"When I first started playing guitar at school, the challenge between us guitar-playing rebels was to see who had the sweetest vibrato. Who could bend the string up a whole tone, and hold it with the most control. Playing the Blues must be the most natural way to start playing guitar. It gives you an understanding of the relationship between the string, the wood, and the amp. The amp is not just to make the guitar louder, but is an integral part of the instrument... it's a partnership between the guitar and amp, and is a tool to help you achieve your stylistic goals....

By the time I started gigging on the local pub scene in Bournemouth my ears were full of the sound of Jan Akkerman, quite a step from Eric and the Blues players. Next, I moved to London and it wan't long before I was playing some iconic venues with great players trying to find a bridge between Allan Holdsworth and Joe Pass. Now I was playing with people I had only known through their recordings.

I developed an interest in chord melody prompted by Joe Pass' virtuoso album. It meant I was now able to tackle accompanying just one other person. From here it was just one step to playing solo guitar. Quite an unexpected musical direction for me. This meant putting the pick away and playing finger-style so as to separate melody from the harmony and bass parts. In recent times, I have loved going back to playing solely blues, driving the amp, writing songs with Zoe Schwarz and reinvestigating my own personal picking technique and working to develop it further. There's no substitute for the attack and excitement of using a pick. I have always wanted to create a fluid sound without physical tension in the execution."

Rob Koral has played on well over 30 albums which have featured great musicians such as Jeremy Stacey, Laurence Cottle, Roy Babbington, Gareth Williams, Robin Aspland, Django Bates, Mark Fletcher, Mike Bradley, Chris Dagley, Pete Whittaker, Paul Robinson, Ian Ellis, Andy Gangeden, Paul Simm to name but a few.

Rob comes from a self-taught background, and first came to prominence with the successful band SKETCH featuring vocalist Sue Hawker.

TV:
Old Grey Whistle Test
James Whale show
Good Morning Australia
The 'Denise' Show Australia

Radio:
Numerous, including live sessions recorded at BBC Maida Vale studios. BBC Radio 3 'In Tune', Jazz Line-up, Jazz FM Outside broadcast

Rob is a founding member of the highly original Zoë Schwarz Blue Commotion https://www.bluecommotion.com