
I was fortunate to work at Kicking Mule Records in the 1990s and got to know the late ED Denson as a friend. It took me a while to learn that he and John Fahey were the co-founders of Takoma Records. Back when I lived a few miles from Takoma Park, Maryland in the 1970s, I came across some of Fahey's recordings on vinyl and got hooked to the music. It continues to give me listening pleasure to this day.
Kottke and Fahey are my top two as well. I managed to see Leo a bunch of times and was introduced to him backstage at the Vogue Theater in Broad Ripple Indiana. Only saw Fahey perform live one time, but it was special. It was at the old Hummingbird Bar in Indianapolis, and I had a beer with him during his break. I wish I had written some notes; because I can't remember anything about our conversation. Thanks for bringing back some memories.
I wish you could post the two versions of "In Christ, There Is No East or West". Fahey does it on a Tacoma album where Kottke and Peter Lang and Fahey do four cuts each. Then in his Greenhouse album, Kottke covers it. It's wonderful to listen to both versions back to back. I haven't done it a while, but falling into this post, I will go back to it.
Kottke has been one of my favorites since the seventies. As for his great riffs (and there are many), for me nothing tops his Open Country Joy: Them and Adhesions.
Bukka White kicked ass! Wow, what a great little film you put together. Kotke and Cotton were excellent. I can't say enough good about John Fahey who's always been one of my favorite guitar players. Thanks for editing and sharing this little film of yours. Very cool!
I would’ve never started playing music if I hadn’t heard Fahey, I didn’t know that was possible what he was doing! And I probably wouldn’t have started preforming in front of people if I hadn’t picked up the 12 string thanks to Leo’s (&Basho’s) work! This is a wonderful & thoughtful video essay I had a smile on my face the whole time watching!! 😄🙏✨
I just really enjoy Leo’s playing
Appreciate you pulling all these clips together (been watching them for a couple of years now after finally finding the joys of John and Leo (and Peter, Arvid, Michael, Basho, et al)). This music has changed my life and my love for playing the guitar (which I started back in 1975 but didn't actually start playing until October of 2020). I love playing John's work. Such a unique sound that when you really listen you can hear his influence on many modern performers.
That is what makes us love the Guitar, so many wonderful players doing all kinds of awesome things with the guitars. I think there are a few thousand greatest guitar players for the millions of guitar lovers. I think we all have the ones we just love what they do for some reason stands out in our minds when we hear them, my favorite was the constant and perfect cadence Bob Wootton played on so many Johnny Cash records. Not a great guitar player so much as a great guitar player at what he was ask to do.
Mine too. Fahey is a raga that explains it all, Fare Forward Voyagers. In Christ there is no East or West- sang it in Episcopal Church Choir, then it came home to me with Fahey, really accents Christmas.. Kotke carried Fahey forward but with humor and stagecraft, plus vocals.
I had 2 friends at the conservatory. One a brilliant Bach player-they really liked these guys.
I talked to John once after a concert and he told me he was just making up stuff as he went along. Leo’s voice has vastly improved over the years. (I saw him last week.) His version of 8 Miles High is the best one out there. Great clips. Thanks.
Wow, that's awesome! Thanks!
Kottke's voice - "Geese farts on a muggy day" - has that improved? Wow.
The geese farts thing wasn’t Leo’s idea but he went with it anyway and now it’s history. When the armadillo album came out and hit the charts there was nothing more to be said.
Guitar technique came very naturally to Leo but vocal technique challenged him, on one of his early albums he recorded the vocals lying on his back. On some of his material the vocals are clearly not to the very high standard of his playing. The notable exception is the 'Burnt Lips' album, where the standard of playing is extraordinary even for Leo (that tone) and the vocals are every bit as good. Listen to 'Sonora's Death Row' or 'Voluntary Target', Leo's voice really gets into the dark themes of the songs on this album, which has seven vocal tracks and six instrumentals, all peak Kotkke, including 'A Low Thud' and 'Orange Room' . I think gravitas may be the trigger for Leo, he also sings very well on 'Great Big Boy' another album with heavy themes, songs like 'Driver' and 'Big Mob on the Hill' bring something out in Leo's voice, a deeper part of his character.
Both absolute giants in the American Primitive scene. I also consider Will Ackerman to be right there among them (especially his first record, which is very much in this style).
Hey everybody! Thanks for the positive feedback! I decided to make another guitar-themed video, so feel free to check it out
Many thanks!🙏
Well, G. Polychronis, this video was VERY entertaining and informative! I'm glad I stumbled across this video of 2 very eclectic guitar-picking genius's! I will certainly subscribe to see what you release next!
Thank you very much! I have a couple of new video ideas, hopefully I'll get to make them in due time
agreed.
I use to see Leo at Grandma’s on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis back in the 70s. It was an after hours recording session hang out. Michael Johnson was usually there and joined us. We would shoot the shit about right hand technique over a stack of pancakes. I’ve treasured my right hand fingernails ever since.
ONR
Great video:)
Both of these two guitarists are incredibly talented.
Where I think they fall down a bit, is in their accessability to the average listener, most of their music is quite hard work to listen to.
It's a bit like the most skilled jazz musicians, incredible skills but the average listener is turned off by the actual music.
I find the same with John Martyn, some of his stuff is amazing but it's not easy listening, other stuff he does is just wonderful and I can listen over & over never getting bored of it.
My favourites are John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Dave Evans.
I'd also nominate Joni Mitchell's guitar work on her FOR THE ROSES album, like COLD BLUE STEEL, BARANGRILL, ELECTRICITY and the others. AND she's singing, too.
Jack Rose is up there in the same league to me
Id like to add one to the list..... Bob Hadley.
Have you ever heard Dolye Dykes?
John played tunes that resembled funeral dirges. Kottke took fingerstyle to a different level.
Leo makes music..Fahey makes noise.
hay man.. . just change it to Basho and Fahey or fahey and basho... kotkee at 3.. and we wont have any problems.
Haha, Basho is great obviously, so is Peter Lang, but I am not actually ranking them here. I think Kottke said it best when he wrote that Fahey "found a new happiness for all of us", even though they all went and did their own thing
Leo Kottke is the greatest guitarist of all time. I can't believe you wasted so much time on him singing songs. He has been known to call his own voice "wild geese farts." Never heard of Fahey and didn't listen to a bit of that.
I was a fanatic of Kottke for years. Fahey, not so much.