The Lyric Presents Leo Kottke 1/23

From his major label debut album "6 and 12 String Guitar" to his latest, "Sixty Six Steps," Leo Kottke has firmly established himself as one of the most influential acoustic guitar players of our time. Kottke burst onto the music scene in 1969 with his unconventional style of finger-picking and syncopated, polyphonic melodies. His skills as a guitarist and composer are universally acclaimed.

Whether he's performing his own songs or presenting his signature spin on tunes by other artists, Kottke draws upon an eclectic mix of musical genres, including folk, rock, jazz, classical and bluegrass. But creating innovative, steel-string finger-style pieces is what he does best.

Throughout the years, the guitar virtuoso has collaborated with Chet Atkins, Lyle Lovett, Rickie Lee Jones and Mike Gordon of Phish. He has toured with jazz guitarist Joe Pass, flamenco Guitarist Paco Pena and classical guitarist Pepe Romera, and has been a frequent guest on "A Prairie Home Companion."

Kottke has recorded over three dozen albums, but it's his live concerts that best showcase his remarkable talent. "I have always thought of myself as a performer first and way down the line as a recording artist," he says. There is no better place to experience the mastery of this finger-picking phenomenon than right here on the Lyric Stage.