Greg Koch (www.gregkoch.com) refers to himself as "one of the most famous unknown guitar players in the world" on his website. After his show last September at the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, and the recent one there March 11, it may be time for a rewrite. Last year's performance by the singing guitarist, whose trio is rounded out by his son Dylan Koch on drums and Toby … [Read more...]
The best guitarist working today? That might be Greg Koch
To anyone who was there uninitiated, a show last September 22 at the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton likely proved to be a revelation. The Koch Marshall Trio performed two sets, featuring guitarist/vocalist Greg Koch (www.gregkoch.com), his son Dylan Koch on drums, and Toby Lee Marshall on Hammond organ and backing vocals. A near-capacity crowd sauntered in, mostly musicians in … [Read more...]
Guitarist Carlton masterful at Funky Biscuit show
Larry Carlton is on the short list of iconic jazz/fusion guitarists who emerged between the late 1960s and mid-1970s, bringing more attention toward the subgenre that mixes jazz with rock and other popular music forms. And during his late show at the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on July 24, "Mr. 335" (a nickname based upon his frequent use of the hollow-bodied electric … [Read more...]
Guitar hero Carlton to revisit greatest hits, plus Steely Dan, Crusaders, in Boca gigs
Jazz/fusion emerged as a musical subgenre from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by blending traditional acoustic jazz with instruments more associated with rock, namely electric guitar. And some names rose to the fore in the process that are now practically household, including guitarists John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck, and Larry Carlton. … [Read more...]
Oz Noy offers improvisational variety at Funky Biscuit Show
Prior to June 3, Israel-born, Manhattan-based jazz/fusion guitarist Oz Noy's last appearance at the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton was barely more than two-and-a-half years ago. Yet those two shows in November of 2019, with bassist Hadrien Feraud and drummer Dave Weckl, appear further back in time because they occurred in a seemingly distant era -- pre-COVID-19. Noy's … [Read more...]
ProgJect brings titans of prog rock to Boca, all too briefly
Tribute acts are the latest acid for the masses, especially in South Florida. Most of the artists being paid tribute to have either died or are still touring past age 50 --- meaning they're often popular enough to charge exorbitant fees for concert tickets to compensate for their lost recording royalties in the musical streaming era. So consumers who either can't, or … [Read more...]
Roots guitarist/singer Osborne gives Boca crowd something to sing about
If the concept of a Sweden-born roots music artist seems like an oxymoron, Anders Osborne dispelled that notion in quick order during his Jan. 22 appearance at the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton. The singer, guitarist, harmonica player and songwriter appeared solo to a capacity crowd for the second consecutive night at the venue, and displayed the elements of blues, R&B and … [Read more...]
Area guitarist Telesca tells of struggle with cancer in new book
With a new recording, a new book, and a new lease on life, Boynton Beach-based blues vocalist, bassist and guitarist Mark Telesca (marktelesca.com) has hit a figurative trifecta. Higher Vibrations is his first recording of solo acoustic blues as a singer and guitarist, and that new lease on life is chronicled in Telesca’s debut as an author. Available in online and … [Read more...]
Guitarist Noy, a fresh face of jazz/fusion, to show off his chops in Boca gigs
A day in the life of Manhattan-based jazz/fusion guitarist Oz Noy, specifically Sept. 30, 2019, involved a trek south for what would be a dream for most other instrumental musicians. For him, though, it was part of an everyday routine. “I hope you can hear me,” Noy says by phone, “because I’m on a train to Baltimore. I’m rehearsing there with Dennis Chambers and Jimmy Haslip … [Read more...]
In sold-out Boca show, Aristocrats prove to be lords of jazz fusion
A longtime bastion for touring blues artists, and more recently for ones playing funk, the Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton recently instituted a welcomed series of notable jazz/fusion acts. Those include bands led by drummer Billy Cobham (on Sept. 22), guitarist Oz Noy (Nov. 5), and drummer Simon Phillips (March 26, 2020). Jump-starting the procession on Thursday was a … [Read more...]