Siegel-Schwall

Siegel-Schwall / August 16th, 2008 / The Yale Hotel / Vancouver, Canada

Alligator Records blues band Siegel-Schwall packed out the Yale Hotel on August 16 as they stopped in Vancouver, Canada on their farewell tour. What is impressive is their appearance fell on a Thursday night and it there was barely a place to stand long before they band hit the stage.

The boisterous crowd responded by dancing, cheering and clapping throughout almost every song as the various members of the band took turns soloing. They reveled in the harp work of Corky Siegel, the note bending riffs of guitarist Jim Schwall and the smooth bass work of Rollo Radford, as the band played one of their signature tunes “I’m A King Bee” (Say Siegel-Schwall—1967).

Singing the song that he wrote, “You Don’t Love Me,” also from the Say Siegel-Schwall album, Jim Schwall took the lead on both vocals and guitar. Schwall also took the lead later in the set with another of his original tunes “I Think It Was The Wine,” a song which featured a jagged syncopated beat and sounds like it may have been written in 6/8 time. “I Think It Was The Wine,” (released in 1973 as a 45 rpm)is one of those songs fans like to sing along with because it has a great chorus and is fun.

Radford leaned into the microphone with the mean spirited vocals to “Krazy,” a tune that sounds a lot like a catfight.

The quick tempo “Hide And Seek,” demonstrated the other facet of Siegel’s musicianship, his nimble piano chops. Sam Lay’s vocal performance was nothing short of magnificent. Not one member of the band appeared fatigued by the end of this energetic romp only underlying the tightness of a group of incredible musicians who have performed together for a number of years.

The band then played the tune Radford penned, “I Wanna Love Ya” from the Siegel-Schwall Band: Sleepy Hollow (1972). The song featured lots of heavy cymbals, some more guitar note bending and the lead vocals of Siegel.

Being at this concert was, I imagine, a lot like being on a runaway train. The journey started quickly, and the pace just kept accelerating. The crowd came to have fun and they enjoyed the party that the Siegel-Schwall Band put on at the Yale Hotel.

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Reviewed August 16, 2007