“Leo Kottke‘s fingers flew across his acoustic guitar with determined fury. Dave King‘s brushes skittered atop his snare and tom-tom drums with understated artfulness. The two musicians had found a groove in their unchoreographed pas de deux.
And they knew it.
Kottke’s feet involuntarily danced a jig. A blissful smile overtook King’s face as he stared at the guitarist’s fingers. Both players seemed oblivious to their audience at Jamf Theatre, an intimate black-box theater in Eau Claire, Wis.
Meet Minnesota’s latest — and potentially greatest — super duo: Kottke, the dazzling Hall of Fame guitarist, and King, the gonzo percussionist from the Bad Plus, Happy Apple and a score of other bands.
“The Kottke King Experience!” the guitarist joked backstage after the new duo’s recent gig, only their fourth or fifth together. They’ll make their hometown debut at the Dakota in Minneapolis for three nights starting Monday.”