July 4 at 4:00 PM on Buick GMC of Beaverton Blues Stage
July 4 at 6:40 PM on Crossroads Stage

“Greg Koch is pound for pound the best guitar player in the world today.” – Joe Bonamassa 

The Greg Koch Trio, consists of American guitarist Greg Koch, his son Dylan Koch on drums and Hammond B3 specialist Toby Lee Marshall. At the heart of this organ trio is a blues sensibility — but Koch’s compositions are an amalgam of rock, funk, jazz and country served up with heavy grooves and dynamic improvisations delivered with no small dose of humor and occasional wild abandon.

Milwaukee native Greg Koch has forged a successful career as “a guitar player’s guitarist.” He is not only a fiercely creative player with a whole trick bag of impressive techniques; he is also a clinician for Fishman Transducers, developed a signature “Gristlemaster” for Reverend Guitars and his own Koch amp line, and has built a huge online audience for his “Gristleman” guitar clinics and videos. Guitar great, Steve Vai, heaped praise on his fellow guitarist: “Greg Koch is one of those rare guitarists that can blend various styles with a light-hearted approach and a tremendous amount of technique. Hearing him play is inspiring to a guitar player to try to achieve greatness on the instrument.” Koch previously appeared at the Waterfront Blues Fest in 2009 with the Austin rock-soul vocalist Malford Milligan. 

Dylan Koch was mentored by the legendary Tom Brechtlein (Chick Corea/Robben Ford). While still in his teens he performed with young guitar guns Tallan Noble Latz and Jared James Nichols and has performed alongside his father with such artists as Robben Ford, Little Feat’s Paul Barrere, Jon Cleary, David Grissom, Roscoe Beck and Malford Milligan. 

Toby Lee Marshall’s screaming B3 is the perfect compliment to the musical stew that is the Koch songbook. Hailing from the Twin Cities area, Toby Lee Marshall was mentored by Steve Cherewan (Dr. Mambo’s Combo), before landing a gig with bluesman Lonnie Brooks while still a teen, and later as a member of Bernard Allison’s band. Following a long hiatus from music, Toby has returned to the music scene with a vengeance in the smoking Greg Koch Trio.