Four Meters Of Blues
Christian Dozzler & MvM
The multi-instrumentalist Christian Dozzler, who emigrated to the USA in the 1990s, and the Westphalian blues giant Michael van Merwyk are now touring together under the banner “4 Meters of Blues.”
The two 2-meter-tall bluesmen have known and admired each other musically for years. During a meeting at BB King’s Blues Club in Memphis in February 2013, they decided to embark on a joint tour — a decision that has since grown into five successful tours.
Christian Dozzler
Christian Dozzler (piano, vocals & harmonica) from Vienna is recognized as one of Europe’s most versatile and accomplished blues musicians. The multi-instrumentalist has been active in the blues for over 30 years and can be heard on more than three dozen international blues recordings. Since 2000, he has been living in the USA.
It all began when, at the age of thirteen, he heard a radio program about boogie-woogie. He immediately ended years of classical piano training and devoted himself entirely to blues and boogie-woogie. A few years later, he founded his first band, playing piano, guitar, and harmonica, later adding accordion in the Louisiana Zydeco style. For almost ten years, Christian Dozzler was a member and driving force of the Vienna Mojo Blues Band. Collaborating with countless American blues artists helped him master the full spectrum of blues styles. From 1993 to 2000, he toured Europe with his own band The Blues Wave, releasing four CDs during that time.
In 2000, he accepted an offer to move to the USA and spent two years touring the world from Louisiana with Larry Garner. Today, Christian lives in Dallas, Texas, renowned for having one of the best blues scenes in the world — an ideal base for continuing his career.
In 2003, he released his fifth CD, “All Alone and Blue,” featuring Christian solo on piano and vocals, followed by “The Blues and a Half” (2008) with some of Texas’ top blues guitarists, and “Livin’ Life” (2009) together with his longtime duo partner Robin Banks. These albums received enthusiastic reviews worldwide, charted on blues lists in the USA, and received extensive radio play on numerous blues stations and XM Satellite Radio.
At the 2008 American Blues Critic Awards, Christian was nominated for Best Blues Keyboardist, and in July 2003, he appeared on the cover of Southwest Blues Magazine.
Nowadays, Christian mainly performs solo on both sides of the Atlantic, but in recent years he has also appeared with Mike Morgan & The Crawl and, since 2007, has performed with the legendary Texas guitarist Anson Funderburgh.
Michael van Merwyk
Michael van Merwyk, from the small Westphalian town of Rheda-Wiedenbrück, may have once been considered a newcomer, but he is by no means an unknown on the international blues scene.
After winning the German Blues Challenge in 2011, Michael van Merwyk & Bluesoul went on to take second place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA, in early February 2013. Bold and confident, the four musicians played their way into the finals, creating a sensation with their fresh and distinctive “American Music – Euro Style”, and held their own among 124 bands from 16 countries. This achievement in the birthplace of the blues is truly remarkable — especially as it marked the first time in the 29-year history of the IBC that a European band had ever placed.
The 2-meter-tall giant, however, is anything but a newcomer. He honed his craft in the house band of one of Germany’s most legendary blues clubs, the Roadhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrück. There, he jammed and celebrated alongside music legends such as Jimmy Rogers, Larry Garner, and Jimmy Johnson.
His style is unmistakable: self-taught and deeply emotional. His voice rumbles like a blend of Dr. John and Johnny Cash, while his guitar playing is as funky as Johnny “Guitar” Watson and as raw as Albert King. Whether acoustic, electric, or lap steel — if it has strings, he will play it. He tours regularly across Europe, from Finland to the Mediterranean coast, and from the Atlantic coast to Moscow.
"Your songwriting and your playing is really something special. The world needs more bluesmen like you.“ Larry Garner (USA)
