Finger Pickin' Good September 15, 2005 - Pitch Weekly By Annie Fischer and Alan Scherstuhl As a kid, Leo Kottke lost much of the hearing in his left ear in a firecracker mishap. In later years, the acoustic-guitar virtuoso's right ear suffered permanent damage during firing practice with the Naval Reserve. And then there was that painful bout of tendonitis brought on by his signature fingerpicking style. None of that, however, has deterred Kottke from fleshing out a four-decade career making his signature folk-jazz-blues hybrid. Catch him at 8 p.m. Thursday with Phish bassist Mike Gordon at Liberty Hall (644 Massachusetts in Lawrence, 785-749-1972). Tickets are $34. Article Copyright © 2005 Kansas City Pitch, LLC