The Siegel-Schwall Band

Formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1964, the Siegel-Schwall Band was an electric blues band founded by pianist / vocalist Corky Siegel (born October 24, 1943) and guitarist / vocalist Jim Schwall (born November 12, 1942). The duo met while both were studying music at Roosevelt University in Chicago and combined their love of blues and country music, creating a unique sound that set them apart from other heavier blues rock bands of the late 1960s. Throughout their career, the other members of the Siegel-Schwall Band would change, the group’s namesakes would remain firmly in place. They were the house band at both Pepper’s Lounge and Old Town (both located in Chicago) and performed with many blues icons including Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Little Walter, Magic Sam, and many more. The Siegel-Schwall Band signed with Vanguard Records in 1965 and released their debut album in 1966.After two more studio albums – Say Siegel-Schwall (1967) and Shake! (1968) – they began a national tour that took them to legendary venues like Fillmore West. By the time of their fifth album, 1971’s second self-titled release, they had signed to Wooden Nickel Records. In 1973, they became the first blues-rock band to perform with a symphony orchestra with the release of Three Pieces of Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra. After the release of Live: Last Summer (1974), the band announced that they were disbanding. However, their record label asked for one more studio album and they recorded and released R.I.P: Siegel/Schwall Band (1974). The group’s members went their separate ways although they would occasionally perform together and released two albums during these brief reformations: The Siegel-Schwall Reunion Concert (1988) and Flash Forward (2005). Jim Schwall died on June 19, 2022, at the age of 79.

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