Chewing the Gristle with Greg Koch

Israeli-born and Chicago-based blues and jazz guitarist Guy King has spent decades wowing audiences with his unique style and unusual approach. Greg and Guy get into his tone and many other varieties of gristle! 3:16 - The meeting of the musicians - when Greg and Guy met to jam with Nick Moss, Josh Smith, and Dave Spector, and Guy’s new record 4:33 - Guy’s tone, style, and personal flavor - how th...

Veron has long defied guitar genres, expectations, and conventions. His explosive work leading Living Colour turned everyone's head in the age of hair metal, and ever since he has never stopped innovating and creating in new and unexpected ways.  Greg and Vernon Reid get deep into music and metaphysics in ways that only they can. Get ready! 1:30 - Upcoming tours with Living Colour, the comple...

Tomo Fujita is one of the most well-known guitar teachers on the planet, famously beloved by his current and former students at Berklee College of Music (including John Mayer). His YouTube and Instagram channels have a treasure-trove of useful lessons for guitarists of all levels, and their popularity led Guitar World to name him among "15 of the greatest all-star guitar teachers" (a lis...

Elliot Easton redefined what it means to be a guitar hero as a founding member of The Cars. His melodic and concise solos are absolutely essential to those classic Cars records. Elliot and Greg connect about The Cars, Elliot's early years, and his individual approach to the guitar! 1:36 - The latest and greatest with Elliot as the pandemic winds its way down (hopefully) 5:57 - A young Elliot...

John 5 has been the go-to guitarist for an incredibly varied list of people you know (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, Avril Lavigne, Rob Halford, k.d. lang, Garbage, Meat Loaf, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, and even Lynyrd Skynyrd). Greg and John get into his journey and his gear! 2:23 - Ahhh the sweet, sweet solace of the guitar 4:21 - Growing up in Michigan, playing dive bars, the...

Season 3 is off to a great start with Ariel! Known for his stunning solo releases and also his time with The Bros. Landreth, Ariel is one of the most popular and lauded modern guitarists out there. Greg gets deep with Ariel regarding his musical journey, techniques, and gear. Enjoy the ride as Season 3 gets going with Ariel Posen! 2:17 - Greg’s influence on Ariel in his early days via his “Best of...

New York guitar player of doom  Gil Parris has played with Dr. John, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Diane Schuur, and Bernie Williams. Along with being a sideman, he's equally known for leading his own projects. Greg and Gil talk about his signature Reverend guitar (with Fishman Fluence Single-Width pickups), Gil's musical journey, and other gristle of all flavors! 2:12 - Gil Parris during th...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi's own Webb Wilder is well known for deftly walking the musical ground between rock 'n' roll and progressive country.  An accomplished guitarist and performer, he's also an actor and longtime DJ. Webb and Greg cover where he's at after this crazy year, and what the future holds. Of course, they also talk gear! 1:30 - Webb’s time during the pandemic...

Willy is an acoustic guitar wizard, bending his incredible technique and unconventional style to the will of his muse for over 20 years now.  Greg and Willy talk about rigs, influences, Wisconsin, fequencies, and the emergence of musicians from the pandemic. 2:41 - Willy’s understanding of sound frequencies, and how to communicate with a front of house engineer 5:17 - Life as a musician as we drif...

Daryl has been the exceptional touring guitarist/bassist with Genesis since 1977 (42 years), and Phil Collins' main guitarist since his first solo album.  Besides digging into his time with both, Greg and Daryl talk about his early years with Jean Luc Ponty, Gino Vannelli, and Daryl's solo project, and also what it's like for a touring musician to live in Milwaukee! 1:11 - Moments b...

Shonn has received accolades for his guitar work with many superstars, including Mary J Blige, John Legend,  Jill Scott,  Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Patti LaBelle, Gym Class Heroes, and Carol King. His own Milwaukee-based band Shotgun has been making waves nationally. Greg and Shonn get into the details of the many facets of Shonn's musical life! 1:45 - The pandemic, and Shonn’s focus on his solo proj...

Scott is no stranger to big stages, as he was Gregg Allman's guitarist and musical director until his death, and is now the newest member of Little Feat. An incredible guitarist and singer, Sharrard's musical journey started long before his time with these venerable bands. Greg and Scott get into the details! 2:36 - Scott’s home and creative anchor: The Rust Belt, and musical influence o...

Duke is a guitarist's guitarist, known for his melodic virtuosity and classic tone. He draws six-string enthusiasts from far and wide to his frequent shows in  Boston when he isn't on the road or in the studio with artists such as Peter Wolf, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dennis Brennan, Slaid Cleaves, and The J Geils Band to name a few. Greg and Duke talk about his upbringing, Pa...

One of YouTube's most popular guitar heroes, Chris is known for his stellar guitar playing (Guitarist Magazine's 2020 Best Blues Guitarist ) along with the wit and insight he brings to his weekly, self-produced "Friday Fretwork" series. Greg and Chris dive into a little of everything: influences, tone, fatherhood, vintage pickups - P-90s, and vintage guitars! 1:30 - Cardinal Bl...

A potentate of the instrumental guitar relm, Prashant is an incredible player, engineer and producer. Greg digs into Prashant's musical journey through the Berklee College of Music, Greg Howe, and then onto the LA music scene. 1:52 - Prashant’s year in 2020 - moving from LA to Northern California, celebrating the birth of his third child, and treasuring time with family 5:19 - Coming out to y...

The legendary Robben Ford has played with everyone from Miles Davis to KISS, and over his long career, he's consistently pushed the boundaries of his own incredible guitar playing to dizzying heights. Greg and Robben catch up on the former LA musician's current life in Nashville, Robben's new record "Pure", the Guitar Dojo, vintage guitars, and other topics of true gristle...

The Titan of the Telecaster,  King of Dieselbilly, and Mr "Hot Rod Lincoln" himself Bill Kirchen chews the Gristle with Greg today. They dig into Bill's history, beginnings and talk about the differences between being a working musician then and now. And of course, they talk Tele! 1:36 - Bill’s first live-music experience in a year 3:41 - How Bill’s music journey began (hint: it was...

"The Fretless Monster" Tony Franklin has played with some of rock's most iconic names, and he's well known for his individual approach to the fretless bass. He's played with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Greg and Tony catch up about remote recording, LA vs England, The Firm, and other various...

Butch is one of the most in-demand producers in the rock and pop music world, and   he also happens to be one powerful beast of a guitarist and songwriter.  Greg and Butch get down and dirty on producing, gear, LA vs Nashville, and many other gristly topics. Dig it! 3:59 - Butch’s thoughts on the evolution of music in regard to the internet - is it the Golden Age of music, or a something else enti...

Arlen is the father of modern-day guitar instruction, and widely known as the "Master of the Telecaster". His early "Hot Licks" series of videos changed the medium by which many of us would learn guitar, and his book "Slide Guitar" influenced many of today's guitar heroes (including Greg)! Greg and Arlen go back to the beginning and talk about his upbringing, the...

One of the fiercest players in Nashville, Andy Wood is recognized as part of the forefront of this generation’s top influential guitarists. Touring with acts as diverse as Rascal Flatts and Sebastian Bach, Andy's musicianship is legendary. Greg and Andy talk about the Woodshed Guitar Experience, Telecasters, and the upcoming post-COVID world for guitarists. 3:07 - The fun and success of Andy’...

Devin is a prolific potentate of modern metaldom! It is hard to put a label on Devin that sufficiently covers the breadth of his complex and impressive musical identity. Devin does it all, with dedicated fans worldwide and over 25 albums to his name. Townsend's musical insights are always as deep, heavy and colorful as his music, so prepare to feast! 1:16 - Dealing with the invisible angst of...

Blackberry Smoke has been a true southern rock force for 20 years now! Charlie's guitar playing and singing are a big part of that equation. Today, Greg talks to Charlie about his musical upbringing, his favorite gear, his influences, and all other kinds of delicious gristle! 1:13 - Charlie’s Ampeg Dan Armstrong Lucite, and his Telecaster from Echopark Guitars 3:35 - Charlie’s upcoming record...

Guthrie is one of Nashville's most exciting guitarists. A regular member of Jerry Douglas' band, the list of musicians Guthrie has supported is staggering - Garth Brooks, John Oates, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, Tim O’Brien, and Delbert McClinton just to name a few. Guthrie and Greg talk covid, Guthrie's musical journey, and, of course, gear! 4:18 - The s...

The legendary Steve Vai and Greg delve deep into Steve's early history, talking about LA, Zappa, and a whole lot more! Steve Vai's influence on the guitar world is profound, from his early work pioneering the design of "super strats" like his Ibanez signature models, to his ever-changing approach to tone and his insightful perspective on music theory. Settle in for this gristle...