Not a symphony backing up a blues musician, or a blues musician playing classical, but an equal partnership within the composition, giving each genre a starring role where you can hear blues and classical working together and chasing each other around the room. - Corky Siegel (2025)

Some people think that this is a totally different side of music but I see it as a convergence in the future. - Seiji Ozawa (1968 Chicago Tribune)

THE HISTORY • REPERTOIRE • ORCHESTRAS
NEW ALBUM: REVIEWS • CREDITS • NOTES • LISTEN

 New Recording

A masterpiece of stunning proportions GOLDMINE (Mike Greenblatt) • A brilliant masterpiece that exudes Siegel's genius LIVING BLUES (Henry Carrigan) • Instant masterpiece CHICAGO BLUES REVIEW (Marty Gunther) • Soulful …raw, heartfelt …sophisticated …unexpected and effortlessly cohesive BLUES MATTERS (Colin Campbell) • Incomparable legacy MAKING A SCENE (Jim Hynes) • Stone cold innovator …ground breaking AMERICANA HIGHWAYS (Bill Bentley) • One of the most ambitious works of veteran Siegel’s nearly 60-year music career CLEVELAND.COM  (Gary Graff) • Stirring, spellbinding melodies… grand, dramatic delivery THE ALTERNATE ROOT (Lee Zimmerman) • Ear-grabbing …creative jousting …compelling ROOTS MUSIC REPORT (Duane Verh) • He isn’t building unwanted bridges but establishing a genuine interchange.  SHEPHERD EXPRESS (David Luhrssen) • FOUR STARS virtuosic technique …creative vision DOWNBEAT (Frank-John Hadley) read full reviews

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 The History

Symphonic Blues 1966 to date

“When Corky Siegel cupped his harmonica and the pavilion microphone together and began a half saxophone half blues trumpet wail, even the least conservative Chicago Symphony Orchestra member might have shivered at the hand-writing on the crumbling walls.” – Chicago Tribune – Chicago Symphony – 1968

“A grand success in a multitude of ways; box office, new audience, and artistically … A remarkable virtuoso, a refined musician with imagination … I would go as far as to call him a poet … The music he makes is like witnessing a miracle.” – La Presse – Montréal – Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal – 1999

“One of the thrills of attending the world premiere of a major composition is the possibility that it will go on to become an international hit. This may be the case with Siegel’s [Symphonic Blues No. 6]. We heard an artist of the highest caliber lead the orchestra in an extraordinary piece of music ..”– Lancaster News – Lancaster Symphony Orchestra - 2008 (read full review)

“American Bluesman Corky Siegel was the hit of the evening. Certainly, the pathos and poetry of Siegel’s opening harmonica sighs were a tough act to follow. The second movement, however, with Siegel dishing up the blues from the Steinway with the strings was edge-of-the-seat stuff.”– New Zealand Herald – Auckland Philharmonic – 2015

“…as far back as Rhapsody in Blue, composers have combined American vernacular music with European classical… Corky Siegel has been at it for many years and is better at it than most.” Shepherd Express David Luhrssen - Symphonic Blues No. 6 Album - 2025

In 1968 Corky Siegel brought blues harmonica to ornate concert halls with ground breaking compositions and world class symphony orchestras. Thanks to Seiji Ozawa, William Russo, and Corky Siegel, Symphonic Blues was born and continues through today. The historic recordings on Deutsche Grammophon were among DG’s biggest sellers, and the continuing symphonic performances and recordings provide a large and growing audience for Siegel and also for Corky Siegel’s ground-breaking Chamber Blues. 

William Russo’s Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony was recorded on the paramount of classical labels, Deutsche Grammophon with the San Francisco Symphony, Seiji Ozawa and the Siegel-Schwall Band in 1971, and prompted a second release by William Russo with Ozawa and the San Francisco Symphony in 1979 with Siegel as soloist titled: Street Music: A Blues Concerto. Phil Ellwood, critic for the San Francisco Examiner, describes the collaboration as: “Magnificent. An adventure in rhythm, harmony and solos. It is a memorable musical joy ride.”

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The History • Repertoire • Orchestras • Gallery • NEW ALBUM: Reviews • Credits • Notes • Listen

 Repertoire

With the mentoring of Seiji Ozawa, William Russo, and the support and inspiration from the blues masters like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, Corky Siegel was able to begin adding his own visions to this blues/classical repertoire.  In 1975 he was offered a commission from the San Francisco Symphony, followed by the National Symphony & multiple commissions from the Grant Park Symphony and the 2007 commission for Symphonic Blues No. 6, from Steven Gunzenhauser with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. The latest commission [Symphonic Blues No. 7] also from Steven Gunzenhauser premiered May 2017 and reduced later for string orchestra.  

Currently performing Symphonic Blues No. 6 and William Russo’s Street Music.

San Francisco Symphony - 3 short sonatas for Arthur Fiedler - performed at the Civic Auditorium - 1975
Grant Park Symphony and National Symphony - 2 more short sonatas - performed at Grant Park and Kennedy Center - 1985 & 1986
Grant Park Symphony - Blues for a Green Planet - 1994 (or was it 1991)
Lancaster Symphony Orchestra - Symphonic Blues No. 6 - 2007 (Dawnserly Records 2025)
Lancaster Symphony Orchestra - Symphonic Blues No. 7 - Workshop Preview August 2016 - World Premiere - May 2017
Arpeggione Kammerorchester - Austria - Parts of Symphonic Blues No. 7 for string orchestra
Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra by William Russo (Deutsche Grammophon 1973)
Street Music - a Blues Concerto by William Russo. (Deutsche Grammophon 1979)

Chamber Blues compositions include 5 albums of original compositions, many compositions for guest artists and much that has not been recorded

100’s of songs for Corky Siegel Solo Singer-Songwriter shows including duets and trios on albums and also unrecorded.

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The History • Repertoire • Orchestras • Gallery • NEW ALBUM: Reviews • Credits • Notes • Listen

Orchestras

As guest soloist (partial list)

New York Philharmonic
Lincoln Center

Chicago Symphony
Ravinia

Boston Symphony
Tanglewood

Philadelphia Orchestra
Saratoga Springs PAC

National Symphony
Kennedy Center, Washington DC

San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Opera House & Civic Center
& Zellerbach Auditorium - Oakland

Suisse Romande
Grand Theatré
Genevé, Switzerland

NHK Symphony
Tokyo & Nagoya, Japan

Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal
Montreal, Canada

Belgrade Symphony Orchestra
Belgrade, Serbia

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Winnipeg, Canada

Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra
Grand Music Center of Strathmore Hall
Baltimore MD

Miami Symphony Orchestra
Miami, Florida

Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra
Elmhurst, IL

Phoenix Symphony Orchestra
Phoenix, Arizona

Rochester Philharmonic
Rochester, New York

Mendocino Symphony
Mendocino, California

Grant Park Symphony
Chicago, Illinois

Milwaukee Symphony
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Sinaloa National Symphony Orchestra
Mexico

Buffalo Symphony Orchestra
Buffalo, New York

Camellia Symphony Orchestra
Sacramento, California

Birmingham Symphony
Birmingham Alabama

Saginaw Bay Symphony

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra
Covington, Kentucky

Orquestra Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico

Ft. Wayne Symphony Orchestra
Ft. Wayne, IN

Symphony of the Shores
Evanston IL

Endless Mountain Music Festival Orchestra
New York, and Pennsylvania

Nederlands Philharmonisch, Orkest
Tilburg, Netherlands

Auckland Philharmonic
Auckland, New Zealand

Australian Experimental Orchestra
Melbourne, Australia

Boston Pops - Arthur Fiedler
PBS - TV Great Performances

Orchestra Experimental de Repertorio
Sao Paulo, & Campos do Jordao, Brazil

Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal

Minnesota Orchestra
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Denver, Colorado

Danville Symphony Orchestra
Danville, Illinois

Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie
9 performances throughout East Germany

Ecole Nationale de Musique
Mantes la Jolie, France

Univ. of Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra
Guanajuato, Mexico

Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec
Quebec City, Canada

Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Birmingham, Alabama

Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Arpeggione Kammerorchester
Hohenems, Austria

Regensburg Symphony Orchestra
Theatre Regensburg - Regensburg GERMANY

South Bend Symphony Orchestra
South Bend, IN

Skokie Symphony
Skokie, IL

PARTIAL LIST OF CONDUCTORS

Seiji Ozawa
Stephen Gunzenhauser
Charles Dutoit
Arthur Fiedler
Jean-Marie Oberson
George Cleve
Eckehard Stier
Stefan Veselka
Jamil Maluf
Matthew Sheppard
Marcel Geraeds
Doc Severinsen
David Amram
Joanne May
Gordon Campbell
Kenneth Schermerhorn
Peter Lipari
Allan Pollack
Eric Kunzel
Miguel Graca Moura
Paul Polivnick
Kristofer Sanz
Patrick Flynn
William Russo
Newton Wayland

 QUOTES about live performances.

Headline: Blues at the Philharmonic. They Love Corky Siegel in Lincoln Center. - Cheers rang through Philharmonic Hall - New York Times, Harold C. Schonberg (The first to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism)

Siegel appeared in a recent New York symphony subscription concert, and it took a week for a jumping Philharmonic Hall to settle back on it's foundation.  - Chicago Tribune

An instant standing ovation and a tremolando encore. - San Francisco Examiner

Note: Corky Siegel is the winner of the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Meet the Composer National Award for Chamber Music composition.

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 Album Reviews

A growing list of journalistic perspectives about this new orchestral blues/classical recording; “Symphonic Blues No. 6”

…a masterpiece of stunning proportions

MIKE GREENBLATT read full review

…a brilliant masterpiece that exudes Siegel's genius, his vision, and his generosity.

HENRY L. CARRIGAN JR. read full review

An instant masterpiece

MARTY GUNTHUR Read full review

A testament to Siegel’s vision and an invigorating example of what genre-blending can achieve. …soulful … raw, heartfelt … sophisticated …unexpected and effortlessly cohesive.

COLIN CAMPBELL Read full review

Incomparable legacy. Listen up and appreciate it.

JIM HYNES Read full review

Stone cold innovator…true-blue living history…all kinds of ground breaking sounds

BENTLEY’S BANDSTAND - BILL BENTLEY. Read full review

PICK OF THE WEEK: A collaboration between blues harmonica and symphony orchestra that’s one of the most ambitious works of veteran Siegel’s nearly 60-year music career.  - GARY GRAFF

Stirring, spellbinding melodies… grand, dramatic delivery. Clearly this is an album that requires a deep listen, and then brings with it ardent appreciation.

LEE ZIMMERMAN Read full review

Ear-grabbing … creative jousting … compelling …

DUANE VERH. Read full review

As far back as Rhapsody in Blue, composers have combined American vernacular music with European classical… Corky Siegel has been at it for many years and is better at it than most.

DAVID LUHRSSEN. Read full review

* * * * FOUR STARS. For those unfamiliar with him, Corky Siegel is a longtime Chicago harmonica player of virtuosic technique who possesses a creative vision that interlaces blues and classical.

FRANK-JOHN HADLEY Read full review

Read the personals

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Album Credits

Symphonic Blues No. 6

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Louise Frank
AUROL SUPPORT Gordon Campbell
PRODUCTION Holly and Corky Siegel
MIXING and MASTERING Ken Goerres
COMPOSER/BLUES HARMONICA Corky Siegel
COMPOSITION COMMISSIONED by Stephen Gunzenhauser for the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra - 2007
Editing Assistant: Jaime Gorgojo and Jon Tidey
Contracting Assistance: Dean Rolando - Chicago Musicians Union
Harmonica Technician: Joe Filisko
Liner Note Editing: Peter Krammer
Graphic Design: Dale Fahnstrom
Karen Leipziger: PR assistance

ORCHESTRA MEMBERS (photos below)

2 Flutes 1 & 2: Stefan Hoskuldsson ||: Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal :||
2 Clarinets 1 & 2: John Yeh - ||: Chicago Symphony Orchestra :||
2 Oboes 1 & 2: Deb Stevensen - ||: Metropolis Quartet, Metropolis and Lake Forest Symphonies :||
2 Bassoons 1 & 2: Natalie Hoskuldsson - ||: Previously with the Metropolitan Opera :||
2 French Horns 1 & 2: Greg Flint - ||: Principal with Elgin Symphony and Joffery Ballet :||
3 Calling Birds: and a patron in a pear tree
2 Trumpets 1 & 2: David Gauger - ||: Elgin Symphony Orchestra :||
1 Trombone: Ignacio del Rey - ||: Freelance from Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville :||
1 Tuba: Charlie Schuchat - ||: Elgin Symphony Orchestra :||
Violins 1: Jaime Gorgojo - ||: Chamber Blues :||
Violins 2: Chihsuan Yang - ||: Chamber Blues :||
Violas: Jeff Yang - ||: Chamber Blues :||
Cellos: Jocelyn Butler Shoulders - ||: Chamber Blues :||
Cello: Allegra Montanari - ||: Chamber Blues :||
Contrabass: Robert Kassinger, - ||: Chicago Symphony Orchestra :||
Contrabass: Collins Trier - ||: Chicago Lyric Opera - Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra :||
Contrabass: Douglas Johnson - ||: Freelance from Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Honolulu Symphony Orchestra :||
Timpani: Kalyan Pathak - ||: Chamber Blues:||
Percussion: Kalyan Pathak
(Bongos, Suspended Crash Cymbal, Woodblocks, Tam Tam, Cowbell, Tambourine, Bass Drum, Xylophone, Cuica Drum, Marimba, Tubular Bells, Triangle, Timbales, Cowbell, Tabla
Tabla solo & Padhant (Spoken Tabla) for Coda: Kalyan Pathak

Photos from CD booklet below:

Contributors

This recording project was a community effort, not only with, musicians, and producers, but with the profound support of these music lovers.

Kickstarter Crowdfunding
MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR. Elizabeth Foster, Gordon Radley, //  2nd Kickstarter:  Elizabeth Foster, Everette Taylor, Other: Louise Frank, Dale Fahnstrom, Ken Goerres

PATRON  Carol Appel, Tom Challenger, Lois Schneider

MISSION ADVOCATE PLUS  Tom Rush, Peter & Annette Krammer, Nancy Katz, Emily Guthrie, Hank Newman, Louise Frank, Sandra Siegel, Marcia Blake and Jim Collins,  //  2nd Kickstarter: Tom Rush, Scott Johnson,

MISSION ADVOCATE.  Joy Dahl,  Robert K. Quin, David Fink, Robert Joseph, Harriet S. Hawkins, Kathy Thompson, Phil Baron, Kenneth Manaster, Hillel Frankel, Marty Gunther, Libby and John Christianson, Jeanne Leininger, Michael Teach, Juliet Duncanson, Dave, Matthew Brockmeier, Celeste Kelly, Steve Robinson, Rick David, Tim Sandberg, Kathy Schalk-Greene, John Doty, Libby Bjornstad, Bill Graessle, Bruce Chudacoff, Madhavi Rathod, Ed Klein, Anthony Jasaitis, Sarah Vanderwicken, Murray Plotkin, Jim Lamberson, Jerry Robin, Chris Slivon, Lisa Marie Flores, John and Evie Mahrte, John Davis, // Direct Contributions from “Unrecorded Love” website page: Sandra Siegel, Dennis McClure, Dorthea Martin, Steve and Peggy Gonter, John Giese

//  2nd Kickstarter: Robert Joseph, Bob Knipfer, Harriet S. Hawkins, Emily Guthrie, Lois Schneider,

CROWDFUNDING TEAM.  John Pollitz, Katherine Puckett, BE Stewart, Donald Kohn, Betsy Heffelfinger, Rob Benetti, Peter Nemeth, Lee Katz, Stephen Chernaik, Liz Whitlock, Sebastian Palmigiani, Dave D K Kolars, Howard Siegel, Dianne Burgis, Don Edgren, Bob Knipfer, Tim Mocarski, David Child, CS Mitchell, Phillip Zisook, Glenna Eaves, Robin Cook, Victoria Munoz, Loi Eberle, Donald Albertson, Leslie Ellis, Wesley Urschel, Rick Simons, Emily Christensen, Debba Becker-Pawlik, David Butschli, Lucky Gorman, Charles Osgood, Linda Mertz, Ken ( HOBO BILL ) Staub, Terry Abrahamson, Terrilynn Meece, Lincoln Zimmanck, Michael Caplan, Philip Feo, Nicole Rand, Charles Seton, Margot Myers, Jim Bulger, Deborah Blinder, Christa Tyjewski, Richard Sladek, Marilyn Rea Beyer, Ina Strickland, Tim McGhie, Carl Wiggs, Ralph and Marta Nicholas, Sam Boskey, Marty Bariff, Stephen Crimi, Sheila Fahey, Susan Noordyk, Jane Gerloff, Ed Leslie, Ruthanne Bessman, Satoshi Kawashima, Steve Rathnow, Tessa, Steve Witt, David Lee Paul  // Direct Contributions from “Unrecorded Love” website page:  Jill Mchugh,  Martin Anderson, Dan Hearty, Peter Glarborg, Geoffrey Seaman,  //  2nd Kickstarter: Rick Funcik, Lee Katz, BE Stewart, Donald Kohn, Susan Straus, Tim Mocarski, Anthony Jasaitis, Peter Nemeth, Steve Duchrow, Gregg Porter, Satoshi Kawashima, Mitchell A Lieber, Martin Anderson, Jeanne Leininger, Soozee Alterman, Kiko Peto, Rbuettner, Don Elmore, Stuart Sklair, Cindy Byram,  Mindy Giles, Larry Buss, Lori Loureiro, Jim Lamberson, Kedeomas, Clair johnson, Jonas Microwave_131, //  More Website contributions: Hilma Cooper, Kevin Tansey

HONORARY.   Barbra Marks and Bettye Kelly (Howlin’ Wolf’s daughters), Debbie Lay (Sam Lay’s daughter), Marian Diaz (Little Walter’s daughter), Fritz Kielsmeier (special support)

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Album Notes

THE STORY:  I can't tell the symphonic blues story without crediting the blues masters, Seiji Ozawa, and William Russo. I’ve told this story a thousand times and I’m still not tired of telling it. 

INNOCENT VICTIM OF INCREDIBLE GOOD FORTUNE: In early 1965 Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and the other masters of the blues were flying out of the grooves of my vinyl recordings as I danced around my parents’ home in ecstasy.  With my new musical partner, Jim Schwall, we learned enough tunes for a set and began looking for somewhere to play. One afternoon we walked innocently into a tavern across the tracks. The tavern had a stage, and we asked the owner if we could play there. We auditioned for the afternoon ladies crowd and were hired on the spot to play from 9 pm until 4 am every Thursday night. The owner hired a bass player and drummer to work with us each night. Flying right out of the grooves of my vinyl recordings and jumping right onstage with us every Thursday night were the blues icons we idolized. Talk about surprises! They sat in with us, took us under their wings and returned the love we showed for them.  Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells. If that wasn’t enough, the bass players and drummers turned out to be all the famous Chicago players who were available on any particular night. We were embraced by the blues community as soon as we walked in.  What good fortune! Later on we met the greatest of them all, drummer Sam Lay. He became one of our beloved and long-term members with the Siegel-Schwall band. 

A BLUES PLAYER AND A CLASSICAL CONDUCTOR WALK INTO A BAR: In 1966, when Siegel-Schwall became an official band, one fellow came into Big John’s for our performances night after night and stayed all night. Big John’s was a tiny club in Chicago's Old Town and is now known as ground zero for the blues rock explosion. It was the home of my contemporaries; Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield Steve Miller, Barry Goldberg, Harvey Mandel, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, and many of the original Chicago Blues masters, including Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. One auspicious night this fan came up to me and said, “Corky, I would like your band to jam with my band.” I thought; “Who is this guy and what's his band?” His band was the Chicago Symphony, and he was Maestro Seiji Ozawa. And so, in 1966 I was appointed to my role of bringing blues to classical music.  Dirty work, but somebody had to do it! And I soon found out why.

We chose a friend, Bill Russo, to compose Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra. The premiere was with the Chicago Symphony in 1968 at Ravina. After that, Siegel-Schwall took a few months off, and during our break, I had a Yoda moment. 

ABOUT HARMONY: In 1969 America was so divided. I was only 24, and I was greeted at Lincoln Center with the longest and most intense vitriol from an audience that I could imagine. The audience was outraged that hippies, in a blues band, were onstage as guest soloists with their New York Philharmonic. Seiji Ozawa already knew what we should do but he asked me, and I responded through the boos and yelling; “Let's have some fun!” 

We reached the last measures of William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra to a thunderous, standing ovation. The Symphony president told me that it was the longest and most intense standing ovation he had ever seen. He compared this to Enrico Caruso's last appearance. The headline in the New York Times the following morning from Harold C. Schoenberg, the feared classical music critic (and Pulitzer Prize winner) read, “They Love Corky Siegel in Lincoln Center.”  The review ended with, “Cheers rang though Philharmonic Hall. The audience did not merely like it, the audience loved it!” 

That was my first real experience of music’s power to bring people together in harmony. My role in life became harmony: musical harmony, my inner harmony, and social harmony. Democracy is the path for social harmony, peaceful discourse, where we all have some voice.  May we never replace democracy for a short-term idea or wish. 

TURNING DOWN SAN FRANCISCO:  My first commission to compose symphonic music came in 1975 from Arthur Fiedler, the San Francisco Symphony, and the City of San Francisco. I had never done any work like this - or should I say, I never had any fun like this. My education in music composition amounted to a failing grade in music theory 101. My only attempt at a composition while at Roosevelt University was rejected by the professor. So, with that kind of track record, I felt I had enough information to know that turning down the offer was the smart decision.  But music doesn't care about this kind of smarts. Martin Snipper from the San Francisco Arts Commission wouldn't take “no” for an answer. He even extended the offer as a one-year residency. Bill Russo, my mentor, and friend, had already composed Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra and Street Music for me.  When the briefcase with the only completed Street Music score was stolen from Bill’s car, he turned to me and said, “It will be better the second time.”   Both works became major selling albums on the strictly classical label, Deutsche Grammophon. Bill wanted me to accept the offer and said he would help by finding a copyist and oversee the process. With that kind of love, I couldn't refuse.

SUCCESS! These inaugural works were a smashing success. We debuted in front of an audience of 6000 at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium in 1976. It was my first major composition, and everyone urged me to compose more, saying they were like nothing they had heard before. David Koppel, who was our personal agent at the time brought a sneak recording of the project to Steve Ovitsky the manager of the Grant Park Symphony around 1980 without informing me, and that continued the ball rolling to my becoming a reluctant symphonic composer. I had already performed the first Russo work for Ovitsky at Grant Park once, and would perform it again for him a few years later. Then after hearing the Fiedler tape, he commissioned me, along with the National Symphony at Kennedy Center, to expand the original compositions with three more sonatas. (I use “sonata” for works that include sung lyrics. The actual term is cantata).

IT'S THE HEART, STUPID: I already knew “It's all about the heart” but the 1983 rehearsal with the Grant Park Symphony was filled with surprises that shaped my future: I had written a trumpet part that was ridiculously simple and repetitive. Then I erased it because I was sure the trumpet player would kill me. So, I rewrote the part so the trumpet player wouldn't kill me. Then I put the original part back because I knew I should go with my heart even if some critics might kill me. During the rehearsal, the trumpet player kept looking over at me. Fearful of death I thought, Oh no! He approached me after the rehearsal and said he wanted to know why I wrote that trumpet part. Oh no! Then, he invited me to lunch. Oh no! But then he told me he loved playing that part and was curious why I had written something like that. LOL! So, all the Chamber Blues compositions and everything that followed were forever steeped securely in this sacred teaching, “It's the heart, stupid.” 

CHAMBER BLUES: The 1983 preparation and performance at Grant Park of the three Fiedler sonatas, and the three new sonatas inspired the idea of Chamber Blues. Writing orchestra works was extremely fulfilling and fun, but totally time consuming. Writing for a string quartet seemed like it would be a much friendlier task. And then there is the healing sound of a string quartet. I wanted that! There were no classical ensembles with a blues harmonica player, so either I would do it, or it wouldn’t exist. I could only perform the symphony works when a symphony agreed to do it. Chamber Blues would be portable. I could fit the group easily into a bus - and I would get to drive the bus! 

I started writing the Chamber Blues works in 1983. As with the symphonic works, I didn't want the orchestra or the string quartet to be the back-up band. Nor should the two genres blend into one. I wanted the process to bring the singular compositional aspects of classical music and the blues in an equal partnership where each genre maintains their unique characters and you can hear them, not blending, but working together - chasing each other around the room. 

MORE SYMPHONIC COMMISSIONS: Because of the success of the Grant Park and National Symphony sonatas, Ovitsky commissioned me once again. Blues for a Green Planet was a straight orchestra piece, and David Amram conducted that one. I wrote David into a little surprise cadenza for some of his penny whistle adventures he was known for. During the rehearsals, the orchestra went on strike. Consequently, David and orchestra had less time to rehearse the work than the actual length of the work. But David pulled it off!  The orchestra stumbled through the first few measures and David kept commenting while flipping pages; “Beautiful, beautiful. Let's move on.” The performance was a success and was held together thanks to the fearless genius of David Amram.   

TURNING DOWN SYMPHONIC BLUES Nº6: I performed Russo's Street Music on two separate occasions for the Lancaster Orchestra with Stephen Gunzenhauser. Their mission forbade performing anything more than once. 🙂 But they especially loved that work. Gunzenhauser began asking me to compose a new work for him because there was no way they were going to perform Street Music for a third time. I already knew it would be too much work to compose yet another orchestra piece. But after repeated protests, I caved, because he went ahead and scheduled the premiere even though I hadn't yet agreed to compose a work. He said I could base the works on parts of my favorite Chamber Blues compositions, which made it much easier. Steven did schedule a second performance but it was cancelled because of Covid.  And due to Steven Gunzenhauser's support, the words “symphonic composer” began appearing in my bio. Thank you, Stephen! 

UNRECORDED LOVE: None of these works, the first Fiedler commission, the two Grant Park Symphony commissions for Steve Ovitsky, or the two commissions from Steven Gunzenhauser were recorded. I also had reams of unrecorded works from Chamber Blues and solo material. As I approached my 80th birthday, I felt it was time to decide if I wanted these popular works to disappear into oblivion and never be heard again. I had to leave this decision up to the community. Either they would embrace these projects and fund them or not. The community lovingly stepped up. This turned into three albums, all released in September 2022: Chamber Blues MORE Different Voices, Songs for Truth and Harmony, and a solo album, Something Wrong. I am also slowly releasing a series of songs called, Favorite Songs from the Cutting Room Floor that I composed and performed, but never recorded. 

 What most tugged at my heart was that Symphonic Blues Nº6 would never be heard by anyone other than those in attendance for its live performances.  I toured with this work all over the world, and the response from conductors, concertmasters, orchestra members, opera singers, and other living composers, was that there is nothing like this. I agreed! It must be recorded. One more time, the community came through and funded the project. These are not my projects. We did this together. The recording and release of Symphonic Blues Nº6 is a community project with the co-producers, musicians, and financial contributors. Having the names and good wishes of these partners on this magnum project is of profound importance.  

MAESTRO SEIJI OZAWA: My dearest friend, mentor, and supporter Seiji Ozawa, passed through this dimension of life on earth leaving nothing but beauty and harmony behind. He always said to me that bringing the blues to classical music is very important. He was the one force that enabled it by getting commissions for those first works, setting up performances with major orchestras, and convincing Deutsche Grammophon to record both works. He even brought us to Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony, and we got to hang with Madame Koussevitzky - just like the scene in the movie Bernstein - but she never asked me to change my name. (In the movie her husband strongly suggested that Bernstein change his name).

Seiji said that classical music always relied on the folk forms of the day to progress, but it had been stuck for so long. The classical world mostly looked down on blues as primitive and unsophisticated. And the blues world ignored classical music as square. He said that blues would be the spark to reignite the classical form and the classical music repertoire. He also insisted that presenting the symphonic blues form would bring the disparate audiences of blues and classical together, something the world needed at the time, and still needs. In 1966 he chose me to do this, and he insisted that I pursue this intently. 

My late friend Jim Bessman, who wrote for Billboard Magazine, saw Seiji crossing the street in front of Philharmonic Hall one time and yelled to him: “Hey Seiji, Corky Siegel says hello!” Jim told me that Seiji's response from across the street was: “Tell Corky I love him!” I can still imagine his words echoing down the streets of New York City. I love you too Seiji.  

TECHNICAL NOTES - SYMPHONIC BLUES Nº6: The three movements are based on these Chamber Blues compositions: Opus 12 - Filisko’s Dream; Opus 19 - Uptown Shoes, and Opus 8 - Allegro. Opus 8 was inspired from a bass line Rollo Radford, the bassist for Siegel-Schwall, played on the song Midnight Radio, that I wrote with James Lee Stanley. When I composed Opus 8 and the third movement of Symphonic Blues, I envisioned Rollo there with me. I added a coda from Symphonic Blues Nº7 that features Kalyan Pathak in an extended tabla solo embedded in the orchestra. Both the second and third movements include a cadenza that is from a handbag recording at a sneak preview in 2007.  The official premiere took place in 2008.  The original orchestra has been removed, the new orchestra added, and all that is left from the original 2007 recording is the harmonica cadenza and the audience.  In the third movement, the applause is long for a recording but the quips that happen at the end of the applause are a perfect segue into the coda. I love this, because it transports us through time and space from a 2024 studio style recording to the 2007 sneak preview with audience response, making us all part of the event.  A note about Opus 12 - Filisko’s Dream: It is named after Joe Filisko, harmonica builder, customizer, repair guru and player. Joe is an important figure for Hohner Harmonicas and an important figure in this composition of the first movement, because the harmonica I use for the beginning and ending sections is specially tuned by Filisko himself to what might be called “open tuning” in guitar jargon.  

ALL SOLOISTS: Each musician was recorded separately. The musicians never received any reference to the music, audio or written, aside from their own part and tempo markings. Therefore, each part is a solo part and each performer a soloist throughout the whole work. My style of composition incorporates extreme dynamic markings on almost every note of the part to help ensure expression. Our mixing guru Ken Goerres and the rest of the production team agreed that we didn’t want to try to replicate a symphony orchestra. That would be limiting. We just wanted to do whatever we could to create a magnificent sonic experience. – Corky Siegel

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