Live From Flat V - Greg Koch Interview

Interview with my friend the great ‪@GregKochMusic‬
www.gregkoch.com/
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[@sdurst411]

I hope I’m not the only one that realizes that these two guys are among the absolute pinnacle of the mastery of the instrument. Super down to earth, just shooting the shit. Thank you, Josh for “getting it” and doing what you do! You guys literally make me want to be a better human. This video is so legend that 50 years from now I’m positive it’s going to be talked about as equally as such! Thank you both and I truly mean that.

[@kennethhacker3014]

Well said!

[@mchristr]

If Greg wasn't playing guitar he'd be doing standup...and killing it. Josh, love how you two blend styles. It's a feast for the ears.

[@sumoblues]

Greg is the Jonathan Winters of the guitar.

[@Guitarwizza1]

@@sumoblues 😆😆😆. You’re showing your age. Me too because I get it. 😆

[@sumoblues]

Greg's passionate account of his encounter with Danny Gatton certainly rubbed off on him. He is exactly the same way with anyone blessed with the privilege to engage with him after a gig. He's a very down to earth gracious and generous beautiful "alien" of a human being.

[@livewire4495]

Three Days after "Are You Experience" was released, I brought the album home, put it on my stereo, laid down on the floor with a speaker on each side of my head and my life changed. Seen him Live 5 times in Concert In the Detroit Area. First time in a small club In Ann Arbor from 10 feet away. Still playing after all these years, surrounded by my favorite Guitars Feeling pretty good about all those hours I spent alone practicing. Both of you are top Notch and deserve more Recognition! I Was at Namm 2019 Nashville. I came primarily to see Greg and was Stunned at his versatility, Awesome Tone, and Quick Wit which in it self is on another level!😎

[@SkunkBearTK]

The Drivin' South BBC version is KILLER. Exciting to hear Greg mention it as it seems to get no love (cant find it on KZbin, etc).

[@bsakarya7]

Greg and josh being friends and musical brothers is just right. I have been listening Greg for some time, discovered josh about 5 years ago with Norman rare guitars.. man, with Kirk fletcher they blew my mind.. right up my alley musicians, guitar players and cool, nice, decent people.. love you guys.. thanks for music and all.

[@tomcoryell]

The whole “blues guy”/ “ that’s not blues” thing has been my life for the last 44 years. I’m 64. You guys are my favorites. I feel at home. Edit: Ha! You mentioned the Jay Graydon “Peg” solo! Edit2: A Crate with digital reverb! That killed me! This is gold, Jerry, gold!

[@neilmarsh7437]

BBC version Driving South (the right version) blows me away every time I hear it still!

[@michaelgranka7904]

Josh Smith mang , can't thank you enough for Jubu shout out. That shit is real.

[@markvironda]

Two of my favorites and biggest inspirations! Thanks for an awesome video fellas!

[@starblaster77]

Great interview. I've gone down the rabbit hole tonight and really enjoyed them. Thanks!

[@hearpalhere]

Thank you very much for having Greg Koch on your show Josh! I actually know about you from seeing a live show you played with Greg! I've been a fan of his for a number of years and one day I was listening to the live footage from your show together in 2017 in Evanston, IL. My wife and I became instant fans and we've since come to see you play in Budapest twice. We hope you'll be back again someday soon! Rock on.

[@jipes]

Two fabulous players and great people a distinct pleasure to hear them chating around their loves and influences

[@jeffbenson6102]

I love you guys! I remember the moment I first heard Hendrix, we were camping in the backyard with a transistor radio listening to the underground FM station and they played Fire! Holy crap I was forever hooked, great memories.

[@nilsx3020]

Two of my favorite players. On top of that, Greg is hilarious, he cracks me up. I could listen to him for hours.

[@eoinsmith422]

Josh, you are my kind of human. You rock man

[@JoshPaterson]

I first saw Greg via the Wildwood videos and realized what a fantastic player he was. Then I was surprised when he showed up as a guest with Joe Bonamassa in Denver and I was hooked. Greg is not only a great player but just damn fun to listen to.

[@TheBhannah]

a fantastic conversation with great players !

[@bradcoffman7395]

5 Star Conversation....thank you both!

[@johngame2119]

I first saw Greg Koch. Playing a Gibson Humming Bird for Wildwood guitars. I was thinking. I should take up guitar again. A friend of mine is a professional guitarist. He diplomatically pointed out ‘you should know that guy is very good’. I ignored him. And got into telecasters as a result of endlessly watching his professional demonstrations of various guitars on sale. There can be very few people who you watch obsessively demonstrating guitars for artistic reasons. I still, a decade later, spend time working out his licks in these videos. Quite unique I think. Anyway. My friend was right. Reality bites when you realise you aren’t Greg Koch and never will be. But I’ve learnt an enourmous amount. Just from watching what are essentially adverts. I can think of no-one else that good that they transcend the format like that. Amazing.

[@frankierodriguez8661]

It's like you are with me here in my living room/studio the three of us surrounded by my guitars and shit just talkin' and havin' a laugh. I love you fellas, to the bone.

[@grisofpv1286]

Greg best guitarist in the World! Ciao from Italy

[@chrisfarrugia5397]

Fantastic interview !!!! Thank you gentlemen 😊

[@billbones1000]

Ya got a new sub here man. Convos with Greg and Julian were really great, im in!

[@Strumbum01]

Saw Greg twice at NAMM last January, awesome! Josh is next! Two of the best!

[@sedonamudsquid]

Cello lessons ended in shame and tears! LOL. I could listen to these guys talk OR play all day!

[@TheFeelButton]

Fun interview! Cheers Greg and Josh!!

[@renato_guitar2138]

That’s what I was waiting for!

[@elrafa782]

Didn’t know this fantastic dude ! One more you helped me discover ! Thanks Josh.

[@eoinsmith422]

Greg, your story is worthy of record. You are so likeable

[@sumoblues]

Thank you for the Jubu tip gentlemen! What an awesome revelation!!!

[@kennethhacker3014]

2 guitar icons!!! Love all your work brothers!!! Hello from NJ

[@StephenbRock23]

Such a great interview

[@5se7en]

All of these interviews are great but, this one is definitely my favorite so far. Great stuff!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Glad you like them!

[@BrettWilliamsMusic]

Thats cause Greg is stupendous. Underrated and Wacktastic

[@blodbrodet]

brilliant show!

[@dmskon]

Nothing better than two masters talking shop. Thanks.

[@bradcoffman7395]

So many familiar thoughts and experiences for many of us. Thanks for sharing. My first paying gigs were birthday parties in basements for like 15 bucks a party, then 20. And then playing at a teen club at a local school playing Gloria, For What its Worth, Purple Haze, Satisfaction and so on....after my Mom passed away at 99 my sister handed me an envelope that said on the front... Brad's first dollar playing guitar.......very cool...still have it.

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Awesome!

[@yarygork2334]

@@JoshSmithGuitar My first dollars from playing guitar was to pay off my 66 GTO loan. $2.70 an hour teaching beginning lessons in 1970. The car got me girls and then.... I quit playing for 15 years. Damn testosterone ruined my life"( I was a nobody till i got a nice car. It would have been much better if I met girls at my concerts..but that never happened. My fav duet of any I've seen of Greg's is Josh and Greg together trading amazing licks on the fly. They work so well together!

[@gookiecrunch]

Ahh a couple of fricking ninjas!!

[@HyperBlueZYZ]

Danny Gatton square 45 from the guitar player magazine in 1987 never left my turntable. Mind blown every time it turned. You guys are the new mind blowers.

[@davidbakerscuba]

Great interview Josh. I really enjoyed the format.

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carljohnson8364]

You guys are great 🔥🔥🔥🔥!!!

[@christophervolas7523]

i enjoyed your guys talk great interview i discovered greg a while back when i heard his story about opening for danny and ive been following him ever since

[@doodleedledoo]

So enjoyable.

[@brotendo]

I'm glad I got to see these two live a few times before concerts became a non-thing in 2020

[@arminpolsinger6025]

Awesome episode! thanks so much for this content! Keep it coming! its a shame that, your europa tour is cancelled! was really looking forward to see you in september in austria.

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Guitarwizza1]

Heard his story before but he’s always interesting and entertaining. I been watching Wildwood videos for a long time and go back and watch them again transferring from Jimi to a jazz classic to Mr. Sandman 🔥. Now I been learning from your videos and you’re a BEAST player. I’ve noticed you playing with Raphael Saadiq along with Rob but played rhythm. Then after that stint I started seeing you do YOU!!!😳🤯. Anyway I appreciate what you been doing.

[@RobFlaxMusic]

I feel like I learned something important here: "good food" is, in fact, reason enough to go on tour. That's extremely validating.

[@russjazz52]

The guitar becomes your favorite toy at 8. I think that is the universal spark the rest comes in time the passion the drive and commitment

[@BrianKlobyGuitar]

Awesome, thank you :)

[@Zeal808]

Subscribed josh. Beautiful page!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Thanks for subbing!

[@deedsoflegend]

Ahh man this is amazing!!!!

[@druwk]

Checking out Jubu right now! Love both Josh and Greg. Good stuff.

[@coreymineard]

Two absolute MONSTER guitarists!!

[@Runark79]

Greg is an amazing Guitarplayer and a funny dude🍻

[@riverman6655]

enjoyed this...you guys are great players...I'm going to go listen to Danny Gatton's catalog now.....thanks for sharing!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Rock on!

[@slavophiliak44]

That “moment” came for me when I heard “Pyromania” by Def Leppard, one of my mom’s old cassettes. When I heard that I knew I wanted to play guitar. 20 years later, the journey continues!

[@matthortobagyi]

Great chat. I also miss my 335 with Tim Shaw pickups :(

[@davidgerber9317]

What a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes!

[@14djfunk]

Great interview! Can't believe you asked Greg Koch what lives in his head! (58:40) lol, Bold move Cotton... bold move...

[@daviddalziel884]

Great , great great ! These two drawing me towards a Tele again and me a “ Strat guy “ I’ve seen Josh live but not Greg , maybe next year !

[@joesatchton212]

No question Josh - you're making some of the most interesting, revealing and informative music content on KZbin. Onwards and upwards! These interviews are priceless. Here is a well-meaning observation with a point at the end of it. Physically, in terms of your hand shapes, I see you and Greg as pretty much at opposite ends of the spectrum. Josh, you seem to have what are known as "sausage fingers" whereas Greg appears to have the "hands of a pianist"...lean and long fingered. Still, you are BOTH STUPENDOUS PLAYERS and truly embody the saying that tone and skill is indeed in the hands, but the actual type of hands is largely irrelevant. What a great thing for all players to keep in mind....Those sausage fingers of yours doesn't stop you at all from being one of the most precise, fluid guitarists I have ever seen. XD Just awesome insights from you both....I know you guys will blow up on youtube right quick.... Cheers and rock on!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Thanks! Yeah, I'd say I have relatively large meaty paws! Hahahahahaha

[@justinguitarcia]

It's obviously not the same as discovering a record but I remember in the early 2000s when my older friend came back from his first semester at Berklee with that infamous external hard drive of music everyone shared. We spent that entire summer just digging in. Thats when I first heard Robben Ford, Dave Fuze, Julian Casper, Metheny..etc it was an education. But before that it was my step dad's CD collection, first time I heard SRV was in that collection. Definitely special when music finds you opposed to idly passing through it on spotify

[@yarygork2334]

I had no idea Joey Defranchesco and Danny Gatton worked together. Wow! What a combo. They both used comedy in their playing styles which I love. I saw Joey twice at Yoshis in Oakland and had tickets to see he and Jimmy Smith there at the same gig, but Jimmy passed two weeks before the show. They both gave me hope as a player with short stubby fingers that they both played amazing with. Off to discover Jubo Smith. Thanks for this great interview Josh. Speaking of musical comedy and genius I have two words for you.....Victor Borge.

[@stevenjones6780]

I wish there was some way I could express...(tears of joy at 4am)...what this interview did for me and how grateful I am for it. I know it's a little older but it reinvigorated my ass in this particular time. You know that thing when it feels like each and every utterance was exactly what you needed to hear? ...and as if GOD WAS TALKING DIRECTLY to you? Yes, that was this for me. Thank you gentlemen....

[@prophetsbourne1136]

Do you know how GREAT you have to be to be recognized WORLDwide when you come from Wisconsin!?! There’s a reason that in the movie Dogma it’s Hell! Mr. Greg Koch Great! Thank you Sir for keeping Milwaukee on the Map! (Born & Raised In Milwaukee So I Can Talk Shit...)

[@SunnyKlein-vr7eh]

Your son could end up buying a vinyl record but you just have to really educate him on the importance and beauty of records! Your not just getting the great music but your also getting a piece of art!… there is nothing better then putting on a record and just laying there and just listening to it😀

[@tacmason]

A lot of us think Both of you guys deserve to live your dreams- It's just that Nothing is the way it used to be-and the circumstances that brought us all to love Guitar based music-have now made us more interested in eating most days a week, and listening to theories of "what has actually caused all this un necessary misery that most of us are living in ".

[@antoonhermans8953]

i thought about jack pearson who played a squire strat and a crate amp for a long time when they where talking about bad amps/guitars , he sure had a good sound using that kind off gear .

[@matthajba1075]

Cello seems to be a pretty common experience amongst guitarists. :D I played the cello for 7 years until I was 14. At 16 I started with the guitar. And I know 2 other guitarists, who started with the cello too. :)

[@campingcomedian]

Mars Music by the Copper Rocket? Bought my first American Fender and Marshall Head there almost 30 years ago now. Miss that store!!!

[@ronmorey3475]

Two great guitar players! As a guy in his 50s, I can say that Greg is exactly right about being highly selective when it comes to things you give a shit about. It's freedom! Thanks guys!

[@aussie_philosopher8079]

gregory kochery and Josh Smith should come over here to Australia and give us some music. We need a good session after the last couple of years.

[@austengustine3447]

I think Josh is referring to the “Happening with Lulu” live hey Joe where he did that walk up and added the Beatles riff

[@Guitaural.]

About Greg's age and totally relate - read a review of Texas Flood in Guitar World, went out and got the record and dropped the needle...blown away by how he flowed. That was part of the discovery back in the 80's and beyond. Occasionally you were disappointed by a record though cause you couldn't hear them beforehand, and money was tight...Growing up in the 60s and 70s, melody was king (a good thing), so took my ear awhile to become accustomed to 'weird' guitar stuff. My parents felt the same as Gregs' about most rock. When I learned how great their Sinatra swing and big band stuff really was, I understood why...lol.

[@dejuancampbell2862]

Good music! Great interview and two guys I love to listen to. Would Love to see Kirk, Greg and Josh on a concert tour🤯 that would be some amazing playing going on. With a guess appearance from Eric Gales, Christ Kingfish Ingram, Guthrie Trapp, and Samantha Fish!!!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Maybe one day!

[@Boldaslove71]

I've seen Greg play "Telephone Song", by the Vaughn Bros. @ BBC in MKE.

[@knightfall9394]

I was 14 in the early 2000s, i had a lot of cool discovery moments with some of my favorite guitarists or bands. I remember how I discovered stevie and what i got of his first (el mocambo) I remember how i found out about eric johnson (g3 video) and the first eric johnson thing i got was austin city limits 88 when it came out in 2005 My guitar teacher actually turned me onto some hendrix stuff and told me to check out srv

[@wizaxed]

Two absolute legendary and talented dudes!!

[@GJSsongsmith]

Well done the 3 dislikes ....philistines ! These guys are brilliant ...it doesn’t get much better in terms of skill and personality .

[@benmtz]

Cool video!

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Thanks!

[@MarshallGTV]

On the bad side no more records, kids won’t experience the joy of finding a release.. the excitement.. but on the good side everything is available 😊. You want John McLaughlin in the 70’s live? There you go.. you want buckethead in the 90’s? There you go.. looking for a live concert by John Johnny and the Boise Idaho Saxophone Quintet in October of 1995? You got it!

[@overdriveguitarchannel3403]

Two of the best guitar players alive...

[@CristobalBragagnolo]

Oh man, what joy of video. Greg "How the f*ck you make a guitar do that?" Koch. Cheers Josh!

[@MusicmanII777]

In regards to the shuffle/gospel licks first thing, I like to call them Ice breakers. That could be a title to a shuffle song😎

[@russjazz52]

George Benson Quote " If you don't want me to steal it don't play it infront of me"

[@lairdherron8202]

that intro 😂😂boom, roasted!

[@UntitledSix]

Hahaha Greg is such a bro 😂

[@RobFlaxMusic]

This'll be some Gristle

[@Vern859]

You guys know Scotty Anderson? You ever heard of Scotty Anderson? I bet you guys would like him. 👋

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Yep! Mister Cincinnati Triple Stop!!! Amazing player!

[@amico78]

Jubu Smith is a real killer!! it's hard to find his music thou

[@tacmason]

If you get a "Muse" hanging around your "Mind space" - You might find it quite difficult to turn it off Josh.😵‍💫

[@MikeODandy]

I really wanna know who Josh was talking about with BB King that was just barraging licks out, just pure curiosity.

[@trampley]

Greg, where'd you get the hat?

[@roncarter2188]

Jimmy Fallon comedy with serious guitar chops, its Greg! Although Jimmy Fallon can play pretty as well. I throughly enjoyed this show!!

[@JazzRockswithAdam]

I feel ignorant that I’ve never heard of Ju Ju before. Well, less ignorant now. What’s his last name, and where should I start listening/researching?

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Jubu Smith

[@JazzRockswithAdam]

@@JoshSmithGuitar Oh, Jubu. Got it. Thanks!

[@imannonymous7707]

I dig greg hes cool as f._^_* . Chet ,jimi , and chuck all at once

[@sooparticular]

lol gary moore and bb king!!!

[@miguelescalera626]

Fanny pack ☑️ guitar 🎸 ☑️ attitude ☑️ good times☑️

[@dwainegreen]

Live From Flat V - Kirk Flethcer Interview

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Of course that's coming, he's my best friend.

[@dwainegreen]

@@JoshSmithGuitar Subscribed.

[@johnsagnella2294]

love to hear him play, hate to hear him talk