Chris Hogan is a guitarist from Seattle WA best known for his work with drummer KJ Sawka. He was born in Vancouver BC in 1968. In the 80s Chris was one of the finalists in the GIT international guitar competitions. In the 90s Chris pursued a different path. He went to a music conservatory and worked nights as a sound engineer in the clubs of Seattle to pay for it all. He spent many years studying classical guitar with Steven Novacek. He also studied with jazz legend Larry Coryell under a grant from the Allen foundation. Chris pursued further studies with Ghanian guitarist Koo Nimo, Turkish Oud master Munir Bekin and south Indian violinist L . Subramaniam. Meanwhile at night he was paying dues and learning the ropes at legendary Seattle venue The OK Hotel from artists like Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz and Critters Buggin. Chris also played in a number of chamber music ensembles, guitar trios and avante jazz orchestras during this time. There are about 20 recordings in the Universty of Washington Music Archives. Chris also spent a number of years working for the National Guitar Workshop . From 2002 to 2003 he worked as a sideman for acclaimed pop group Two Loons for Tea (filling in for his friend Bill Horist). In order to reproduce the layered textures of their albums live, Chris developed an elaborate system of guitar synthesis, filters and looping electronics.
Chris recorded the album Live Magnetic Jazz in 2003. A live document of his 90's avante grunge jazz style it featured Jack Lightfoot, Leif Dalan, and Evan Flory- Barnes. During this time he recorded several works by Villa- Lobos, Mertz and Lauro for solo classical guitar.2002- 2003 also marked the beginning of Chris' ongoing collaboration with drummer Kevin "KJ" Sawka . In 2004 Chris and Sawka went into the studio and recorded the single Solaris with Secret Chiefs 3 bassist Shahzad Ismaily. In 2005 they entered Avast studios and recorded several albums worth of ground breaking instrumental electronica,with PK on bass for some tracks. As Sawka became increasingly famous and overextended, the first album release was put on hold. Chris found himself playing solo electronic guitar sets around Seattle in 2006 -07 and appearing in the independent film Lost On The B Side. He also played a number of shows with legendary jazz drummer Gregg Keplinger and bass phenom Damian Erskine during this time as well a brief appearence with his old friend Larry Coryell at The Experience Music Project. In 2007 Chris played on former Green Apple Quickstep singer Ty Willman's Mass Sugar album.Later that year he performed a live improvised film score for Zappa animator Bruce Bickford. Over the past few years, Chris has returned to his hard rock shredder roots and started a new power trio with metal drummer Paul Turner (Pawn Council) and bassist Brian Todd(The Kindness Kind). A tour de force, ambient, pysche metal shredfest, they''ve been playing free all ages shows and underground warehouse parties around Seattle and are starting to build a growing, word of mouth following.
