Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke will perform a solo concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 11 at the Kirkland Performance Center. This show, which is presented by UpWest Arts, is Kottke’s first visit to Kirkland in over seven years.

Kottke is a walking contradiction. In conversation he is slow talking, thoughtful almost to distraction. Yet when he picks up a steel-stringed guitar, his fingers race across the strings with uncommon speed, developing a deep, churning groove that can at times sound like several people playing at once. He seems to play guitar at 78 rpm, yet he speaks at 33.

Now 65, Kottke has recorded over 30 albums  that showcase his barnstorming fretwork and quirky songwriting. He is truly a master of the guitar whose playing has influenced generations of musicians and listeners, and he still tours the country relentlessly, playing his six and 12-stringed guitars for appreciative audiences ranging from New England to Southern California, from Brisbane to Berlin.

Kottke, who usually performs solo, is also in great demand by other musicians. He has collaborated on recordings with Los Lobos, Emmylou Harris, Rickie Lee Jones, and Lyle Lovett, to name a few. His music, while difficult to categorize, is a wonder to hear. His sound is a natural bridge between folk, jazz, classical, country and blues, played with a level of skill that is truly off the chart.

One critic noted that Kottke “is so good he doesn’t need a band … the man’s right hand should be preserved for science.”

Whether he is playing a propulsive, juke joint number that inspires audiences to dance in the aisles, or a Beethoven-like fugue that evokes a melodic dream space for his listeners, Kottke’s acoustic guitar and baritone voice make it clear why this performer was nominated for a Grammy, and why audiences in the U.S., Australia, and Europe continue to fill concert halls to see the man do what he does best, perform live on stage.

Kottke is also a gifted monologist. His between-song ramblings are a mixture of free association, absurdist commentary and dry, Midwestern wit. His regular appearances on public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion” have brought a nation of radio listeners within range of Kottke’s loopy sense of humor, while at the same time demonstrating the unimagined musical possibilities for the acoustic guitar.

Kottke is indeed a true American original, a player whose mission is to make every night on stage “a great night for the guitar.”

Tickets are available by phone, 425-893-9900, or online at www.kpcenter.org. To learn more about Kottke, visit www.leokottke.com.