There's no stopping Kottke.(Preview)

Byline: WALTER TUNIS Knight Ridder

Listen to any of the early Capitol albums by Leo Kottke, and you will hear a guitar voice in full bloom.

The sound is youthful but learned. The tone is inviting, driving and clear. The technique? Simply monstrous.

Then comes the assimilation of references that swell to the surface in his playing. You discover the mix of beautifully brittle picking inspirations passed on by the late guitar maestro John Fahey as well as melodic invention and dynamics Kottke developed on his own. The presentation abounds in intuition, informality and, at times, humor.

Now put on "Try and Stop Me," a 2004 Kottke recording that …