Ian Siegal

Born in the deep south (of England) in 1971, Ian's earliest musical memories are of the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Chuck Berry. But it was on hearing the great Little Richard that he really caught the music bug and became nothing short of obsessive. This lead him into a life-long passion for the Blues and all of its various branches, and most of all, the man he calls "The Blues God" - the inimitable Muddy Waters.
At 16 he began to roadie for his cousin's band and one night, he was asked to sing. The result was a blown-away audience and a delighted young vocal talent with a long career ahead of him.
It was 2 years later that he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play, listening to the likes of Muddy, B.B King, Robert Cray and Albert Collins. At 20 he dropped out of Art college and travelled to Berlin, busking for a living. This is where he says his playing dramatically improved as, if he didn't make money, he didn't eat!
A visit to Nottingham resulted in a five year stay and Ian's first band became one of the most popular on the local scene, with a residency at renowned venue the Running Horse attracting full houses and appearances at Colne and Burnley festivals getting rave reviews. His first album "Picture Postcards" showed Ian to be a gifted songwriter with a deep understanding of musical traditions, but with an eye on the future.
Moving to London in to further his career was inevitable and Ian became an established part of the London Blues community almost immediately. That's where today's Ian Siegal band was born.
Many gigs followed, along with a number of appearances with American artists. He has also sung with other bands,notably with The Lee Sankey Group and can be heard on the album "Tell Me There's A Sun".
All the time Siegal's writing and playing skills developed, and appearances on larger festival stages to bigger audiences - such as Edinburgh, Lugano, Peer, North Sea Jazz - enabled him to hone his skills into becoming one of the most naturally exciting and vibrant talents on the scene today.
Ian's first major CD release was in 2004, although it was recorded two years earlier. For "Standing In The Morning" Ian drafted in some of the top players around to supplement his band, in particular the horns of Nick Payne, Frank Mead, Martin Winning, Sid Gauld and John Beecham. The album is an entirely original composition, with reviewers drawing comparisons with Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John and Van the Man.
The album "Meat & Potatoes", released in April 2005 saw Ian returning to his roots with an album of powerful urban Blues, which he describes as "stripped down, mean and moody and as close as you can get to our live performances". "This album is a rare combinationof cleverness and craft" **** (excellent) PENGUIN BOOK OF BLUES RECORDINGS
Each year the stages get bigger, but what sticks most in Ian's mind is his guest appearance with 92 year old Pinetop Perkins and some of the surviving members of Muddy waters' band at London's Jazz Café in 2005, to a packed house. Then at a festival in Norway, in a role reversal, these legends of post-war Blues spontaneously joined Ian on stage for what turned into an hour long set!
"I don't have to tell him nothin'-he got it.... SOUL!" HUBERT SUMLIN.