Siegel–Schwall ’70 by Siegel–Schwall Band
Released: 1970 (Vanguard Records)
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Siegel–Schwall '70
Sometimes there is just no substitute for the blues. You can play around, muck it up, add all you want, but in the end, sometimes you just want to hear that blues rock and roll topped with some rough vocals and a great guitar. I found this one for .50 cents at the used store and had only heard the name in passing before so I thought I’d give it a shot.
Seigel (piano, vocals, harmonica) and Schwall (guitar and vocals) were both music students looking for some gigs. They became the house band at Pepper’s Lounge in Chicago (talk about being in the right place at the right time) which allowed them to sit in with just about everyone! (from Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, the list makes me cry!)
This was their fourth LP and the first with former Sun-Ra bassist Rollo Radford and Shelly Plotkin on Drums. Billboard reviewed their show at the Fillmore West and called them the “Best visual act in America with the music to back it up.” You can hear their energy in this clip of “Angel Food Cake.” (only video out there that I could find, unfortunately!)
While I’m not sure this was their best record, there’s a lot to like!
Solid blues and some great musicianship, it’s hard to not tap your foot…
Here’s another clip from this LP – “Walk In My Mind”
Though not on this record, they also were the first blues band to ever perform with a symphony! Blues/Classical – Awesome! For me, this is where they really stepped beyond the crowd and really did something unique and groundbreaking. (Siegel continued this path with the crazy good Chambers Blues Band, but that’s another post 
)
I’m giving it four. The record itself is probably a three, but the band is definitely a five so I’m splitting the deference… The band reformed in 87 and has played regularly since. Their 2005 release, Flash Forward, was top 20 on the Billboard blues chart. I suspect that, much like the Dead, their live shows make the recordings look like an afterthought…
I’ll leave you with one of my favorites (again, not from this LP),
“I Think It Was The Wine” from May 2009.
