LYLE LOVETT AND LEO KOTTKE

LYLE LOVETT AND LEO KOTTKE

In Conversation and Song
LyleLovett.com
LeoKottke.com

A singer, composer, and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has evolved into one of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers. Among his many accolades, in addition to four GRAMMY Awards, he was awarded the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award and has been named Texas State Musician.

Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11. Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, “Mudlark,” positioned him in the singer/songwriter vein, after which he flourished during his tenure on Capitol, where records like 1972’s “Greenhouse” and 1973’s live “My Feet Are Smiling” and “Ice Water” found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique. Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations, a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.