A Shout Toward Noon is an album by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 guitarist Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...

, released in 1986.

History

A Shout Toward Noon is Kottke's first recording on the Private Music

Private Music

Private Music is a United States record company founded in 1984 by experimental musician Peter Baumann, as a home for instrumental music. Initially signing such artists as Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Patrick O'Hearn, and Baumann's former bandmates Tangerine Dream, the record label specialized in New Age...

 label after a three-year sabbatical, largely due to a difficult tendinitis injury in his hand. Due to the injury, Kottke left the steel finger picks that helped define his early style behind, and came back with a new sound. The album features somewhat heavier use of electronic synthesizers. Kottke also stated in a Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

story, "I've been taking a break to see what would develop. I also finally learned to read music."

Prior to this release, Kottke composed and recorded the soundtrack for the 1985 Tri-Star Pictures film Little Treasure. He also composed and recorded the soundtrack for the 1986 film Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid

Zeisters

Zeisters, also known as Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid, is a 1986 comedy film produced by Troma Entertainment. Troma was originally set to title the film Fat Boy Goes Nutzoid, but, at the request of the lawyers of the hip-hop group The Fat Boys, it was changed to Fat Guy...

.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Richard Foss wrote of the album "Though the opening cuts are typical Leo Kottke instrumentals — bouncy guitar pieces with nods to jazz, folk, and blues — A Shout Toward Noon is dominated by more moody, somber tunes... This isn't to say that there are no bright moments, just that the musical dynamic of this entire album is wider than usual. A Shout Toward Noon is in fact one of Kottke's most intriguing albums, one which amply rewards repeated listening."

Track listing

All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted. The CD release has a slightly different running order.

Side one

1. "Little Beaver" – 1:49
2. "A Trout Toward Noon"  – 2:51
3. "Little Martha
   Little Martha
   "Little Martha" was the only Allman Brothers Band track written solely by group leader and partial namesake Duane Allman. The tune first appeared on the final studio track on the Allman Brothers Band's fourth album, Eat A Peach, released in 1972...
   
   " (Duane Allman
   Duane Allman
   Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
   
   ) – 2:37
4. "Easter Again"  – 3:07
5. "Piece 17" – 2:05
6. "Three Quarter North" – 3:26
7. "Echoing Gilewitz" (Richard Gilewitz) – 3:01

Side two

1. "First To Go" – 5:08
2. "Air Proofing Two" – 5:10
3. "A Virtuoso is His Own Reward" – 4:00
4. "Four Four North" – 2:32
5. "The Ice Field" – 6:56

Personnel

• Leo Kottke – acoustic guitar
• Randy Kerber -synthesizer
• Buell Neidlinger
  Buell Neidlinger
  Buell Neidlinger is an American cellist and double bassist.Neidlinger was born in Westport, Connecticut. After Yale University, he moved to New York City and began playing in various jazz settings...
  
   – cello

External links

• Leo Kottke official site
• Unofficial Leo Kottke web site (fan site)