Jim Schwall, Guitar, Mandolin, singer-songwriter - is the co-leader of the Siegel-Schwall Band, "one of the best acts in America", - Billboard Magazine. The Boston Globe has called Mr. Schwall "undoubtedly the best electric guitarist in the country."
In the 1960's, the Siegel- Schwall Band was signed overnight by Vanguard Records and later RCA. During the late 1960's and early 1970's the band drew capacity crowds to the most popular clubs and auditoriums in the U.S., while their records received world acclaim. Along with their peers, Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musslewhite, Siegel-Schwall introduced Chicago blues to the large rock audience.
At the suggestion of world-renown Music Director, Seiji Ozawa, Siegel-Schwall recorded an historic landmark work William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa conducting the San Francisco Symphony on premier classical label Deutsche Grammophon. This 1971 recording was a block-buster in sales world-wide, and scored very high on the Billboard charts. In 1974, at the height of their career, Siegel-Schwall disbanded.
In 1988, the group reunited for a reunion concert for popular radio station, WXRT in Chicago, which resulted in their 13th recording, this time live on Alligator Records. The Chicago Tribune cheered the recording as, "...something to celebrate", and Billboard calls it a "...stellar live performance."
Mr. Schwall has recently received a PhD. in music, and has divided his time between performances and as a Professor of Music. Currently, Mr. Schwall lives in Madison where he was a candidate for Mayor of that city, as well as a high school subsititute teacher and a grad student in art at the University of Wisconsin. He has had many critically acclaimed shows of his photography work, and still plays the classic electrified Gibson B-25 acoustic guitar which he's used extensively since acquiring it in 1959.
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