Karl E. H. Seigfried performs as a contrabassist, electric bassist, acoustic guitarist, and electric guitarist.
As a jazz bassist, he has received international recoginition for his solo album, CRIMINAL MASTERMIND. His newest release is BLUE RHIZOME, a recording of the extended work he wrote for and performed with the New Quartet on a composition grant from Gallery 37.
He has performed on stage with a wide variety of major artists in modern jazz, including Fred Anderson, Jim Baker, Robert Barry, David Boykin, Anthony Davis, Henry Grimes, Fred Hopkins, Peter Kowald, George Lewis, Bobby McFerrin, and Roscoe Mitchell. His own groups have featured Ernest Dawkins, Jimmy Ellis, Aaron Getsug, Nicole Mitchell, Jeff Parker, Isaiah Spencer, and Avreeayl Ra. He currently leads the New Quartet, the Seigfried Trio, the the Galaxy String Quartet, and plays electric bass for alt.country superstars the Lost Cartographers.
As a classical bassist, Karl plays Principal Bass for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, where he has led the bass section behind Emmanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Evelyn Glennie, Hilary Hahn, Sharon Isbin, Yo-Yo Ma, and Itzhak Perlman. He is a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta, where he has played behind Poi Dog Pondering and Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer, and the Rockford Symphony, where he often plays principal, jazz, and electric bass. He played bass for the Chicago premieres of both the Lord of the Rings Symphony and the Music of Final Fantasy. He also performs regularly as a member of FAQtet, the chamber group of the Chicago Sinfonietta.
As a lead guitarist, Karl leads the Soul Power Trio and is a member of the hip hop quintet Now's Disciples. He is currently laying down orchestras of guitars and basses for a new recording by the group Thunor, which is a collaboration with Alan Davey, frontman of the legendary British space rock band Hawkwind. Cover art for the first Thunor recording will be by Boo Cook, who drew Karl's cameo in JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE 265 (see pic at left).
Recent recordings on Imaginary Chicago Records include the trio album, BOYKIN, SEIGFRIED, & REED, the album of unaccompanied solo bass music, CRIMINAL MASTERMIND, and the extended composition BLUE RHIZOME by the New Quartet. Projects now under construction include recordings of original jazz with the Seigfried Trio and a duet project with bass innovator Bertram Turetzky. Karl is also currently working with Mr. Turetzky on his long-awaited autobiography.
Karl is a proud member of the space rock supergroup Spirits Burning, which features members of Hawkwind, Citizen Fish, Gong, Psychic TV, and Jefferson Starship. His latest recording with the group is a psychedelic cover of "Ace of Spades" for the Motorhead tribute cd SHEEP IN WOLVES' CLOTHING, where Karl plays acoustic bass.
Karl holds a doctorate in Double Bass Performance, and his
treatise on Wilbur Ware remains the only scholarly work on the Chicago bassist. Karl is a photographer, writes on boxing for East Side Boxing, and trains as a bodybuilder. He currently serves as Bass & Guitar Faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago.
Cheers friend, an honour having you here, be well, and do enjoy the library/blog's contents, here's hoping that it'll inspire you, as your creative spirit has inspired mine, sweet dreams then...
Wow, well, that is good to hear, guess there must be some connection there then, Ironically when we think about it, the Rune I use for my project is very fitting for this concept, the connection of the Folk, and the Will we all have within us.
Very great song, indeed it has that same feel within the playing! That is amazing... :)
I would very much like to read the Wilber Ware book. How can I get it? I am a big fan of his playing. I met him once when I was in Philadelphia. that was a thrill.
Are you alright? I think I need to buy you a tall striped 'Cat in the Hat', hat...you are juggling soooo many musical spheres, my friend. How DO you do it (my enquiring mind wants to know...)?
Hey Karl e. h..., I just bought you on Buy your Friends. Follow the link below to see how much you're worth: <br/><br/> http://profile.myspace.com/Modules/Applications/Pages/Canvas.aspx?appId=107717 <br/><br/>Oh and to the fans out there, buy Karl e. h... and show some love!!!
How are you mr?<br />Haven't heard from you in a while<br /><br />
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Taxi's to Chicago from the channel Islannds are pricy at the mo, otherwise I'd be there Sat night! Best of luck with it anyhow! I'm sure it will be a blast.
Thank you very much for the compliment. But it is YOU, who truly 'rocks around the clock'.... I love your Duet with McFerrin (big smile), just as much as I do your Thunor 'teasers'!
