Happy 75th birthday today to acoustic guitar and fingerpicking guru Leo Kottke (born 9/11/45). His early albums were very specific about the strings on his instrument as he released his debut album 12-String Blues,on the independent Oblivion record label in 1969 and then followed that up with 6- and 12-String Guitars in 1970. Drawing on a mix of jazz, blues and folk, Kottke is considered a master of his instrument with a humorous slang in his live shows where he mixes vocals into his 6 and 12 string guitar prowess. Kottkes name of course became more familiar in the last 18 years since his collaborations with Phish’s Mike Gordon. Check out Kottke live in 1977 in Germany
