Bman's Blues Report

Jim Schwall, Guitar, Mandolin, singer-songwriter - is the co-leader of the Siegel-Schwall Band, "one of the best acts in America", - Billboard Magazine. The Boston Globe has called Mr. Schwall "undoubtedly the best electric guitarist in the country." In the 1960's, the Siegel- Schwall Band was signed overnight by Vanguard Records and later RCA. During the late 1960's and early 1970's the band drew capacity crowds to the most popular clubs and auditoriums in the U.S., while their records received world acclaim. Along with their peers, Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musslewhite, Siegel-Schwall introduced Chicago blues to the large rock audience. At the suggestion of world-renown Music Director, Seiji Ozawa, Siegel-Schwall recorded an historic landmark work William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa conducting the San Francisco Symphony on premier classical label Deutsche Grammophon. This 1971 recording was a ...

The Siegel–Schwall Band is an American electric blues band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1964 by Corky Siegel (harmonica and piano) and Jim Schwall (guitar), and still tours occasionally. Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall met each other when both were music students at Roosevelt University. Siegel, originally a saxophonist, was interested in blues, while Schwall's background was mostly in country music. They combined these two genres, producing a lighter sounding blues as compared to Butterfield Blues Band or John Mayall. The Siegel–Schwall Band included Shelly Plotkin on drums and Rollo Radford on bass. Radford had previously played with Martha and the Vandellas and Sun Ra. They were the house band at Pepper's Lounge on Chicago's South Side. Every important Chicago blues musician sat in with Corky and Jim at Pepper's, including Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Billy Boy Arnold, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, Otis Spann, Bo Diddley, Lazy Lester and Sam ...