Dubbed by fans the "Father of American Raga," enigmatic steel-string guitarist, singer, and composer Robbie Basho classified his music as "Zen Buddhist cowboy songs." As proficient on 12-string guitar as on six-string, his playing and singing were deeply influenced by East Indian, Asian, and 20th century classical musics, harmonic and dissonant improvisation, Persian modalism, Native American chants, and modal blues. A member of Takoma Records' "Big Three" with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, Basho was easily the most challenging to listen to and the most obscure. Takoma dates including 1965's The Seal of the Blue Lotus and 1966's The Grail & The Lotus are considered classics of the American raga style, while early-'70s albums The Voice of the Eagle and Zarthus showcased a devotion to Native American culture. The widely celebrated Visions of the Country saw release in 1978 before his final album, Twilight Peaks, arrived in 1984.