One of my favorite bands and biggest influences, I found this on one of my obscure European music sites....
"Paul Butterfield and Elvin Bishop were not the only white dudes who formed a blues band in Chicago in the early '60s. Siegel and Jim Schwall formed the Siegel-Schwall Band in the mid-'60s in Chicago and worked as a duo playing blues clubs like Pepper's Lounge, where they were the house band. All of the great blues players would sit in, all the time. Corky Siegel played harp and electric Wurlizter piano, with an abbreviated drum set stashed under the piano; Jim Schwall played guitar and mandolin. Both sang.
Siegel was born in Chicago on October 24, 1943; Schwall was born on November 11, 1942, also in Chicago. Siegel met Schwall in 1964, when they were both music students at Roosevelt University; Schwall studying guitar, Siegel studying classical saxophone and playing in the University Jazz Big Band. Siegel first became interested in the blues that same year. Schwall's background ran more to country and bluegrass. the Siegel-Schwall Band approach to music (and blues) was lighter than groups like Butterfield or Musselwhite, representing somewhat more of a fusion of blues and more country-oriented material. They seldom played at high volume, stressing group cooperation and sharing the solo spotlight. When the Butterfield band left their in gig at Big Johns on Chicago's North Side, it was the Siegel-Schwall Band that took their place. Signed by Vanguard scout Sam Charters in 1965, they released their first album in 1966, the first of five they would do with that label. Bass player Jack Dawson, formerly of the Prime Movers Blues Band joined the band in 1967.
In 1969 the band toured playing the Fillmore West, blues/folk festivals, and many club dates, as one of several white blues bands that introduced the blues genre to millions of Americans during that era. They were, however, the first blues band to play with a full orchestra, performing "Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra" in 1968 with the San Francisco Orchestra. The band later signed with RCA (Wooden Nickel) and produced five albums in the next several years. They broke up in 1974.
In 1987, the band re-formed and produced a live album on Alligator, The Siegel-Schwall Reunion Concert. Jim Schwall is a university professor of music and lives in Madison, Wisonsin. Corky Siegel has been involved in many projects over the years that fuse classical music with blues, including his current group, Chamber Blues, a string quartet with a percussionist (tabla) and Siegel on piano and harmonica. And on rare occasions, the old band still gets together and performs." ---------- The Iceman
Corky's one of the coolest guys I've ever had the pleasure to know. He's given me a lot of advice over the last few years. He's also one of my biggest inspirations to play harp. This was my first exposure to Siegel-Schwall....
@Iceman I've always loved The Siegel-Schwall Reunion Concert. I bought that CD when I was first starting to play. The whole thing is great, but the standouts for me were I Think It Was The Wine and Hey, Billie Jean.
Corky was my inspiration. He was/is a great live performer, and the Siegle-Schwall Band ALWAYS brought the house down when they played. Corky was very kinetic and worked the crowd very well. I saw them many times live in the sixties and seventies. I bought their albums. As I listened, I thought to myself, "Corky, that stuff that you're playing doesn't sound too hard." Meanwhile, I was a classically trained brass player. Anyway, 30 years later, I decided to play the harp. I picked up a diatonic but realized it was a toy as all the notes "weren't there." So I started buying chromatic harps, first a set of Hohner 270s and then moving on to the CX-12s. I just locked myself in the basement with the Siegel-Schwall albums and my chromatics and learned all their songs. BUT...although I could play everything (sort of) that Corky was playing, it just didn't sound the same. Whilst trying to learn some train sounds to go with a comedic version of the Ballad of John Henry (a-la the Smothers Brothers) I discovered You Tube and found I had gone down the wrong road with the chromatics. Sooo....I bought me some diatonic harps, and the rest is history. I ended up giving away all the chromatic harps because, being old and infirm, I have too much left to do on the diatonics to worry about the chromatics. Hey, CWinter, I do a solo version of Billy Jean that is not bad, if I do say so myself. Meanwhile, Corky has grown as a harp player over the years and is now very diversified.
Love Corky Seigel! Solo harp work doesn't come much better than this. There's some very advanced techniques being used in this song. It's certainly a very worthwhile study for anyone wanting to play unaccompanied harp.
Last Edited by Kingley on Jul 24, 2013 10:32 PM
"I ended up giving away all the chromatic harps because, being old and infirm, I have too much left to do on the diatonics to worry about the chromatics."
This is good advice FM in general. Sometimes we feel inadequate per not being able to do everything. Particularly when one is not a pro who dedicates his or her life to it like Jason or Christelle or even AG who juggles a full time job with it. One will not live forever so to hope to do it all is stupid thinking. I just came to this conclusion recently in a few other endeavors of mine and now am a bit more mellow in those other things too resulting in a much better life-view.
I love Corky. He played in Calgary a few years ago with his odd-ball band. At first, I thought - what the heck? per his voice and demeanor which threw me off but within 2 pieces, I was totally hooked with his rapport with the audience, the other band members and his music and voice too. Have bought lots of his stuff. I have some trouble with the symphony stuff on listening from CD(maybe I am too low-brow) but love it when heard live when they do that.
Corky is pretty amazing - composer, singer, piano, harp and showman. Very unique in so many ways.
Thanks for all the cool stuff put here Hawkeye/Kingley/Iceman. Very inspirational.
Saw Mark 'Corky' Siegel playing harp and piano w/ the Lancaster PA Symphony (yes there is a symphony orchestra smack dab in the middle of Amish country)- about 2003 or 4. I REALLY enjoyed myself! Must say that violins and violas cannot play a blues march to save their lives. Though i admire Corkys industry the whole classical melded w/ blues simply does not work. It didn't work with the Wagner and Blues Band thing w/ Seiji Ozawa and it doesn't work now. It's fun to watch, but i'd never own a recording of what he does.
Still, gotta love him. can't help it. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
@MP-- glad somebody said it... ""the whole classical melded w/ blues simply does not work."
I'll go further than that-- the first video in this thread, Culture Clash/Blues Symphony 1971, is musically atrocious, cringe inducing.
Have you ever grimaced while watching a live performance and one of the musicians hits a particularly sour note? I grimaced through this video.
Classically trained, rhythmically rigid, perfect pitch seeking musicians should never be asked to play black derived music with its beautiful variations in pitch and rhythm. They can't do it.
This video was aptly titled-- "Culture Clash"; emphasis on clash.
I like and listen to Mozart and Bach. I've attended the Symphony. But if you're going to have an orchestra with your blues, make it Count Basie's or Duke Ellington's.
Large symphonic stuff is not blues for sure. If it is to be done at all, then it has to be done in quartet type groups where it is more a novelty show-man piece which seems to be more Corky's forte. I see it is more to the point of trying to expand the boundaries which is (or theoretically could be) modern blues in a sense although it has been done for some time by a number of musicians that try this crazy meld(yes,often badly) - out of the box sort of thinking.
This side of him is so dramatically different than his early blues stuff that I am more fond of. Like he has a split personality. What I really admire about his playing is his total abandonment on stage. He just doesn't seem to give a care/crap about what happens or not. Like no fear of failure.
THAT is what a performer should be able to do in my mind so that one's mind is totally on the music, not on superfluous stuff. I can't do that. But who knows, maybe he has as many butterflies as a lot of others. Would be interesting to hear from him about this.
Yeah I bought a couple of their albums back in the early '70s and the original version of "I think It Was the Wine" is a fave ever since. One band I was in put it in G and gave it a bit more country flavor (it's way tastier in E tho').
'@MP-- glad somebody said it... ""the whole classical melded w/ blues simply does not work."
Heh, Heh, :-) well somebody had to.
i recall first hearing The Siegal Schwall/Seiji Ozawa debacle on the radio. The Wagner piece they interspersed with Blues stuff was called Titans. It was an FM station (a new animal in those days) and i thought my radio was caught in a nether world between two stations and just wanted one or the other- The Hip Hippy station or the Hip Classical station. Other teenage weed smoking FM radio listeners told me of similar experiences. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
Last Edited by MP on Jul 26, 2013 2:25 PM
Mark....for once it looks like you and I must agree to disagree. Granted, the symphonic blues thing is an acquired taste. But you have to give the man credit for his ingenuity and creativity behind meshing the two musical cultures together. ----------
I agree w/Hawkeye...no reason not to give Corky points for creativity and trying something new.
However, I found that this melding of styles translated to playing the record once, maybe twice, and then the record has sat in my "not too frequently played pile", whereas the Siegel-Schwall records were just about played till the tracks were wore out. ---------- The Iceman
I do give him credit and actually paid good money for a great seat in the Robert Fulton Opera House (very nice historic venue!)to see Corky in action. My only distractions were a melting Hershey Almond bar-I was in PA after all- and occasional comments from my drummer companion whom had MS and as a result didn't get out much. It was his idea that we check it out. Great idea! We had a great time. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
Last Edited by MP on Jul 28, 2013 1:21 PM
One little thing I've never worked up the gumption to ask Cork about...
What's with his little signature "EOwww..." noise that he always seems to throw in between licks? I've always heard when listening to him, but it's only now that I realize that I don't think I've heard any other harp player do it. Anyone know? ----------
I know the wimmins likes it. Maybe it's just a variation of a "hoot." He also will throw in a grunt from time to time. He's just very likeable and works very hard to entertain an audience, and the audience appreciates it.
Paul Butterfield often made a strange sound in between certain licks. it was it was kind of an erhoh! sounding noise. I think Butterfield was expelling air since it seemed to follow long draw bend passages where the air intake is large. People think they run out of breath. It is quite the opposite. They have too much air. you see, air expands in your lungs. so, after a certain point you have to push it out or feel like you are gonna burst. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
click user name [MP] for info- repair videos on YouTube. you can reach me via Facebook. Mark Prados
I think Butterfield was expelling air since it seemed to follow long draw bend passages where the air intake is large. People think they run out of breath. It is quite the opposite. They have too much air. you see, air expands in your lungs. so, after a certain point you have to push it out or feel like you are gonna burst. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
That's one thing about William Clarke. Another thing about William Clarke; you could always hear his exhale, almost as though he was using it as part of his phrasing....cool, cool, cool.
My latest direction is exploring what I call "Groove Based Playing".
It seems that the sound of breath, whether subtle or exaggerated, is an important component to a lot of infectious sounding styles, like Clarke, Corky, Kim Wilson and even Little Walter.
This is one aspect that hasn't really been discussed or analyzed much, as far as I can tell (until now).
After all, breath is also a sound, as are moans and other throat/vocal chord creations, and can be added to the overall mix of the sounds of vibrating reeds to create a groove based result. ---------- The Iceman
