Well, this is a great time to share with you Leo Kottke. Who, what, where, when, why? You can read about Leo Kottke here, and his Web site is here.

Since you probably didn't bother to click on those links—here, from the Wikipedia article:

Leo Kottke is a legendary acoustic guitar virtuoso who has developed a cult following of fellow guitarists and fans over the span of a 30-year career of recording and performing. Blending folk, jazz, and blues influences into a signature finger-picked style of syncopated, polyphonic music, Kottke's work pre-dated and predicted much of the New Age instrumental music movement, and is often considered part of the American Primitivism movement, partly because he was signed to John Fahey's Takoma Records label. Kottke has overcome a series of personal obstacles including partial deafness and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage to emerge as a widely-recognized master of his instrument.

I've gathered some of my favorites by Leo. They're available for download below. Have at it. I will ask, though, that you really give them a listen. His songs cannot be fully appreciated unless listened to entirely. They're not your average repetitive radio songs.

To save, Right-click and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..."

1. Red & White (1:50)
2. Tiny Island (3:42)
3. Busted Bicycle (Live) (2:39)
4. Power Failure (2:25)
5. Hear the Wind Howl (Live) (3:11)
6. Eight Miles High (3:35)
7. Embryonic Journey (3:18)
8. Fisherman (Live) (2:43)
9. Buckaroo (2:04)
10. Middle of the Road (with Mike Gordon) (2:55)
11. Jambalaya (2:19)
12. Living in the Country (Live) (1:33)
13. Open Country Joy (Constant Traveler) (3:43)
14. I Am a Lonesome Fugitive (with Mike Gordon) (3:07)
15. World Turning (3:59)
16. Stealing (1:41)
17. Car Carrier Blues (with Mike Gordon) (3:50)
18. The Driving of the Year Nail (1:57)
19. Banks of Marble (with Iris Demet) (3:19)
20. Vaseline Machine Gun (3:11)
21. When Shrimps Learn To Whistle (3:33)

For convenience, if you'd like to download them all, here's a zip file.

And for a special treat, here is a taste of what Lindsey and I witnessed on November 13, 2004. This is part of what I recorded during the concert: Leo Kottke - Live at the Handlebar (Greenville, SC 11-13-04) (4:03). The quality is poor, sorry. It was a great thing to see him perform and then meet him afterward. You can read about that night here.

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