Sixty Six Steps - Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon September 20, 2005- jambands.com By Bradley Farberman Album Review - Sixty Six Steps My dad really liked Sixty Six Steps. But dear old dad doesn¹t always dig on what I¹ve got to offer musically, so it got me thinking. What set Sixty Six Steps apart? Here¹s what I came up with: he¹s a dad. He¹s got a family, and bills to pay. He¹s got things on his mind. Dad stuff. He¹s not interested in dissecting, or over-analyzing music, or searching for the beauty underneath. He doesn¹t have the time, or the energy. When it comes time for some tunes, he wants Graceland. Not free jazz. Simply put, he likes music that plain old sounds good. Not music that represents something, or is interesting for reasons other than how it straight-up sounds. So Sixty Six Steps, the latest from Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon, was a natural fit for his ears. Check it: great songs and first-rate musicianship are the essence of this album. There¹s no filler. Nothing to distract us from Gordon¹s spry bass lines, or Kottke¹s giddy guitar licks. And there¹s no ignoring the groove. Bahamian percussionist Neil Symonette (the record was cut at Compass Point Studios, in the Bahamas) and his supernatural sense of rhythm are responsible for the island vibe that courses through the album. Mike Gordon is responsible, too. Not so much for the island vibe, maybe, but for the best songs on here, certainly. ³Invisible,² in particular, is a moving tale of love lost and gone. ³I felt a spark some months ago or years,² he sings. ³I saw you clearly in my dreams and in my fears.² ³The Stolen Quiet² also deals with the departure of a partner, this time with more humor. ³The sheer amount of surface space increased around here,² he sings. ³With your diet soda gone there¹s more room for my beer.² Never one to be shown up, Kottke leaves his indelible mark on the record with ³From Spink To Correctionville,² a solo spot. The bluesy instrumental reminds us that Kottke is primarily a solo performer (and a killer slide player). A solo performer who couldn¹t resist partnering up with Gordon once again for some covers (Fleetwood Mac¹s ³Oh Well,² Aerosmith¹s ³Sweet Emotion²), some older Kottke standbys (Pete Seeger¹s ³Living In The Country,² the original ³Twice²), a Phish fan favorite (³Ya Mar²) and some new Mike songs (³The Grid,² ³Can¹t Hang²). Sixty Six Steps has a lot to offer, free of pretense or posturing. Relax, and enjoy it. Share it with your dad. Review © 2005 jambands.com