This evening I downloaded a 2008 album by Matthew Montfort, guitarist-leader of the pioneering world music ensemble Ancient Future. I hadn't realized this album was the result of nearly a decade of studying in India, and his application of traditional Indian playing techniques to the acoustic guitar.
It reminded me of two other examples of applying Indian tradition to acoustic guitar. One was Robbie Basho, who made quite a career out of his ragas and long improvisations in the early 1960s.
The other was Peter Walker, a folk player in the early 1970s who made a splash with his album called "Rainy Day Raga" and worked for a time as Timothy Leary's musical director.
I shall have to revisit these two.
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