Collaborators

Past and Present

“In the spirit of exploration, collaboration becomes a wonderful vehicle.  These artists bring additional flavors and colors to the Chamber Blues palette, as well as a new level of virtuosity and joy one would expect from these masters”  – Corky Siegel

Cantor Pavel Roytman • Marcella Detroit • Frank Orrall • Ernie Watts • Howard Levy • Tracy Nelson • Rollo Radford • Sam Lay • Lynne Jordan • Sandeep Das • Mathew Santos • Randy Sabien • Sons of the Never Wrong • Sue Demel • and symphony orchestras.

Jazz Icon Ernie Watts

2-time Grammy Award winner Ernie Watts is an extraordinary force of nature with a very diverse history, recording with everyone pop including Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind & Fire, Carole King, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, (and a moment on the road with the Stones) plus a long history playing jazz, with people like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Thelonious Monk, and Arturo Sandoval. Not to mention 20 years with "The Tonight Show Band."  So when you hear a special saxophone sound that you know so well--that's Ernie!  “He is one of the greatest living tenor saxophonists, at the top of his game." - All About Jazz  More ...

Lynne Jordan

“One of Chicago’s great musical divas”

~ Bill Zwecker, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.  And Roger Ebert’s Favorite Windy City Diva.

In a city brimming with classic blues and jazz divas, Lynne Jordan stands apart. Not only do her soaring vocals dip effortlessly into blues, jazz, funk, rock and even country but her bawdy personality wins over any crowd. Her talent so dazzled the Second City that the late Chicago film critic Roger Ebert declared her his “favorite diva.” Backed by her sizzling band The Shivers, Jordan quickly developed into a Chicago institution, playing jazz and blues clubs, swanky lounges and even the charity circuit throughout the country. She brought her special brand of storytelling, raw humor and performance to New York and Atlanta with her sold-out show, “A Musical Tribute To Nina Simone.”...  More

Tracy Nelson

“Tracy Nelson proves that the human voice is the most expressive instrument in creation.”
~ Rolling Stone Magazine / John Swenson


She has one of the signature voices of her generation. That natural gift has always guided Tracy Nelson’s soul, and allowed her to both write and seek out the deeper songs regardless of niche or genre. A fierce singer of truth and a fountain of the deepest heartache, she is an ultimate communicator and has regularly dissolved audiences across decades of performing. She is one of the few female singers who has had hit records in both blues and country genres, performing with everyone from Willie Nelson to Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas, with Grammy nominations for both her country and blues efforts. More …

Marcella Detroit

She is co-author of one of rock’s most enduring songs “Lay Down Sally," and has earned a double platinum and a gold record for her group Shakespear’s Sister. Marcella Detroit (Marcy Levy)  is a dazzling singer, a prolific songwriter of hits, and has toured and recorded with such luminaries as  Eric Clapton Bob Seger, Elton John, Leon Russell and Aretha Franklin.  It was in 2004 at the world-renown Chicago Blues Festival through the invitation of the Chicago Blues Reunion ( a collection of all-stars that included Blues harp legend Corky Siegel and vocal diva Marcy Levy) that they met.  Together both Levy and Siegel electrified the capacity crowd with a chemistry of virtuosity and captivating showmanship, and set the stage ablaze with their pyrotechnics on vocals and harmonica.   More ...

Randy Sabien

Randy Sabien, on jazz violin, is the “real thing” according to premier national Jazz critic Howard Reich. National Public Radio’s “Jazz Profiles” dubbed Randy; “The past, present, and future of jazz violin.” Down Beat Magazine’s annual critic’s poll voted him as; “Artist Deserving Wider Recognition.”  More…

Howard Levy

Howard Levy is a musician without limits. Composer, Grammy Award winner, multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his astonishing harmonica playing, which has earned him the admiration of audiences worldwide. He has taken his harmonica and his musicality into the realms of Rock, Jazz, Latin, Folk, Classical, World Music, Theater, Movies- just about any place where music is, Howard can be found playing it. More…

Sons of the Never Wrong

The Sons have been creating original “turbo-charged alt-folk music” for 20 years to a cult-like international following. With their outrageous approach to 3-part harmony on top of original, witty, whimsical songs, the Sons’ style have turned familiar musical traditions inside out.   More…

Sue Demel

Whether it’s scatting, chanting, collaborating, or writing, Sue explodes the pre-conceived notions of singing. As a founding and current member of folk trio Sons of the Never Wrong, Sue tours nationally, performing original, acoustic music. Her body of work as a songwriter achieves a rare peace between the boundaries of love and redemption. More… (At Sons of the Never Wrong page)

Frank Orrall

Frank Orrall is a Musician / Poet / Composer, and, the founder, front man / guitarist for the Rock & Soul group; Poi Dog Pondering

He is also: Percussionist and Singer for the D.C. based; Thievery Corporation.

(His other side projects include: Palm Fabric Orchestra, Mourning Doves, Soft Explosion and, 8fatfat8). More…

Cantor Pavel Roytman

Cantor Pavel Roytman is a native of Nikolaev, Ukraine. At the age of seven he was accepted as a piano student to a specialized music school for gifted children. He continued his studies in piano and conducting at the Kaliningrad Rachmaninov Music College (Russia) and later at Petrozavodsk Glazunov State Conservatory.

While in Petrozavodsk, Pavel joined the Klezmer Shpil Orchestra as a soloist. Between 1991 and 1994, Pavel and the Klezmer Shpil performed extensively throughout Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden. In 1993, the orchestra made its first recording– “Yiddish Songs by Klezmer Shpil”

In 1994, Cantor Roytman immigrated to the United States where he obtained his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from DePaul University and Master of Music in Musicology from Northwestern University. Throughout this time he also studied hazzanut with such well-known masters of cantorial art as Hazzan Shlomo Shuster, Hazzan Henry Rosenblum, and Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi. In 2006 Cantor Roytman was certified as a cantor through Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. In 2015 Cantor Roytman completed his certification as a Conservative Cantor and became a full-fledged member of the Cantor’s Assembly. Cantor’s Assembly. More …

Matthew Santos

MATTHEW SANTOS

... his supple voice gliding through jazz-soul melodies over rippling guitar and piano - a refined sound - aims for the depths of the heart.
- Chicago Magazine

Santos has established himself as one of the most exceptional talents to emerge from the Chicago music scene in decades.  With a voice consistently compared to that of the late Jeff Buckley and likened to a male version of Adele, he has been the subject of praise from such artists as Kimbra, Eddie Vedder, and John Legend. His highly acclaimed collaborations with Lupe Fiasco for which he received two Grammy nominations, have served to broaden international awareness of Santos whose own style is a unique, homegrown hybrid touching on alternative/indie-rock/soul and folk genres. More …

Sandeep Das

A two time Grammy nominee (Best classical crossover album of the year, best world music album of the year) is a founding member of The Silk Road and entering an eighteen year collaboration with Yo Yo Ma.  Sandeep is considered one of the leading tabla players in the world and one of the favorite disciples of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj ji of the Benaras Gharana. Das has carved out a niche for himself around the musical world. His concerts have taken him to major centers of music around the globe, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royce Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl and the Petronas Tower Hall in Malaysia.  He also presents special masterclasses at Harvard University.   More ...

Rollo Radford

American jazz and blues bassist and singer-songwriter, Radford’s resume stretches from Martha & The Vandellas to Sun Ra, as well as a 40 year alum of popular blues group, Siegel-Schwall.  Currently a member of the Siegel-Schwall Band, Rollo comtributes in special presentations of Chamber Blues.  Rollo is featured on the last Chamber Blues CD; "Traveling Chamber Blues Show" on Alligator Reccords.   More…

Sam Lay

3/1935-1/29/22

Sam Lay is a Blues legend and a 2015 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee, offers audiences the opportunity to experience one of the last living true icons of Chicago Blues history.  The evening can be best described as “Beethoven Meets B.B. King” with Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues Sam Lay on vocals and drums.  Sam Lay appears on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 album, and at the Newport Folk Festival they introduced Folk Rock to the world.   He began his auspicious career in 1957 as drummer for the Original Thunderbirds and soon after became the drummer for the legendary harp genius, Little Walter. In the early 1960’s Mr. Lay began recording and performing with the founding fathers of blues,Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.  More...

Symphonic Blues

1966.  A bluesman and a classical conductor walk into a bar. You won't believe what happens next.  Corky Siegel guest soloist with New York Philharmonic (Lincoln Center), Boston Symphony (Tanglewood,) the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony (Kennedy Center), Switzerland’s Suisse Romande, Japan’s NHK Symphony (full list available).   It was Maestro Seiji Ozawa who walked into the bar and asked bluesman Corky Siegel to perform as guest soloist with the Chicago Symphony resulting in the creation of a new genre; Symphonic Blues.  This launched a successful 5 decade career beginning with the team of Siegel, Ozawa, composer William Russo, and the San Francisco Symphony releasing two award winning recordings on the premier classical label Deutsche Grammophon which became among the largest selling American classics for the label and still available to date. Corky continues to compose and perform for symphony orchestras most recently New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonic, and an upcoming World Premier of Corky Siegel's 6th Symphonic work in 2017 with the Lancaster Symphony, including performances with Youth Symphony Orchestras around the globe.  Chamber Blues also joins in these guest performances.   More...