If you close your eyes during Leo Kottke’s solo-acoustic sets, it’s easy to imagine that he’s not alone. During a career that stretches nearly 40 years and more than 25 albums, the master fingerpicker evolved from the warped folk scene of the ’60s to embrace traditional ragtime, blues, folk, and jazz, including two collaborations with former Phish bassist Mike Gordon, most recently 2005’s Sixty-Six Steps. Despite longtime problems with tendon damage and partial deafness, Kottke’s raw talent and distinctive style still put him miles above most other six-stringers.
Updated 04/02/2009