2001
seas Fankhauser primarily struggle for his "new identity". After seven years of following and learning the Blues firsthand, he's not willing and able to go back where he left off several years before. Too heavy were the influences of the new sounds he's heard while touring the United States. Funk, Soul, Gospel, Country, Hip Hop, Rhythm 'n Blues, and of course and above all Blues. All these sounds are being mixed up in his head. He founds the new band FUNKHOUSEBLUES with some of the best musicians on the European music scene today. Tom Beck on drums, Marco Jencarelli on guitars, Mike Dolmetsch on keybords, Paffy Zehnder on the saxes, Roland Sumi on bass, and Fankhauser singing.

Just a few, but very important shows are being performed that same year. Their appearance at the Frutigen Music Festival has being televised nationally in Switzerland, and showed that Fankhauser is back on stage.

2002
While FUNKHOUSEBLUES is a modern, extremly tight and soulful formation, and several shows of great importance have been performed (among others an appearance at the EXPO.02 in Switzerland), Fankhauser still longs for simplicity. He calls former Checkerboard Blues Band member Tosho Yakkatokuo, drums, and former Robert Cray and Etta James bassplayer Richard Cousins and as a trio, The Philipp Fankhauser Blues Band, they play the old style traditional black Blues, but the Fankhauser way!!

2003
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AT THE BELLINZONA BLUES FESTIVAL
Philipp Fankhauser gets a call to perform the prestigious Bellinzona Blues Festival (artists included luminaries such as King Solomon Burke, Kenny Neal, Johnny Winter, Lucky Peterson and Big Jack Johnson) and the press calls his and the band’s performance one of the highlights of this year’s festival! Release of the live album “Live – So Damn Cool”, Fankhausers eight album.

Philipp Fankhauser & Alvin Youngblood Hart meet for a week long tour.


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