Standing In My Shoes

In the wake of Beck, even old-schoolers like Leo Kottke are getting hip-hop hip. On Standing in My Shoes, he teams with producer and former Prince cohort David Z for an intriguing, occasionally convincing synthesis of the guitarist's left-field visions and drum loops that suggest exposure to Mellow Gold and Odelay. Some of this music, especially instrumentals like "Realm" and the snoozily "atmospheric" "Across the Street," is barely a step up from tasteful background sound. Other cuts, though, such as a beat-smart rerecording of "Vaseline Machine Gun"--from his legendary first album, 6- and 12-String Guitar--and the Delta-flamenco fusion of "Dead End," demonstrate the wisdom of the Kottke-Z pairing. The title track, another revival of an early Kottke track, also effectively mates groove and stoic soulfulness. His collaboration with Z doesn't mark a great leap forward, but Standing is a modestly brave move. --Rickey Wright