Everyone who hears Ed Gerhard play guitar marvels at his technical skill.  But for Gerhard, any skill he possesses is in service of something greater:  the sound.

Gerhard's life behind the guitar began at age 14, when he happened upon Andres Segovia on TV.  That performance inspired a lifetime of musical exploration that led him to Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Willie McTell, John Fahey and beyond.  Listening to Fahey encouraged him to experiment with open tunings and composing his own pieces, which in turn led to the development of his distinct sound.  Though he is frequently categorized with fingerstyle players, Gerhard prefers to look at fingerstyle as a way to play music rather than a kind of music.  "It isn't about "virtuoso guitar playing,'" he says, "“It's the music that is important."

And it is Gerhard's music — lush, rich tones woven through careful, pensive compositions — that has garnered him loyal fans, critical acclaim, and, in 2005, a Grammy award.  His sonic passion has motivated his recording career, which began in 1987 with “Night Birds," chosen by the Boston Globe Critics' Poll as one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year, and has continued through his 2006 release, "Sunnyland," which draws on the blues and gospel that he's always loved.  In between, he's recorded an award-winning Christmas album ("Christmas," which the Boston Globe called "the best folk holiday recording of 1991"), an album recorded entirely on pawn-shop guitars (the 2001 fan favorite "House of Guitars"), and a cover of Henry Mancini's "Moon River," which was included in the 2004 Grammy-winning Mancini tribute album, "Pink Guitar."