Timbreline Music
Michael Gulezian : Concert at St.Olaf College (US,2004)****°
From an early age on Michael was encouraged by his father, an Armenian oud player. From Armenian and Middle Eastern forms he also got into everything from rock, folk, soul, and the blues to traditional Indian artists like Ravi Shankar. Next influence was the acoustic Mississippi country/blues legends. At the time he got into Fahey, Kottke and Basho, and played one time, when still in college, a track to Robbie Basho who encouraged him to send a demo to Fahey and his Takoma label. Fahey became then like a kind of personal tutor until Michael released an album, “Snow”, on his own label Aardvark Records. Takoma at that time had become a label with bigger distribution and decided to reissue the album with a few changes under the title “Unspoken Intentions” in 1979. Michael Hedges mentioned it later as his major influence, and also fahey described it as being a groundbreaking album. When Takoma went bankrupt in 1985 Michael, somewhat disappointed, took a distance from the recording industry and went back to college for a degree in marketing. In the early nineties he established his own label Timbreline and released 5 albums so far, which also includes the original Takoma reissue.
This perfect live album shows some of the variety in the talent of Michael. His remarkable technique has an almost jazzfusion like fluidity as if it’s built upon waves of playing with a natural energy, with pickings combined with the right accents within a rhythmic pulse. The playing has a rich body and an emotional depth. At times, like on “Watermelon” this playing has an early Kottke like speed and fluidity. Other people also mention some characteristics from the late Michael Hedges. But the technique has more variety in it than can be described with some references only. On a track like “My trampoline Heart” the quick pickings have such a degree of emotional power and intensity as if there are more layers of melodies played at the same time, and as if the guitar is divided into different instruments for bass, rhythm, melody line and for pitched accents. On the more quiet tracks, with a bit of added echo, like on “Tumbledweeb”, it is as if a whole landscape follows with it. Also here one should almost forget that this is a reality expressed by only one guitar. “Little Meggie” has a sound so recognisable, as an affectionate melody, one could overlook the idea how much virtuosity is behind it, because this almost sound just beautiful and simple. Michael did also something different with the Bach tune “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” adding perhaps even a blues/ gospel-like accent to the tune, and also here there's some of the echoing space which counts to the added accents. A truly wonderful album and performance.
Timbreline MusicMichael Gulezian : Language of the flame (US,2001)****'
The similar style as I described on the live album is noticeable on many tracks of the studio album as well, recorded in a more relaxed environment, playing without the interactive fire of the live experience expansion, with a different ardour. This is like the perfect theory and practice of the master, under the best recording conditions, endowed and stimulated by the flame of inspiration, and a collection of ideas. “Undo the buncome” has influences from the flamenco, and in a blues territory with powerful dynamic muscular tension in the finger play. Here some slide guitar and handpercussion are added. Just here and there, on some tracks are touches of some reverbed echoes added which suits the dynamics and fire of the compositions, as can be heard on a musical thematical turn on “The Room of Doom”. The dynamism on “Room of Doom” is like a true horse heart engine of inner power, almost horrifying in strength. “Oh Suzanne” is the only song (a traditional so it seems). “Jello Moves” seems to have a groovy bluesy bass line inside a wider composition with high pitch touches as if the composer is painting, all played and expressed with just one guitar with no overdubs. The only other track with additional contributions is “All we”ll never be”, which has also some double bass (Derek Jones), bells, Zendrum and other handpercussion instruments (Tom Roady). The last track, “Michael Hedges goes to heaven” is on ode to the famous guitarist. Also this track has some reverbed echoes, which are built up together with the slowly building movements of melodic playing, as if there is a beast/ghost inside that coming back from time and finds its expression with the living flaming power.
