Meet the band: Christian Kögel - guitar

I met Christian in his living room in 2004. We were rehearsing with Israeli singer Zoriya (now known as Anat Tuvia), Christian was playing oud and we were accompanied by German- Lebanese darabuka master, Khader Ahmad. At this time I was relatively new to the double bass and reasonably excited. But I got a call-back…
Over time, I saw Christian play guitar in various musical confgurations and was always very impressed by his unique sound and approach to playing – both rhythmically as well as melodically. As I was looking around for people to play in my band, it became clear pretty quickly that he was the ideal candidate. And fortunately, he agreed.

Here is a small interview and some video footage:

Which 3 recordings would you take with you to the mythical desert island?

In order to cope on the desert island, I would need J.S. Bach. But frst of all: do I have a guitar with me, or can I swap a recording for a guitar or similar instrument? Then I would exchange one recording for a stack of J.S. Bach sheet music; lute suites, cello suites, sonatas and partitas for solo violin, the Goldberg variations. I can only pick one? Then the lute suite in Gm BWV 995, it’s also available for cello.
Then two more recordings. Oh man…
Maybe the frst recording that I was given for Christmas along with my frst ever dual mono turntable
– Queen II by Queen; no hits on it other than Seven Seas of Rhye but still fantastic.
Only one recording left?
Then maybe:
– Miles David Quintet, “My Funny Valentine”, the live recording from 1964, mainly for the version of Stella By Starlight!
Can I take a third recording with me?
– Friday Night at the Universe by Medeski/Martin/Wood, or I’ll just make myself a mix-tape instead and these songs have to be on it: “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead, “Digital Hardcore” by Atari Teenage Riot, the overture from Tristan and Isolde, something from “Live in Japan” by Deep Purple and “Denn Er Hat Seinen Engel” by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

Where did you grow up?

In Marktoberdorf in Ostallgäu

What brought you to music?

Through the local Ostallgäu youth choir, where a trip with the choir at least once a year was the best chance for young people to get to see other countries.

What are the highlights of your own musical experiences?

2016:
– meeting Dave Liebman at Andreas Schmidt & Friends in A-Trane in September this year was an absolute musical highlight; the anecdotes about Miles Davis, along with the whiskey afterwards, weren’t to be sneezed at either.
– The freely improvised recording with Jerry and J. Anthony Granelli in National Sawdust in Brooklyn in May, in the morning after a concert with Jerry’s Sandhills Reunion, with 2 of 2 my most long-standing and valuable companions.
(“Jerry, Christian and J. A. have been musical friends and collaborators for more than 25 years. Over countless hours of playing and touring in every imaginable band and genre the three have developed a musical empathy and understanding that is truly special. More like a single entity that moves in many ways at once than a “band”, Granelli Kogel Granelli improvise songs in real time and embrace the spirit of complete dedication to the music and moment. This is music that
defes type and style, music about the nature of three humans and the fre of creative expression in the moment.”)

What do you find most special about Me&You or the project itself?

Rich, relaxed, understated. I really enjoy listening to the album, no-one seeks to or needs to prove anything.

Here is another recording from my album Me&You. The song “Resistance” is the only number that we recorded as a trio – with the wonderful Tobias Backhaus on drums. Have a listen; I don’t think I need to explain why I am so pleased to have him in my band: