Michael Gulezian

Although not as well known as he deserves to be, Michael Gulezian is a talented folk-rock instrumentalist who comes out of the John Fahey/Leo Kottke/Robbie Basho school of acoustic guitar playing. All of those fellow guitarists influenced the Armenian-American, whose recordings have often had a very spiritual, dreamy, airy quality and sometimes underscore his interest in the traditional modal music of India and the Middle East. Born in 1957, Gulezian was only six when he started playing the acoustic guitar. One of the people who did a lot to encourage Gulezian's interest in many different types of music was his father, an oud player who was well-versed in Armenian and Middle Eastern styles. (The oud is a traditional Arabic lute that has been used all over the Middle East and North Africa for centuries). Growing up in Colorado, Gulezian was exposed to a wide variety of music. He learned a lot about Armenian and Middle Eastern forms from his father, and he also got into everything from rock, folk, soul, and the blues to traditional Indian artists like sitar legend Ravi Shankar (another influence). One can hear the influence of ragas and Indian classical music in Gulezian's playing, and one also hears a strong appreciation of acoustic Mississippi country blues legends like Robert Johnson, Son House, and the Rev. Gary Davis.

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