By Frank Götz, 2023
Meet Ian Siegal, one of the best contemporary bluesmen England has to offer. He’s one of the most versatile and original voices on the roots music scene today. Siegal has a number of fine albums out and he tours regularly, either alone or with a band, and his shows are always fresh and steeped in blues tradition. It’s hard to say what’s more captivating, his gut bucket delivery, the instrumental chops or his wry sense of humor. One thing’s for sure, Siegal seems equally comfortable performing with amplified instruments as in an unplugged singer-songwriter setting. He has played and toured with the best of them, including Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Shemekia Copeland, and Alvin Youngblood Hart, for whom he opened in 2022.
Siegal’s list of achievements includes 13 U.K. Blues Awards, three Mojo Blues Albums of the Year, four European Blues Music Awards and three U.S. Blues Awards nominations. And that’s just scratching the surface. Yet ,while the blues provide a bedrock for his songs, his performances are always a unique and deeply satisfying blend of Americana styles: folk, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, early rock ‘n’ roll – this guy does it all, and then some. His covers sound like originals, and the originals will leave you wondering how old the song really is. Mr. Siegal simply adores U.S. music, and when he plays, he does it with a swagger that’ll knock your socks off and leave you begging for more.
It all began in the 1990s, touring Europe as a street musician, busking his way into various clubs and festivals. Then, in 2003, the man from Portsmouth suddenly found himself as the opener for ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman and his Rhythm Kings on a major European tour. That was followed by an extended tour with Big Bill Morganfield, the son of Muddy Waters. In 2009, he thrilled audiences with The Braindogs, a group performing nothing but Tom Waits songs. He has released 13 CDs to date and is by no means devoted to just one genre as his “Broadway in Satin”-project illustrates, a fantastic Billie Holiday review with a full orchestra of handpicked musicians. For years Siegal was based in London, but after the rent prices exploded, he moved to Holland and to an undisclosed “island” where he currently resides. He remains a fixture on the European roots music scene, with selected gigs and small tours as far off as Canada, South America and East Africa.
So why include an artist as eclectic as this in a directory of the traditional country blues? Well, we have good and bad news. The bad news is, Siegal doesn’t play ‘em, at least not in a superficial way. Anyone looking for note-for-note renditions of old school classics will have to search elsewhere, because that’s not what this bloke is about. If, however, you are willing to try an artist who is talented and innovative enough to respectfully push the boundaries of an age-old tradition, then this might be your man. Few people today are better than he is.
You could start with The Dust, Siegal’s first acoustic blues album on the Nugene label (2008), or jump to his most recent release, a treasure trove of rootsy gems titled Stone By Stone (2022, Grow Vision Records). Both albums are fine offerings, perfectly suitable as introductions to a musician who, sadly, is still rather underappreciated in the States, even in the blues community. Standout tracks on The Dust are a gospel-blues tune called “I’ll Fly Away” and the final track on the disc, an insanely good homage to Howlin’ Wolf. Stone By Stone, on the other hand, is one of Siegal’s finest traditional blues outings so far, with too many highlights to mention. Don’t miss “Holler”, a masterclass in blues belting that would’ve made Muddy & Co. proud. But it’s not just Siegal’s sheer vocal power that makes this so memorable. It’s his guitar work and the groove and the deep blues feeling. If this doesn’t give you the chills, nothing ever will.
Also recommended are The Picnic Sessions (2014, Nugene), a kind of field recording and collaborative effort with Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jimbo Mathus and the world-famous Dickinson brothers. Kindred spirits for sure, all with their own profiles in this directory, so if you like your blues rough & rowdy, you won’t want to miss this delightful CD, recorded at the Dickinson’s ranch in the North Mississippi Hill Country. “We had a blast”, writes Siegal in the liner notes, stating that they cut “ten songs in the space of two leisurely afternoon sessions.” And what an improvisational treat this is…
“This, very definitely, is old school”, Mr. Siegal explains. “There are no concessions to modern technology; and there was not a lot of planning either. Everyone simply grabbed the nearest instrument and played, so you can hear guitars, mandolin, mandocello, and banjo among the various instruments used. […] There’s something liberating about recording casually without the pressure of having to produce an album. So don’t expect perfection, it’s more to do with the vibe, which you can gather from some of the banter that ensued between songs. We had a blast, like kids let out of class!”
Finally, we have Man & Guitar (2014, Nugene), Siegal’s solo acoustic set at the 2013 London Bluesfest. It’s a live album, recorded for a BBC broadcast, and anyone still in doubt about his inclusion here should check it out. The show features an artist at the top of his game, and of all the CDs covered here, this is our favorite. Why? Because it sounds like the ol’ busker has come full circle, only now he’s playing the Royal Albert Hall, one of the most prestigious venues in the world. It’s a confident, eclectic performance that veers from country, spirituals, folk and Tom Waits-inspired ballads to some old-fashioned blues tunes without losing focus or steam. Siegal’s raw, gravelly baritone perfectly complements his fierce instrumental work, revealing a stunning slide guitarist and fingerstyle picker in the Delta and Piedmont veins. He does it all with vigor and reckless abandon, and just when you think he might go off the deep end, Siegal lightens things up with some hilarious comments and interludes. Clearly he’s a storyteller and a skillful entertainer to boot.
This chap is the real deal, folks, so hang on to your hats ‘n’ hearts. Here is a world-class player keeping the country blues alive as if his own life depended on it.