It's the nimble, almost spidery finger work that first grabs you. The left hand frets three-finger chords above a bottleneck-sheathed little finger; the right hand combines fingerpicking, four-finger pats, feather-light brushes over the strings and two-finger flutters. Add liberal dashes of guitar harmonics (that eerily hypnotic ringing) and sustains (notes fading out like a faraway radio signal) and the result is a shimmering slide sound indelibly stamped with the Sonny Landreth imprint.

Slide guitar mastery notwithstanding, the 44-year-old, Louisiana-based guitarist/singer/songwriter is a rather introspective sort. Landreth's weirdly mesmerising guitar work can sometimes obscure his insightful lyrics, filled with wry observations and gracefully articulated longings, all imbued with a keenly wrought sense of place.

His latest recording, "South of I-10", his second on the Zoo/Praxis label, reveals an appreciation of Cajun and Creole culture and the perspective that comes from a subtle yet ever-present sense of separateness -- of being a Mississippi native growing up in south-western Louisiana. Steeped in the mystery and allure of the Louisiana bayous, "South of I-10" was recorded on the banks of the Vermilion River at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, just down the road from Landreth's home near Lafayette. Musical talent onboard includes legendary New Orleans songwriter/producer/performer Allen Toussaint, guitarist Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and the subdudes' Tommy Malone.

Landreth's Louisiana roots run deep, musically speaking -- Zydeco progenitor Clifton Chenier was an early mentor. Sonny was just 17 when he met Chenier, who pioneered the now-thriving zydeco genre by infusing traditional black Creole music with big-city soul, blues and R&B sounds. After Landreth sat in with Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band, Cllifton invited him to join, so the young slide guitarist became the first white member of the band.

In the 1980s, Landreth became a sought-after session player for artists such as John Hiatt, John Mayall, Zachary Richard, Kenny Loggins, Beausoleil, and, more recently, Junior Wells, Knopfler and Steve Riley.