Ian Siegal

Ian Siegal

Ian Siegal is a British blues singer and guitarist from Portsmouth, born in 1971. He records both as a solo artist and with a number of named line-ups, including Ian Siegal Band, Ian Siegal & The Score, Ian Siegal And The Youngest Sons, Ian Siegal & The Mississippi Mudbloods, and Ian Siegal & Jimbo Mathus. His work spans blues, blues rock and electric blues.

Early life and musical beginnings

Born Ian Berry, Siegal grows up with early musical memories of artists such as Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. He later says that Little Richard is the artist who really draws him into music and leads him towards a lifelong interest in the blues, especially Muddy Waters. At 16 he begins occasionally roadie-ing for his cousin’s band and is then unexpectedly asked to sing one night, an experience that reveals his vocal ability. Two years later he takes up guitar and teaches himself by listening to Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Robert Cray and Albert Collins.

Career development

At 20, Siegal leaves art college and travels to Berlin, where he busks for a living. When he returns to England, he decides on music as his career. He spends five years in Nottingham, where his first band becomes popular locally, holds a residency at The Running Horse, and appears at the Colne and Burnley festivals. His first album is Picture Postcards.

After moving to London, he becomes part of the city’s blues scene and performs regularly. He also appears with American blues acts including Phil Guy, Sugar Blue, Nappy Brown, Eddie Kirkland, Catfish Keith and Jimmie Vaughan. He sings with other bands as well, notably The Lee Sankey Group, and appears on the album Tell Me There's a Sun.

Albums, collaborations and recognition

Siegal’s first major CD release is I Shall Be Standing In The Morning by Ian Siegal Band in 2001. For that album, he brings in a number of horn players, including Nick Payne, Frank Mead, Martin Winning, Sid Gauld and John Beecham, musicians who have worked with The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Albert Collins and Buddy Guy. The album consists entirely of original material, and reviewers compare it with artists such as Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John and Van Morrison.

Meat & Potatoes follows in 2005. On this recording he expands his core trio with guitarist Matt Schofield, who also produces the album, and Jonny Henderson on Hammond organ. In 2008 he releases The Dust. In 2009, Broadside appears with Andy Graham on bass and Nikolaj Bjerre on drums, and Mojo votes it Blues Album of the Year for 2009.

His 2011 album The Skinny is recorded in North Mississippi under the name Ian Siegal And The Youngest Sons, with Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars as producer and contributor. The line-up includes Robert Kimbrough and Garry Burnside on guitar and bass, Rod Bland on drums, and guest appearances from Alvin Youngblood Hart and Duwayne Burnside.

In 2012, Ian Siegal & The Mississippi Mudbloods perform at the Manchester Bluesfest and the set is recorded by the BBC. He later appears as a guest interviewee on Paul Jones’s BBC Radio 2 programme. After a 2013 appearance at the London Bluesfest, he releases Man & Guitar in 2014, recorded by the BBC and issued by Nugene Records. In 2016 he records the live album Wayward Sons with Jimbo Mathus.

Other work

Siegal also spends several years performing with France’s Orchestre National de Jazz in Broadway in Satin, a programme of Billie Holiday songs. He performs with a 12-piece orchestra of young musicians and with French singer Karen Lanaud, and takes the show to festivals in France, South America and East Africa.