Number Six (Concerto for blues harmonica)

The three Movments of “Symphonic Blues #6” plus a Coda and a Chamber Blues extra. Solo violin work Opus 11 to come to complete album

This project is 100% funded. Mostly for the recording artists. I didn’t spend a penny on it. This is a result of the community of artists, production people, and crowdfunding fans doing something together. I invite “new” contributors to join us and have your name listed on the on-line credits. Read More

Please note, that at the end of movement 2 and 3, we have included the live performance of the cadenzas from the 2008 premiere. The original orchestra has been digitally removed from the recording and replaced with the new players. I love the way the listener is transported from their listening space and into the auditorium with audience. The extended applause in the 3rd movement is followed by some quips by me that I think puts a punctuation on the whole event. The three works are based on some of my favorite Chamber Blues moments. - Corky Siegel

CREDITS

In Progress

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

ORCHESTRA MEMBERS (photos below)

2 Flutes: Stefan Hoskuldsson
2 Clarinets: John Yeh
2 Oboes: Deb Stevensen
2 Bassoons: Natalie Hoskuldsson
2 French Horns: Greg Flint
3 Calling Birds: and a patron in a pear tree
2 Trumpets: David Gauger
1 Trombone: Ignacio del Rey
1 Tuba: Charlie Schuchat
Violins 1: Jaime Gorgojo
Violins 2: Chihsuan Yang
Violas: Jeff Yang
Cellos: Jocelyn Butler Shoulders (2), and Allegra Montanari
Basses: Robert Kassinger, Collins Trier, Douglas Johnson,
Timpani: Kalyan Pathak
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

Editing Assistent: Jon Tidey and Jaime Gorgojo
Contracting Assistance: Dean Rolando - Chicago Musicians Union
Harmonica Advisor: Joe Filisko

MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR. Elizabeth Foster, Gordon Radley

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,

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

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 // Direct Contributions from “Unrecorded Love” website page: Jill Mchugh, Martin Anderson, Dan Hearty, Peter Glarborg

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
I’ve created this space after I received a significant cash birthday present from Barbra Marks and Bettye Kelly (Howlin’ Wolf’s daughters). What can I do with this monetary gift to honor the life of their father whom I owe so much, who carried me away with his music and then took me under his wing and honored my life. And then what about the daughters of Sam Lay (Debbie Lay) and Little Walter (Marian Diaz) who also honored me with their presence at my 80th birthday celebration concert. And then the families of Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy, and Otis Spann, and all the other blues masters and blues player’s families. And then there is Seiji Ozawa, and William Russo (depicted below) and their families who are all part of my musical existence. I’m putting Barbra and Bettye’s gift toward Symphonic Blues #6, and dedicating the work to all the above, and all who are not mentioned here in words, but are part of everything I do.

NOTES: As I work on the liner notes, I will share this:

When I was asked on multiple occasions to compose Symphonic Blues #6 for Stephen Gunzenhauser and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, I actually turned it down a number of years in a row because it would be just too much work for a little blues music player to write a whole symphonic work, much less from scratch. I had already completed a sonata commission for full orchestra from the San Francisco Symphony in 1975. For me “Sonata” means a classical work with a singer. i.e. a “song.” And even that one project was enough. My one time agent and long time friend, David Koppel, brought the tape of that 1976 performance at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco with Arthur Fiedler conducting, and 6000 fans in the audience, to Steve Ovisky. He was managing the Grant Park Symphony and he immediately commissioned me to add more works to the 20 minute set of sonatas. I accepted that commission from Steve Ovitsky as well as the invitation to do the works from the National Symphony — also in the 1900s. One year later Steve Ovistky offered me another commission. This work was called'; “Blues for a Green Planet,” and was conducted at Grant Park by David Amram.

Though I had turned down the invitation a number of times, Gunzenhauser finally called me to tell me that he scheduled my new work for a 2008 premier. Ok. Ok. I finally accepted Stephen Gunzenhauser’s commission with the understanding that I would base the three movements on three Chamber Blues works that I wanted to explore further and expand in every direction. It turned out beautiful — we played it all around the world to amazing success, and I received incredible recognition (as a composer) from major persons in the classical world.

So the three movements are based on 1) Opus 12 - Filisko’s Dream; 2) Opus 19 - Uptown Shoes; 3) Opus 8 - Allegro. Opus 8 was inspired from a bass-line Rollo Radford (Bassist for Siegel-Schwall) played on the song Midnight Radio I wrote with James Lee Stanley. When I composed Opus 8 and the 3rd movement of Symphonic Blues, I envisioned Rollo there with me. I’ve added a coda from Symphonic Blues #7 composed in 2017. The Coda will feature Kalyan Pathak in an extended tabla solo embedded in the orchestra. Opus 12 - Filisko’s Dream (and the 1st movement), is named after Joe Filisko, harmonica builder, customizer, repair guru and player. He is an important figure for Hohner Harmonicas and also 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. Because Joe is so in deep into working on the instrument, understanding it’s history, and yes, playing it, I felt it would be remiss of me if I didn’t take lessons from Joe to learn a little more about what he knew. My slowly developing tongue blocking technique (more of the traditional blues style of playing) is based on lessons from Joe. My long term style is known in the harmonica world as “pursing” or “single note” playing. I developed this style early on because I was transposing what I had known on the tenor saxophone to the harmonica. I never explored tongue blocking until I ran into Billy Branch and he took a few seconds and showed me how he does it. This work doesn’t call for tongue blocking but I used it here and there anyway.

I must interject a story here. I was playing the Mexico Music Festival with Siegel-Schwall probably in 2008, with our guest singer Marcella Detroit. On a 2nd night of the festival, Billy Branch was playing an outdoor gig and he invited me and Marcy (who also played harp) to come on stage and play with him. But he introduced me and told this story which I will tell from my perspective. I was playing the Quiet Knight, probably 1970. A young kid was in the audience and he was playing harmonica along with the band. I stopped the band cold and said; “Hey kid, you are doing it wrong.” And then I played the lick again and said; “Try it.” He played it and I started up the band again. I had given Billy Branch a 10 second harmonica lesson and many years later - maybe 2005 he returned the favor. Later on I began taking lessons with Joe.

More to come. I will talk about my relationship with Seiji Ozawa to which this project is dedicated. And also William Russo of course.

I’m gathering images from the players