I've long been a fan of fingerpicked guitar and while Fahey, Basho and Kottke might get all the acclaim there are others who played before and alongside them who's efforts seems to have been overshadowed.

	Suni McGrath - The Call of the Mourning Dove The mention last week of Suni's recently issued 7" on Tompkins Square set me back to listen to this gem from '69. As I've mentioned it was Suni's unpretentious and melodic playing that were the
show stoppers here. Where some of his contemporaries would get wrapped up in the technicalities of playing, Suni let the songs' contemplative mood and beautiful melodies be the centerpiece. The songs on The Call of the Morning Dove are begging for a proper reissue. Current stations such as WFMU here in NY and some print attention following his inclusion on the Tompkins Sq. releases have shed a bit of deserved light on Suni but he's due a formal comeback if anyone is. Download: [MP3] Suni McGrath - He Led Me Out Of The Darkness [MP3] Suni McGrath - The Call of the Mourning Dove Support the artist. Buy it HERE Gonna have to try Ebay on this one because like I said nobody's reissued it.
	Dick Rosmini - Adventures for 12 String, 6 String, and Banjo This is the steel sting album that kicked off the lot. Rosmini is known to have been influential to Kottke and Basho and though this album may lack some of the showmanship of their work, Rosmini could find
beauty in the simplest folk tunes. It's of course a bit dated now but when Rosmini finds his bearings he can make his fingers sing, which must be exactly what Kottke and Basho heard in his work. Simple rags and plaintive blues sit nicely alongside Banjo picked mountain songs placing the guitar at center stage, exactly where it needed to be. This is another album that has been long out of print and is in bad need of a reissue for the historical value if nothing else. Download: [MP3] Dick Rosmini - 900 Miles to Go [MP3] Dick Rosmini - Casey Support the artist. Buy it HERE Again, Gonna have to try Ebay on this one because nobody's reissued it.