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And once again we are here at Blues Rock Heaven, or better known as the Village Club in Habach (close to Garmisch near the Austrian Border) to check out yet another guitarist, who is going for this music style. One who suffers the usual fate which is named: not have been discovered yet from the masses, but having an established name in the Blusrock circles. But the Gristle King from Milwaukee and his does entertain the audiance with a huge talent and a great sense of humor, even in the smallest clubs. For everybody who doesn't know the name yet, there is a brief description: Greg Koch did already play Hendrix songs on a cello as a child and got his very first guitar when he was twelfe. After four years of Jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin, he wond his first priced at the Bluesbreaker-Guitar-Showdown (1989) and he foundet the band Greg Koch and The Tone Controls. Their first CD came out in 1993. This one was followed by some more releases, in which Koch showed, that he was able to mix many styles, such as Country, Blues, Rock and Fusion. He's a representer of Fender guitars and does many workshops, Clinics and appears on music fairs. Greg signed a deal with Favored Nations, Steve Vai's Label, where he released the album 'Radio Free Gristle' in 2003 and celebrated an international break through success. Koch's style is discribed best as guitar pyro techniq in a Jimi Hendrix way. This can be heard on the 2007 album „Greg Koch And Other Bad Men Live!˜, and also on the current release 'From The Attic'. - And before I forget to mention, Greg played in the US National Football league for 11 years....
Mr. Koch does certainly belong to those Bluesmen, for whom Europe is still the place to be what's up to Bluesrock. I can't really believe this, as most of these great artists still play the tiny club scene over here. Unfortunately, I have to repeat myself - how much it hurts, that such brilliant musicians often only play in front of 50 or 100 people. Exspecially in my job I do realize this so strongly, as I often get to see low quality bands playing in front of 5.000 just because of some kind of hype - at least for a limited time. Because as we all know, the business nowadays is short living. Despite to those Blues musicians who do live for very long, but most times in the underground, or better expressed - within their circles.
Greg Koch has been here
before at the Village Club. It's just me, who never made it in the past
to check him out until tonight. And of course a tribute to good old Jimi Hendrix must'nd be missing. The 5 times Blues Award winner holds, what his reputation promises and je entertains us with some great tunes and excelletn solos.
There is one little difference to the past, because meanwhile the former foursome shrinked to a trio, and Greg handles both guitar duties as well as the vocals. Why no? Unfortunately there is no setliste,, but I think it's not missin either, as the whole show is somehow one big unit, leading from pure Bluesrock into fusion a mixtures of Blues, Funk. Country and even Jazz. And now and then he throws in some well known rock classic tunes. Inbetween one or the other joke to keep the amusement ahead. Time goes too fast, and if you look around, twice 80 minutes have passed again, ending the whole event with some Spanish Magic Castle between the lines. No trace of boredom, but
brilliant entertainment, that's how I can describe this clubshow. And
some other guitarists would get wett eyes according to the excellent
guitar playing. But as I have often said before: many of these true
pearls have got yet to be found. |
