Special Guests
Saturday, April 3, 1999

Though the group's personnel has changed over time, the Battlefield Band has existed for nearly 30 years. Taking their name from the Glasgow pub in which the group was formed, the band plays an amalgamation of traditional Scottish music and modern composition. Critics have said that The Battlefield Band combines "the classical Celtic music of the Scottish Highlands with the contemporary rock-oriented folk music of modern Britain." The band tours extensively, including past visits to Singapore, Australia, Syria, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka, and Egypt, as well as throughout Europe and Canada. Their annual U.S. tour, which begins with tonight's show, will bring them to over 60 cities. The band has recorded more than fifteen albums, not to mention solo releases by several band members. Their most recent CD is Rain, Hail or Shine (Temple Records). The current lineup is founding member Alan Reid (keyboards, guitar), Mike Katz (Highland bagpipe), John McCusker (fiddle), and Davy Steele (guitar, cittern, bodhran). The Battlefield Band will perform a concert here at the Fitzgerald Theater following tonight's show.

Born in Athens, Georgia, Leo Kottke taught himself to play the guitar after learning theory and harmony from trombone lessons. In 1969, his album 6 and 12 String Guitar was released on John Fahey's independent label, Takoma Records. (The recording has now been re-issued on Rhino Records.) Praised by Rolling Stone and media across the nation, 6 and 12 String Guitar became a favorite on progressive radio stations. Kottke began touring extensively and, over the years, has played with a wide range of musicians, including Lyle Lovett, the late jazz virtuoso Joe Pass, the Violent Femmes, John Gorka, Paco Peña, and Big Head Todd & the Monsters. While Kottke's performances and fingerpicking style have become legendary, Kottke's compositions have become standards in their own right: The University of Wisconsin includes his music in their Guitar Studies coursework. He has collaborated on a suite for guitar and orchestra, written and performed music for the BBC's documentary on Raymond Carver, and guided the production of Taylor Guitars' 12-string "Leo Kottke" model. In 1997, Rhino Records released The Leo Kottke Anthology, a double-CD compilation of work recorded by Kottke on the Capitol, Chrysalis and Private labels. His newest recording is Standing in My Shoes (BMG/Private Music).

The origins of the band Väsen are rooted in the centuries-old tradition of the folk music of the Uppland. Mixing traditional Swedish music with rock, jazz, and classical influences, they create a distinctive sound. Part of this original sound comes from the nyckelharpa, an instrument related to both the violin and the hurdy-gurdy, played tonight by history's first world nyckelharpa champion, Olov Johansson. The group has recorded seven albums together. Their most recent release is Whirled (NorthSide Records). Members of Väsen are: Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa); Roger Tallroth (guitar); Mikael Marin (viola); and André Ferrari (percussion). The band can also be heard this weekend at the Nordic Music Festival at the Cedar Cultural Centre in Minneapolis.