Chewing the Gristle with Greg Koch

Latest Episodes:

Nick Moss Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Chicago's Nick Moss has been recognized as one the great guitarists of his generation, garnering accolades from Buddy Guy and praise from Jambase, Relix, and Gratefulweb.com among many others. His recording career spans decades and his albums are staples at blues radio outlets worldwide and are now in rotation at stations with jam and rock formats. Greg and Nick catch up about his musical journey, life on the road, and his gear!
1:27 - Hellos, catch-up, sharing the stage w/ the great Nick Moss, and the glory of Wisconsin’s Summer Fest
7:21 - What drew Nick to the Blues, and how the guitar fell into his hands
20:32 - Hitting the road with Buddy Scott, Jimmy Rogers, more, and making a living as a musician in Chicago
31:45 - Life on the road with Nick Moss,and the importance of building your brand
42:32 - The difference between self-released material vs record label deals
51:23 - Nick’s current road rig
Total Length: 61:18

Eric Johnson Jan 18, 2024

Show notes

Eric Johnson can be found on anyone's list of the greatest electric guitar instrumentalists ever. His songs such as "Cliffs of Dover" (which won a Grammy) set the high bar for the genre, and have become all-time classics. Greg and Eric talk about G3, influences, tone, and gear on this Chewing the Gristle!
3:16 - Greg and Eric - the pleasure of sitting in together and jamming on stage, and Eric approach to performance throughout the years
7:13 - The upcoming G3 tour with Joe Satriani & Steve Vai, and a discourse on the almighty BB King
11:30 - The tone is in the fingers, the absurdity of social media, the joy of playing guitar, Eric history with teachers and ear training, and how the skill set of a modern-day guitarist has changed
21:03 - Eric’s tonal thoughts in preparing for his next record, and the idea of keeping things simple
25:51 - The idea of being a trailblazer, and thoughts on Jeff Beck
31:59 - Cream, Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, and how fame might affect the player
49:48 - GEAR
52:26 - What’s in Eric’s record player?
58:01 - Different picking techniques, and the influential players behind them
Total Length: 66:35

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Mike Dawes May 04, 2023

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One of the world's best acoustic guitarists (just ask Total Guitar and Music Radar), Mike Dawes has made fans globally with his exciting and inviting brand of fingerstyle, percussive guitar. He first gained prominence on YouTube with millions of views for solo arrangements such as Metallica's "One", Gotye's "Someone That I Used to Know", Van Halen's "Jump", his own tune "The Impossible" and others. He has gone on to team up with players like Tommy Emmanuel, Periphery, Nick Johnston, Plini and more for collaborative, worldwide tours and videos. Greg and Mike took a break from both of their busy touring schedules for this episode of Gristle!
3:49 - Growing up Guildford
8:33 - The exhaustion only kicks in when the touring stops, days off
13:13 - Doing everything yourself vs hiring out control of your career, and the importance of touring / building an audience
23:58 - The Music Industry in a post-COVID world
25:04 - Ben Lacy, creative fingerstyle, and Mike’s own virtuosic chops
32:18 - How Mike works on timing as a solo player
37:44 - What inspired Mike to originally pick up the guitar
42:39 - The passing of the late, great EVH, and surviving COVID lockdown (mentally and fiscally)
49:50 - The digital age, guitar, AI, and how everything moves forward
64:14 - Being true to oneself as an artist and performer
Total Length: 76:30

Tom Quayle Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

Tom Quayle is an extraordinary musician, improviser, composer, cat,instruction-app entrepreneur, and six-string visionary hailing from Leeds in the UK. A master of legato playing, he has played all over the world giving him acclaim that means he can count Dweezil Zappa, John Petrucci, Brett Garsed, Greg Howe, Andy Timmons, and Tim Miller amongst his many fans. Greg and Tom get into the transatlantic gristle!
3:02 - The latest and greatest from Tom, from video courses, new apps, and lots of guitar
9:07 - Tom’s definition of a “legato” style of playing the guitar, and a few greats to help inspire your ear
18:17 - The importance of alternate picking, and honing in your own personal style of picking
30:30 - Tom’s formal guitar education
36:03 - The importance of a good teacher, and the influence of how music in the family shapes us as players
52:46 - Players who creatively combine jazz and other styles of guitar
60:10 - Buc-ee’s and tacos
Total Length: 65:32

Johnny Hiland Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

The mighty Johnny Hiland astounds with his telecaster manipulations and chicken-pickin'-fricassee par excellence. Known far and wide for his blazingly fast and tasty playing, Johnny is a guitar veteran of the Don Kelley Band (a Nashville institution where other veterans such as Guthrie Trapp, Brent Mason, JD Simo, and more got their start), and he's also played on records for artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Toby Keith, Hank Williams III, and Randy Travis, just to name a few. He was signed to Steve Vai's Favored Nations label in 2004, and he's been ripping it up ever since. Johnny tells Greg his story as they get into the gear and the gristle!
2:12 - Thumbpickin’ (and how Johnny’s thumb is acting up)
6:05 - The birth of MTV and being able to SEE how people played guitar, and the importance of the pick, and noiseless pickups
12:40 - Johnny’s first real guitar and rig, and the glory of T and S style guitars
22:27 - The influence of early chicken pickin players, B-Benders, and The Byrds
27:55 - The Rockabilly Revival, Danny Gatton, and Roy Buchanan
37:23 - Johnny’s decision to drop out of school and move to Nashville, and growing up an absolute fiend for the guitar
47:02 - Johnny’s move from Nashville to Virginia, and knowing its never too late to make a good living as a musician
Total Length: 67:21

Duane Betts Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Duane is an incredible guitarist and songwriter, who has forged an impressive musical career by any standard. The son of The Allman Brothers Band's legendary guitarist Dickey Betts (who named him after Duane Allman), he has readily filled those large shoes with aplomb, appearing for years with his father, and also with bands like Dawes, Jamtown (Donovan Frankenreiter, G. Love, and Cody Dickinson), Whitestarr, The Allman Betts Band, and his own projects, such as Duane Betts & The Pistoleers. Greg and Duane get into the gear and gristle!
2:16 - Greg playing with Duane and the Allman Family Revival, and digging in to Duane’s playing
7:05 - Growing up a Betts, Duane’s early musical taste, and his pull to the guitar
12:50 - What it was like having vintage Gibsons lying around the house, and Duane’s decision to go into music professionally
18:05 - Splitting time between the Allman Family Revival and Duane’s solo material, and Duane’s upbringing as a young Floridian
26:42 - Gear, gear, more gear, and TONE!
43:36 - Stage volume - then and now
50:43 - Talking about The Blues and other musicians, father and son, and some tour talk
Total Length: 60:12

Luther Dickinson Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

North Mississippi Allstars' frontman Luther Dickinson is a great guitar player, musician, and human being! Greg and Luther talk about their recent appearance together with the Allman Family Revival, his influences, Luther and Cody's famous father, producer Jim Dickinson, 80s rock, slide guitar, and all kinds of other fun gristle. Dig it!
2:25 - Luther’s time touring with the Allman Betts band, how he linked up with The Revival, and growing up an old (music) soul
11:17 - Growing up with a musically iconic father, distinguishing the differences between styles of play over the years, and integrating different influences
21:25 - Luther’s transition from Memphis to Nashville, Luther’s work as a producer, and Luther’s favorite guitars
28:32 - Guitar fever
33:22 - The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, and the legacy of improvisation
44:19 - 1984 - the year of Van Halen, Purple Rain, Greg’s wet toe into Hair Metal, and missing out on quality greatness over the years
54:04 - Derek Trucks, Sonny Landreth, and a thick conversation on slide guitar
70:44 - The inspiration of ‘the random element’ of playing guitar, and grooving on the upbeats
78:27 - The last days of Hendrix, and the favorite songs to play on guitar
Total Length: 96:10

Johnny Stachela Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

Johnny Stachela is the firey slide guitar player from the Duane Betts Band, The Allman Betts Band, The Allman Family Revival, and many other renowned projects, all the while sporting his SG into his Fender Super Reverb and causing mayhem. Today they talk about the Allman Brothers, Dickie Betts, gear, and gristle!
2:17 - Playing with Duane Betts, and how Johnny fell in to playing with the Allman Family Revival, and early influences
8:08 - Growing up a young bluesman in high school
14:07 - When the SG takes hold of Johnny, and how to avoid guitar hoarding
20:50 - The early days of the Fender Super Reverb (the amp world’s best-kept secret), and the pains of inflation
28:41 - Playing in different tunings, hanging with the old guard of the Allman Brothers band, and vintage guitars
36:16 - Dickie’s signature sound, how he achieved it, and the intricacies of different Allman Brothers parts
47:33 - The Allman Family Revival set list, Johnny’s 2023 calendar, and the complexities of record deals
52:12 - Johnny’s thoughts on the “music game” in 2022
Total Length: 57:37

Jimmy Herring Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

An astonishing axeman of the highest order, Jimmy has been revered throughout the jam-band world and beyond for decades. He's a founding member of Col. Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit, the longtime lead guitarist for Widespread Panic, duo partner of John McLaughlin, and he's been a member of formidable bands like Jazz Is Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, Project Z, Derek Trucks Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, the Other Ones and The Dead. If that wasn't enough he also has several great solo albums to his name! Greg and Jimmy get into his story and of course, the gear!
2:14 - Greg’s early exposure to Jimmy, falling in love with him and his playing, and Jimmy’s early exposure to music
10:06 - Music school, the power of good teaching, and the mysteries of Jazz
20:53 - Learning parts and playing with The Dixie Dregs
29:28 - Playing with Col. Bruce Hampton
39:23 - The evolution of Jimmy continues - recording with Col. Bruce Hampton, Widespread Panic, and more
45:15 - Gear talk!
58:05 - Jimmy’s current rig, the importance of having an overdrive box on hand, and the nuance of understanding proper amplification
Total Length: 73:21

Val MacCallum Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

You've seen Val MacCallum on stage with Jackson Browne, Vonda Shepard, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt, Loretta Lynn, and others, and you've heard his studio work on countless other records! Greg and Val get into the gristle and the gear!
2:50 - Val’s recent tour with Jackson Browne, and Val’s early work with some Milwaukee legends
9:06 - Playing professionally with players of different leveled proficiency (say that 3x fast), and different dynamics that exist
15:12 - Surprising yourself
16:49 - Val’s Firebird (and a sampling of other treats)
18:50 - Guitar talk
27:43 - Home improvements for guitar storage, and recording guitar
31:10 - Recording professionally (in Val’s experience)
33:11 - Pedals and amps and lots of drool
56:42 - The subtle truths of getting work, and a few experiences along the way
Total Length: 67:06

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