Those in the folk circuit probably know Leo Kottke, an acoustic guitar virtuoso if there ever was one. But those outside may never have heard of the man.
Shame if you're in the latter category. The man has been releasing albums since 1969, and his acoustic shines through, even over his embarrassing attempts to sing (this is not a slight -- Kottke once described his voice as "geese farts on a foggy day").
So an album titled One Guitar, No Vocals would seem to be an examination of what Kottke does best, but that's not quite the case. Because of a lingering hand injury, Kottke's playing has slowed down quite a bit from the 1970s, making this more of a classical guitar album. Fortunately, Kottke does not sacrifice melody for speed, making this a compelling listen for fans of the guitar.
The opener "Snorkel" alternates between gentle picking and an intense strummed middle section, while "Morning is the Long Way Home" is the most like the Kottke of old -- quick, sprightly and full of attitude. "Too Fast" is repetitive at first but speeds up and adds odd chords to the finger-picking, while "Three/Quarter North" is almost a love song, showing Kottke's ability to veer into singer-songwriter territory.
"Retrograde" sounds like a Dave Matthews backing track, moody with the bass strings but hopeful on the higher strings, but it is overshadowed by the even moodier "Chamber of Commerce," which starts with a sad arpeggio, veers into John Mayer territory and then becomes firmly Kottke halfway through, with a half strum/half picking technique that he is so good at. It's the most complete song on here and never gets repetitive.
Repetition is a bit of a problem here, even for a master like Kottke. With only one acoustic guitar, the songs start to drag on and interest wanes near the end of the album. It's not that the music is bad -- only someone as talented as Kottke could pull off the 9-minute "Bigger Situation," and "Accordion Bells" breaks the rules by throwing a light accordion behind the guitar. But even virtuosos get old -- does anyone honestly like sitting through all 26 minutes of "Dazed And Confused" when Jimmy Page plays the guitar with his violin bow, for example?
In short, this is not Kottke's best work, but it's some of the best acoustic guitar out there, and if you're a fan of this instrument or complex folk music in general, this is for you.