Toby Marshall is a Hammond organist and keyboardist whose expressive, groove-driven playing has been recognized for more than two decades. Equally adept in blues, rock, and roots contexts, he is noted for his expansive tonal palette and authoritative sense of pocket.

 

At 19 he joined Chicago blues legend Lonnie Brooks on the road, then returned to the Twin Cities where he established himself as a prominent figure in the local music community. In 2010 Marshall began a multi-year collaboration with Bernard Allison, son of Luther Allison, touring extensively across Europe and appearing on Allison’s live release Live at the Jazzhaus. He stepped away from touring in 2012 to prioritize family, while remaining active as a composer and studio musician.

 

In 2017 an impromptu jam with Greg Koch and Dylan Koch led to the formation of the Koch Marshall Trio. Their debut album, Toby Arrives (2017), announced a compelling new live ensemble and coincided with Marshall’s official Hammond endorsement. During the COVID-19 pandemic he sustained creative output through remote recording, bi-monthly livestreams with the Trio, and a side project, OCTOCOPTER, with Twin Cities drummer Andy Boterman — a self-titled release tracked at his Minneapolis Studio Cenote.

 

The Koch Marshall Trio issued From the Up’Nuh in 2021, resumed extensive touring in 2022, and released Orange Roominations and the live Sweet Gristle in spring 2023. The Trio has maintained an intensive touring schedule since 2023; in 2025 they opened for the Allman Betts Band and the Devon Allman Project. Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to be another busy year on the road, with new music forthcoming from the Koch Marshall Trio and a solo album from Marshall slated for release.

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