Robbie Basho

More so than his peers John Fahey and Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho attempted to transform the steel-string guitar into a classical instrument comparable to the sitar. Bashovia, a nine-song career overview released on Takoma Records, makes this plainly evident. There's very little blues here; most of this stuff feels profoundly Eastern. In this sense Basho can be seen as a pioneer of both New Age and world music. Be prepared, though, when the guitarist starts "singing" about halfway. It's kind of weird.