Rob Kohler

Rob Kohler (born October 3, 1963) is an American jazz bass player, composer, educator, and author, best known as being the bassist for the band This World and a bass instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.

Early life

Kohler was born in Great Falls, Montana to John, a respected educator and musician, and Marjorie, a well regarded church organist. Kohler would often perform music with his parents and siblings in his youth. After graduating from Great Falls High School and briefly attending college in Boise, Idaho, Kohler was a founding member of the band In Flight with his older brother Lee Kohler and their friend Robi Johns.

Music career

In Flight grew popular in Montana and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1987. After disbanding in 1990, Lee and Rob reformed the group in 1995 under the name This World. They produced an eponymous album in 1996 with Cookie Marenco, a Grammy award-winning producer. During this time, Kohler performed extensively at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Bozeman Bass Bash, and the Strawberry Festival.^[1][2][3] Kohler has also recorded and performed extensively with Oregon-based Folk singer Alice Di Micele.^[4] Kohler's work with his band Spirit Session was reviewed by CADENCE Magazine, a nationally renowned Jazz publication, in 2006.^[5][6] Currently, Kohler is based in Los Angeles, and performs regularly with Winston Raval and the Vanishing Tribe, a band that fuses Jazz with Traditional Filipino music, and The Honorifics, a Las Vegas-based rock band. The Honorifics have won multiple Indie Music Channel Awards and have been featured in Indie Rock Magazine.^[7][8]

Teaching

Kohler began teaching at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in 1991, playing with Ravi Coltrane in his first year. During his time at Stanford, Kohler has performed and taught artists such as Julian Lage, Taylor Eigsti, John Stowell, Ambrose Akinmusire, Fabian Almazan, Anton Schwartz, and Charles Altura.^[9] He was education director at SJW from 2006–2007.^[1][10] Kohler also taught at NOCCA in New Orleans, Louisiana, implementing a Middle School Jazz program there that lasted until 2009.^[11] He has been an instructor at the annual South Delta Jazz Workshop in Ladner, BC since 2003. In 2013, Kohler wrote and published a text book on Beginner Jazz Theory, entitled Music Theory from A to G, which is published by Kohler Music Publishing, a company run by Kohler's sister Kate Kohler.^[12] He is also working on a series of Bass Instructional Youtube videos.^[13]

Discography

Solo

A Thousand Faces (1998)

The Real Cool Killers

Parades and Saints (2010)

The Kohler/Green Project

Harmony and Bells (2007) (with Clay Green)

This World

...Imagine a Music (1986) (as In Flight)
This World (1996)
Beyond the Beyond (2000)
Celestial Skies (2013)

With Alice Di Micele

Alice Live (2000)
By Ebb & By Flow (2007)

With Kate Kohler

Unexpected Romance (2010)^[14]

Inner Limits

The Sound (2005)

With The Honorifics

¡Wow! (2014) (Winner of Best Easy Listening Producer at 2014 Indie Music Channel Awards)^[7][15]

with Jared Burrows

Jared Burrows Quartet - Northern Exposure (1999)
Jared Burrows Trio - December Sessions (2001)
Jared Burrows Trio - Plan on Stan (2003)
Jared Burrows Trio - Aspects (2009)

with Len Aruliah

Len Aruliah Quartet - Full Circle (2007)

with Knotty Ensemble

Knotty Bit (2000)

References

External links

• Official website