Old-time Innovators November 15, 2002 - Colorado Daily By Wendy Kale They're the Odd Couple of the road. Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon may seem like an unlikely pair to be found traveling the highways and byways of America. The veteran picker and Phish bassist have forged a musical alliance that combines classic riffs with modern musical sounds. The duo has tossed some outrageous lyrics into the mix, and they've managed to create a genre of folk music that's defying convention and attracting crowds to venues across the country. Gordon and Kottke are used to traveling in style and headlining venues. However, for this tour the pair is sharing the driving duties, settling business after the shows, setting up interviews, and of course, playing the concerts. "There's a certain amount of simplicity about touring this way. It's real peaceful, but it does take me a while to figure out how to do some things -like settling the money after a show. I've actually gotten some of my friends to do that. And it is amusing dealing with guest lists. I guess you could call me a Phish out of water," laughed Gordon. Gordon has been performing with his main band Phish since 1983 when the creative foursome met at college in Vermont. Employing a wide range of on-stage gimmicks such as in-song trampoline feats and vacuum-cleaner instruments, the group developed a grassroots following with its eclectic, free-form rock & roll encompassing folk, jazz, country, bluegrass, and pop. After Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, the Grateful Dead disbanded and Phish took over as heirs to the neo-hippie jam band throne. Before long, Gordon and his band developed a fiercely loyal following of fans and they played stadium-sized shows to satisfy the growing stream of Phishheads. However, all that touring can take its toll, and Phish decided to take a break in October of 2000. During that time off the band worked on side projects, and Gordon worked with Col. Bruce Hampton and developed several independent film projects. "It looks like Phish will hit the trail again in February, but I'm really excited about touring with Leo now. I call this the anti-Phish tour, because it's so simple and laid back - and I've always been a big fan of Leo's," said Gordon. Although Gordon may be a newer name on the music scene, Kottke made his mark on the national folkie scene back in the '70s. Known for his intricate styles of fingerpicking and country-blues songs, the legendary performer now limits his tour schedule. However, Kottke decided to hit the road again after he met Gordon. The two musicians were brought together because of one word - eleemosynary. Gordon had used the synonym for charitable in his book "Mike's Corner," a collection of stories that had originally been printed in Phish's newsletter. Kottke was given a copy of the book by a Phish fan, and he remembered that he had seen the word in the novel "The French Lieutenant's Woman." That word choice struck a chord with Kottke, and he knew that he wanted to collaborate with Gordon. The feeling was mutual, so Gordon and Kottke decided to meet for some experimental jam sessions. "Believe it or not, I mostly listen to bluegrass music. Leo and I both have eclectic tastes and we found that we appreciate similar stuff. We just got together in the recording studio one day, and once we chilled, it didn't take long to pile all our ideas together a make a CD," explained Gordon. The result of the music sessions produced the Kottke/Gordon project "Clone." The 14-track album is deftly mixed to reflect the blend of Kottke's folk-flavored pickings and Gordon's bluegrass and jam tastes. Some tunes on the album reflect pure folk influences, while other tunes head straight into quirky Phish-lyric land. Who would have thought that anyone would be hearing the legendary Kottke singing offbeat lyrics to the tune "From Pizza Towers to Defeat?" That song was courtesy of David Lindley's friend Fizz Fuller. Kottke composed "Disco" and the darker "Strange" for the record, while Gordon contributed his storytelling talents to "Car Carrier Blues" and "The Collins Missile." The two musicians co-wrote the tunes "Arko" and "June" for the CD. And the duo does proper justice to the classic folk tune "I Am A Lonesome Fugitive" on this project. Gordon and Kottke didn't want to use other musicians on the record, so they improvised sounds in the studio. The duo created a percussion section by using pots and pans they found in the back of the studio and they worked several unusual instruments into the mix. Kottke performed some songs on "The Condor," a prototype guitar synthesizer, while Gordon played the "resophonic bass" - a custom-made instrument that features the body of a dobro and the neck of a bass. "It was a little clubhouse atmosphere, so we'd just use things that were lying around. We found old mikes to get unusual sounds; we used pieces of paper, and even pieces of phone machine messages. We just grabbed things and let the tape roll," said Gordon. The musicians hadn't originally planned to make a CD, but the results of the sessions were so promising that they decided to release "Clone." The next step was to take the show on the road. Gordon and Kottke are now playing select theaters around the country with "Clone." The duo decided that they wanted to play a stripped-down tour that only featured the two musicians, and didn't involve any roadies or tour managers. Although, Gordon did confirm that a tap-dancing friend of his has appeared "to jam" at some of the shows. "It just seemed a fun idea to go on the road together," said Gordon. "It seemed we could expand on the songs and jam on them in concert and let go of the structure. It's been real powerful going out and doing this - even if I do have to play road manager." © 2002 Colorado Daily