Happy Birthday to Leo Kottke :)

Sending good wishes wherever he is celebrating

Today is the 79th birthday of Leo Kottke, a beloved fingerpicking acoustic guitar player from Georgia. My brother first introduced me to his music when I was very young. He would play ‘Wonderland by Night’ on his guitar, and I would request it again and again. I remember thinking it was soothing and familiar to listen to. It made me feel calm. In one part of the song, there is a mystery to the melody that makes you pause and ponder for just a moment before it delivers you sweetly right back home again, like being held or suspended in some kind of safe solution. It’s a very kind song.

I got to see him play live last October with Lyle Lovett at The Cabot in Beverly, Massachusetts. They were wonderful, and I wrote this report about the night on my Instagram the next morning:

Last night was so very special. I was so happy and honored to be a guest to see my friend Lyle Lovett in conversation and song with Leo Kottke, a guitar player whose music is also very dear to my heart. Seeing the two of them together at The Cabot was intimate and beautiful, hearing their voices clearly and closely, each word of their lyrics and each note of their guitars. They are very different of course, but they just complimented each other so well, two very special and unique humans, musicians, and songwriters. They traded back and forth with ease - a song and a story, tales of mutual admiration, laughter, serious moments, and immense gratitude to the audience, sharing more than once what an honor it is to have the chance to do what they do. The whole night was magical and moving, a memory to continue to draw inspiration from.

I wished my brother could have been there, too. When we were much younger he would play one of Leo Kottke’s song arrangements on guitar so nicely and I would ask to hear it again and again. That song is very special to me and opened my world to more of Leo’s music. When he played that song last night I was moved to tears, so touched to hear it in person, forever elevating the experience of how I will listen to it now. ♥️ Hopefully Jackson can see him sometime soon. Until then we can listen to both he and Lyle’s albums. I already knew that Lyle was such a great person (as well as a musician, writer, and performer), and it’s so nice to know the same about Leo now, too. ♥️

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Are there any artists/musicians/singers you are happy you got to see? Or that you haven’t seen yet and would like to? Are there any artists you never got to see while they were performing? Artists whose shows you miss attending? Please share any thoughts or stories below, or the names of any bands or musicians or singers you wish you could see, are looking forward to hearing, or wishing you could hear just one more time. <3

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It’s funny, when I was young, I always thought that Leo Kottke wrote this song, but I discovered through that performance as he told the story of its origins, that it is in fact an arrangement of a song from 1960. I never knew! Just now was the first time I actually looked it up and listened to it. So interesting to hear the original after all this time. Has that ever happened to you before with any song? Here are the two versions.

Wonderland by Night

The lyrics:

Stars hang suspended
Above a floating yellow moon
Two hearts were blended
While angels sang a lover's tune.

And so we kissed,
Not knowing if our hearts would pay the price
But heaven welcomed us to paradise
Blessing our love.
Then came the sunrise,
Fading the moon and stars from sight

Recalling always
Our wonderland by night.

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A few more songs:

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Thank you for reading and listening. I hope you have a beautiful day and are feeling inspired. Looking forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts. :)