Karl E. H. Seigfried

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Karl E. H. Seigfried


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = birth date|1973|3|8
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Origin = flagicon|USA Evanston, Illinois, USA
Instrument = Double bass, Electric bass, Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
Genre = Jazz, Rock, Classical
Occupation = Bassist, Guitarist, Composer, Bandleader, Educator
Years_active = 1993 - Current
Label = Imaginary Chicago Records
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URL = [http://www.myspace.com/karlehseigfried/ Official website]
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Karl E. H. Seigfried (born 8 March 1973) is a German-American jazz, rock, and classical bassist, guitarist, composer, bandleader, and educator based in Chicago.

Seigfried has performed and taught on the double bass "in virtually all musical styles - from classical to avant garde jazz." [ [http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-19009.html Jazz Review article] ] His projects in Chicago and his wide-ranging collaborations have largely been centered on an effort to promote multiculturalism in music. [ [http://chicagoweekly.net/2008/05/28/the-new-chicago-sound-karl-siegfried-and-the-new-quartet-synthesize-a-unique-mix-of-jazz-and-rock-influences Chicago Weekly article] ] Critics have compared his double bass approach to those of Malachi Favors, Henry Grimes, Charlie Haden, [Cadence Magazine, March 2007, p113.] Charles Mingus, [Bass World, Vol.31, No. 1, 2007.] and Sirone. [Cadence Magazine, November 2004, p40.]

Performing

In his role as jazz bassist, Seigfried has performed with a wide variety of modern jazz performers, including Jim Baker, Robert Barry, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Ellis, Henry Grimes, Peter Kowald, and Bobby McFerrin. Although not a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Seigfried has performed with members from all generations of the Chicago organization, including Fred Anderson, Ajaramu, David Boykin, Ernest Dawkins, Fred Hopkins, Aaron Getsug, George Lewis, Nicole Mitchell, Roscoe Mitchell, Jeff Parker, Avreeayl Ra, and Isaiah Spencer. He currently leads the New Quartet, the Seigfried Trio, and the Galaxy String Quartet.

In the classical world, Seigfried is member of the Chicago Sinfonietta, and performed with them for collaborations with Poi Dog Pondering and Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer; he is also featured in the orchestra's chamber ensembles. He plays Principal Bass for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, where he has led the bass section behind soloists Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Evelyn Glennie, Hilary Hahn, Sharon Isbin, Yo-Yo Ma, and Itzhak Perlman. [ [http://www.peoriasymphony.org/musician/index.asp Peoria Symphony Orchestra website] ] He is a member of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, often playing principal, jazz, and electric bass for the group, and he plays Principal Bass for the Erato Chamber Orchestra. He also played bass for the Chicago premieres of both the Lord of the Rings Symphony and the Music of Final Fantasy.

In rock, Seigfried is a co-founder of Thunor, a project with Alan Davey, frontman of the British group Hawkwind; the band performs a mixture of British psychedelia and Chicago-style jazz and metal. [ [http://www.alandaveymusic.co.uk/info1.htm Alan Davey website] ] Seigfried fronts the Soul Power Trio and is a member of both the hip hop group Now's Disciples and the alternative country band the Lost Cartographers. [ [http://lostcartographers.com/about.shtml Lost Cartographers website] ] He is a member of the space rock supergroup Spirits Burning, which features members of Hawkwind, Citizen Fish, Gong, Psychic TV, and Jefferson Starship; their psychedelic cover of "Ace of Spades" (featuring Hawkwind vocalist Bridget Wishart) was included on the 2008 Motörhead tribute album "Sheep in Wolves' Clothing." [ [http://home.earthlink.net/~falcone/SSEnews.html Spirits Burning website] ]

Recording

Seigfried's recordings include the trio album, "Boykin, Seigfried, & Reed"; the album of solo bass, "Criminal Mastermind"; and the work for mixed quartet, "Blue Rhizome", all of which feature his original compositions. [ [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician_discography.php?id=16665 All About Jazz discography (incomplete)] ] The recording by the trio (with saxophonist David Boykin and drummer Mike Reed) has been described as "the true definition of the Chicago avant-garde. Their music sometimes floats calmly like a river and sometimes swings with great violence." [After Hours (Japan), No. 20, 2005.] The solo recording demonstrates that Seigfried's "musical influences, as heard in his playing, are many and varied: the listener will detect styles such as jazz, classical, old guitar-based rural blues (think Robert Johnson), perhaps even traditional Japanese music." [Bass World, Vol.31, No. 1, 2007.] Of the quartet recording, "ein grosses Thema des Albums auch in musikalischer Hinsicht ist das Überschreiten von Grenzen und das Hinterfragen der eigenen Werturteile"("a large theme of the album, also in a musical respect, is the transcending of borders and the questioning of our own value judgements"). [ [http://www.aufabwegen.de/magazin/?p=24#more-24 Aufabwegen Magazin, July 2008] ]

Writing & Teaching

Seigfried holds a doctorate in Double Bass Performance, and his treatise on Wilbur Ware is the only scholarly work on the African-American Chicago bassist. [ [http://repositories1.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/919 "At Once Old-Timey & Avant-Garde: The Innovation & Influence of Wilbur Ware"] ] His teachers included Jimmy Cheatham, Richard Davis, Carol Kaye, and Bertram Turetzky. Seigfried is currently working with Bertram Turetzky on the pioneering double bassist's autobiography, and he is a long-time writer on boxing for East Side Boxing. [ [http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&cof=AWFID%3A67bae945d2e2821c%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eastsideboxing.com%2Ffotos%2FUntitledcopy.jpg%3BLH%3A80%3BLW%3A550%3BGL%3A2%3BBGC%3A%23000000%3BT%3A%23cccccc%3BLC%3A%23FFB903%3BVLC%3A%23FFCC00%3BALC%3A%23FFB903%3BGALT%3A%23cccccc%3BGFNT%3A%23ffffff%3BGIMP%3A%23ffffff%3BDIV%3A%23FFB903%3BLBGC%3A%23000000%3BAH%3Acenter%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eastsideboxing.com%3B&domains=eastsideboxing.com&q=Karl+E.+H.+Seigfried&btnG=Search&sitesearch=eastsideboxing.com East Side Boxing article archive] ] He is Bass Faculty at St. Xavier University and Trinity Christian College, Bass & Guitar Faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago and Carthage College, and Instructor in Music History & Theory at Loyola University Chicago's School of Continuing and Professional Studies; [Chicago Magazine, August 2007, p90.] he previously held faculty positions at Knox College, Rock Valley College, and Western Illinois University. [ [http://www.musicinstituteofchicago.org/school_faculty.php?dept=dep_string Music Institute of Chicago website] ]

Partial Discography

As a Sideman:

*"E.C.F.A." (with Peter Kowald) (2000, Pull the String)
*"Live at the Spareroom" (with Microcosmic Sound Orchestra) (2005, SHM)
*"Sheep in Wolves' Clothing" (with Spirits Burning) (2008, MHB)

As Leader:

*"Boykin, Seigfried, & Reed" (2004, Imaginary Chicago)
*"Criminal Mastermind" (2006, Imaginary Chicago)
*"The New Quartet: Blue Rhizome" (2008, Imaginary Chicago)

References

* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15043 All About Jazz article I]
* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=24077 All About Jazz article II]
* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gvfyxqldldje/ Allmusic Guide article]
* [http://www.cosmik.com/aa-october04/reviews/review_boykin_seigfried_and_reed.html Cosmik Debris article]
* [http://www.the-improvisor.com/New%20REVIEWS/2007/Criminal%20Mastermind.html The Improvisor article]
* [http://centerstage.net/music/whoswho/KarlEHSeigfried.html Centerstage Chicago profile]
* [http://imaginarychicago.com/seigfried.shtml Imaginary Chicago Records profile]
* [http://www.myspace.com/karlehseigfried/ Official website]

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