Don Latarski

Don Latarski is a highly respected American fingerstyle guitarist, composer, educator, and recording artist known for his unique guitar technique and deep roots in blues, jazz, and related genres. Born in 1953 and raised just north of Detroit, Michigan, he started playing guitar at age 10 and later earned a music degree from the University of Oregon, where he now serves as Head of Guitar Studies. Latarski has released 15 studio albums and authored more than 20 instructional guitar books, gaining acclaim in fingerstyle guitar circles and from publications like Vintage Guitar Magazine, which called him "a guitarist of great taste and chops" .

His style is characterized by blending genres including jazz, blues, rockabilly, and swing with a percussive fingerpicking approach, earning him a distinctive reputation symbolized by his habit of gluing picks to his fingernails. In addition to performing and teaching, Don Latarski runs Crescent Studios in Eugene, Oregon, where he works as an audio engineer and producer. Over his long career, he has collaborated with artists like Mason Williams, Bobby McFerrin, and the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, and has contributed music to video games, films, and radio programs. His recent releases include albums like *Everywhen*, *Simple Gifts*, and *Endless Beginning* .

Genres

Experimental

Folk

Jazz

World

Blues

Rockabilly

Swing

Fingerstyle

Related Artists

Tommy Emmanuel

Leo Kottke

John Mayer

Andy McKee

James Taylor

Joni Mitchell

Vince Gill

Antoine Dufour

Trace Bundy

Nick Drake

Steve Winwood

Laura Marling

Latest Release

Carol of the Bells

Don Latarski

Single - Released September 17, 2026