Sloppy but Famous Contest

Not sure what you're referencing re: Leo Kottke

I'm just a casual fan, but I saw him play in Minnesota maybe a decade ago. He clearly has ridiculous skills. (Or at least he did back then.) His genre tends toward the rhythm-centric, so he may play with pitch sometimes, but I don't recall hearing him blow it outright. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, I've just never caught it. IME, he is pretty much a metronome - I've seen few players who can keep time like Leo.

A related item, a piece of advice I once got from a guitar teacher: If you ever miss and play a blat during a solo, just play the same note again. Once is a miss, twice is quirky improvisation.

Many stages are open at times for anyone to take a crack at it:)

improvisation should not trip off either. many musicians can mask their trips(not in classical music though), but making more than one or two per piece is simply impossible to mask! on most of latest live performances Steve Howe tripped to often.
i felt differently and every note or chord played by Leo Kottke seemed sloppy. it might be the certain style or that i do not know or understand...

Martykl's comment above echoes my experiences with Leo Kottke, as well...on disc or live.

I saw Leo in the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's. Never a problem, though he's lost a step, perhaps.

That said, a friend/student whose opinion I respect told me he saw a Leo show that was lacking in execution. So maybe he's an old guy who has good days and bad days, I don't know.