Some musicians are bound for critical appreciation only. It has to be cold comfort that their skills are applauded by some while they scratch out a living, but Kentucky guitarist Mark Fosson has been doing it for almost 50 years now, so he has either resigned himself to his lot or he has more resilience than titanium. Whatever way you view it, Fosson has dexterity to spare. His instrumental style is akin to his early mentor, the American "primitive" guitarist John Fahey, to whose label, Takoma Records, he first recorded in 1976. From then to now, critical appreciation and commercial appeal have run in parallel, and while the fittingly titled Solo Guitar won't change that, it is nonetheless a breath of fresh air to hear such crystal-clear, fluid and agile guitar playing.