Even though six- and twelve-string master
Leo Kottke's last solo album, released five years before, was named
One Guitar, No Vocals, that could just as well have been the title of this one. Except for a set-closing vocal turn fronting
Los Lobos on
the Weavers' folk song "The Banks of Marble," the rest is just
Kottke and his acoustic guitar. Together they make music that falls between folk, world, jazz, gospel, and the dreaded new age that is indelibly tied to
Kottke's recognizable percussive style. There are few deviations from his established direction and many of these tracks could have been included on any of his previous two-dozen or so discs. But that doesn't lessen the impact of experiencing one of the most respected and intense acoustic guitarists in the history of the instrument ply his craft. In addition to the aforementioned tune,
Kottke covers another old folk standard, "Mockingbird Hill," (which he claims to have heard from
Patti Page). He tears the song apart, then reconstructs it in his own image.
Carla Bley's "Jesus Maria" also goes through the
Kottke machine -- for the third time -- and emerges sounding like a beautiful and twisted song from the guitarist's own pen. Short and bizarre liner notes for each tune are typically peculiar, some relating to the song in ways only
Kottke will understand. Established fans won't find many revelations here, but they will still relish hearing fresh
Kottke music, if only because he's obviously still playing at the top of his game 35 years into his idiosyncratic career. ~ Hal Horowitz