Tickets:
Tickets for Leo Kottke are $40 - $45, available at www.scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224. All concert tickets for SCMC's Season 2021 - 2022 are available at www.scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224.
St. Cecilia Music Center is delighted to welcome back legendary guitarist and Grand Rapids favorite Leo Kottke on November 19, 2021. Kottke, who has been described by Rolling Stone Magazine as “so good that he didn’t need a band” will entertain the West Michigan audience with his amazing six and twelve-string guitar picking genius. Kottke who has more than 42 years of touring under his belt, nearly 30 albums to his name and an astonishing array of material to choose from, will entertain the audience with his instrumental genius and engaging sense of humor.
Tickets for Leo Kottke are $40 - $45, available at www.scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224.
St. Cecilia Music Center’s Executive & Artistic Director Cathy Holbrook says, “Leo Kottke has a large fan base in West Michigan and it’s always a pleasure to bring him to St. Cecilia Music Center. Leo not only performs with genius guitar-picking precision on his 6-and-12-string guitars, he’s also a great storyteller recalling many humorous experiences. We can’t wait to greet him again on stage on Friday, November 19th!”
St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2021-22 Season includes a World-Class Lineup of Folk and Jazz Musicians, as well as celebrates the 10th anniversary of their partnership with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The new WinterFest Music Festival in February will also be an exciting highlight of the new season. Throughout the season, St. Cecilia Music Center will feature 17+ evenings of outstanding performances by world-renowned jazz, folk, and chamber music artists in what is their 138th season of music.
NOTE: SCMC currently requires proof of fully vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours, to attend a concert at the SCMC venue. Attendees need to bring photo ID and proof of vaccination, or a negative test, the night of a concert.
In areas with substantial and high transmission, the CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially the Delta variant, and to protect others. To that end, SCMC is requiring that all attendees wear a mask while in the building. We will continue to monitor the COVID environment and may change policies at any time if necessary.
If you a have tickets to an upcoming performance and are unwilling or unable to abide by this policy, please contact the SCMC box office for a refund at [email protected] a minimum of 48 hours prior to the concert date.
Leo Kottke - Bio
Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.
After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.
Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. "The trip was not something I enjoyed," he has said, "I was broke and met too many interesting people."
Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis' Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar's tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey's Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
Kottke's 1971 major-label debut, "Mudlark," positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972's "Greenhouse" and 1973's live "My Feet Are Smiling" and "Ice Water" found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.
With 1975's Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, "Clone," caught audiences' attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called "Sixty Six Steps," produced by Leo's old friend and Prince producer David Z.
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.
Tickets for St. Cecilia Music Center 2021/2022 Season
SINGLE TICKETS
Single tickets** for WinterFest, Chamber, Jazz, and Folk series concerts be purchased by phone at 616-459-2224 or online at www.scmc-online.org. If SCMC can offer post-concert CD-signing receptions, all ticketholders may be able to meet some of the artists and obtain signed CDs of their releases. Further information will be announced closer to the start of the season on whether COVID restrictions will allow SCMC to hold receptions.
Folk Series Single Tickets – Upcoming Concerts
Rodney Crowell
Friday, November 12, 2021
A section $60
B section $50
Leo Kottke
Friday, November 19, 2021
A section $45
B section $40
Milk Carton Kids
Thursday, December 2, 2021
A section $50
B section $40
Watkins Family Hour
Thursday, December 16, 2021
A section $55
B section $45
May Erlewine
Thursday, February 17, 2022
A section $35
B section $20
VIP tix $100
Shawn Colvin
Thursday, May 12, 2022
A section $45
B section $40
VIP tix $125
Judy Collins
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
A section $65
B section $55
SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival Single Tickets
Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer
Thursday, February 24, 2022
A section $55
B section $50
Christian McBride Trio & Cyrille Aimee
Friday, February 25, 2022
A section $45
B section $40
Christian McBride & Inside Straight
Saturday, February 26, 2022
A section $45
B section $40
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Single Tickets
From Prague to Vienna
Thursday, November 18, 2021
A section $45
B section $40
Romantic Perspectives
Thursday, January 27, 2022
A section $45
B section $40
The Jazz Effect
Thursday, March 31, 2022
A section $45
B section $40
Jazz Series Single Tickets
Jazz Saxophonist Joshua Redman
Thursday, January 20, 2022
A section $55
B section $45
Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap
Thursday, March 10, 2022
A section $55
B section $50
Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Thursday, April 14, 2022
A section $50
B section $45
SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS
Season subscription tickets to the 2022 SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival, Spectacular Jazz Series and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Concert Series are now available online at www.scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224.
* Series Subscribers of SCMC WinterFest, Spectacular Jazz Series, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series, and the Combined Jazz & Chamber Subscription (Jazz and Chamber) are offered with great benefits including 15-20% discount off single concert ticket prices. **Ticket prices: There is a $7 fee on each subscription ticket. Single tickets have a $3.00 per ticket fee. All concerts start at 7:30 p.m.
Chamber Music Society Series
3-concert subscription
15% discount off single ticket prices
Subscription: $114
Plus: Add any or ALL the three WinterFest concerts to your subscription and receive 15% off the single ticket price on festival tickets.
Spectacular Jazz Series
3-concert subscription
15% discount off single ticket prices
Subscription: $137
Plus: Add any or ALL the three WinterFest concerts to your subscription and receive 15% off the single ticket price on festival tickets.
Chamber + Jazz Subscription package
20% discount off single ticket prices
6-concert combination series
Subscription: $236
Plus: Add any or ALL the three WinterFest concerts to your subscription and receive 15% off the single ticket price on festival tickets.
SCMC WinterFest Subscription package
3-concert subscription
15% discount off single ticket prices
Subscription: $123
St. Cecilia Music Center’s mission is to promote the study, appreciation and
performance of music in order to enrich the lives of West Michigan residents.
The Center fulfills this mission by
presenting visiting world-class artists in concert,
providing music education for all ages through our School of Music and
preserving a historic building for musical activities and community events
###
The Rapidian, a program of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Community Media Center, relies on the community’s support to help cover the cost of training reporters and publishing content.
We need your help.
If each of our readers and content creators who values this community platform help support its creation and maintenance, The Rapidian can continue to educate and facilitate a conversation around issues for years to come.
Please support The Rapidian and make a contribution today.