Colorado Welcomes Extraordinary Musical Pair November 12, 2002 - Scene Magazine (Boulder) By Amy Freeland Once in a great while, two kindred musical spirits find each other and pair up to create music that pushes boundaries and opens minds. Like the aligning of the sun and the moon, the collaboration of such pairs is met with much anticipation and awe. Colorado will partake in the rare spectacle this month when guitar legend Leo Kottke and Phish bassist Mike Gordon sweep into the Boulder Theater for a sold-out show November 19. That Colorado was chosen to host the final date of the very brief tour promoting their groundbreaking collaborative album, Clone, is a bit of a miracle. The tour includes only 12 dates to showcase the disc that has sparked conversation in insiders' music circles since rumors of a possible joint effort started to surface more than two years ago. That the two met and decided to work together is even more astounding. A musical torchbearer himself, Gordon had admired Kottke's mastery of the acoustic guitar since the first time he saw him perform in 1983. But it took more than admiration to bring these two together. It took balls. When Kottke rolled into Gordon's hometown of Burlington, Vermont, for a performance in 1999, the bassist handed him a copy of Kottke's landmark song "The Driving of the Year Nail," off his 1969 debut 6 & 12 String Guitar, into which he had dubbed his own bass line. Along with the remixed song, Gordon offered a copy of Phish's latest release, Story of the Ghost, and his meandering compilation of stories, Mike's Corner. His brazenness paid off. After listening to a song he had long-since tired of, Kottke realized the bass addition was just the right touch. Once he read Gordon's book, he knew that their offbeat thoughts were in sync as well. What really got his attention was that Gordon could throw a word like "eleemosynary," a pretentious way of saying charitable, into his writing. He figured that anybody who had such a useless piece of information tucked away inside his head probably had many other interesting contributions he could bring to a musical relationship. Phish's indefinite hiatus gave the two the perfect opportunity to pair up. Their first jam session proved to both that the collaboration could be fruitful. Playing in Trey Anastasio's studio in Burlington, they hit on a riff that made it all the way to "June," a track from Clone. The musical synergy was undeniable. "I've had the experience of playing with people where things fit really well, you have a lot fun and pretty much get what you want," said Kottke in an interview for bighassle.com. "But I've never had the experience of locking in before the notes are happening and finding out that you can do things literally in unison. It was really a shock to me." Based on that promise of a song, Kottke and Gordon committed to do an album together. After playing together off and on for several months, they recorded Clone in producer Paul DuGre's Burbank, Calif. studio. This disc, though Kottke's 25th release, marks his very first completely collaborative effort. The disc displays the whimsical ramblings and narratives that have provoked smiles on the faces of Kottke's fans for decades. In "Car Carrier Blues," the lyrics lead listeners through the thoughts of a man driving behind a truck that carries shiny new vehicles. He worries that the rear automobile will fall off the truck. The disc also brings the sense of musical adventure so evident in Gordon's work with Phish. Gordon and Kottke's "kitchen percussion," more commonly referred to as banging on pots and pans, makes memorable appearances throughout the recording. Though the tour is terribly short, it promises not to disappoint. The sets will include most of the new songs, though obviously, with these two artists sharing a stage, they will likely take on completely new forms live. Additionally, both musicians will tackle covers from their other half. Gordon has been playing Kottke originals for years with Phish bandmate Anastasio. Kottke has recently adopted a few Phish tunes that will certainly be reborn with the help of his masterful fingers. Beyond the world-class music that will fill a dozen auditoriums this fall, concert-goers are in for an evening full of dry wit and colorful storytelling. Both men have a peculiar talent for noticing absurdity in mundane activities, which comes out not only in their song subjects, but their onstage appearances as well. If you are not among the lucky few that have a ticket to the sold-out show Nov. 19, you had better start praying that the planets align in your favor as they did for Kottke and Gordon. Since Phish officially ends their break Dec. 31 at Madison Square Garden, there is little chance of a tour extension. But while few will see the event that has caused so many whispers, many will likely talk about their union for years to come. © 2002 Scene Magazine Publishing, Inc.