Complementary Colors

Corky Siegel, Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 29, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gadfly Records
• ASIN: B00000AGII
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,479 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Niño: Opus 18

2. Aunt Lila's Suite: Complementary Colors, Opus 17

3. Aunt Lila's Suite: Burnt Sienna, Opus 14

4. Aunt Lila's Suite: Raw Umber, Opus 15

5. Aunt Lila's Suite: Slow Indigo, Opus 16

6. It's Too Early in the Morning, Irene

7. Pizzicato Blue

8. Two Part Trilogy: Uptown Shoes, Opus 19

9. Two Part Trilogy: Downtown Blues, Opus 20

10. Goodbye California

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Blues Keeps on growing, May 26, 2002

By 

Stephen T. Wishnevsky "St. Wishnevsky" (Winston-Salem, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complementary Colors (Audio CD)

Purists hate it, see above, but they got a hole in their souls. This is so much fun, I can't believe it. Imagine a blues record that makes you laugh out loud, and a classical record that will have you boogieing across the room. Warm and dry, wry and sly, Corky Siegel will put some shaking in your shaker and some blues in your brain. I have always been attracted to the exquisite melodies of the blues, and the musicians on this cd have an obvious love for the music form. It is such a kick to hear a cello punching out Muddy Waters' bass lines, while Corky plays the cleanest blues melodies on the planet. Buy this sucker.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless Integration, October 26, 2001

By 

Chuck (The Great White North) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complementary Colors (Audio CD)

Corky Siegel is clearly the best blues harmonica player on the planet. He takes that instrument and blends it flawlessly into a different medium, the string quartet. After several listens to this CD, it is clear the instruments were made for each other. The highlight of the CD is the clear, thoughtful production that gives each instrument its own space and qualities. My only criticism is that some of the pieces are retreatments of his solo piano work in the last 1970s.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Lousy Marriage, July 4, 2000

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Complementary Colors (Audio CD)

One can't fault Corky Siegel's imagination, but rather than a serious attempt at a marriage between classical music and blues, Complementary Colors comes off as a parody of a marriage between the two. Though he brings in some obviously skilled musicians to assist his project, the album falls far short of my expectations. I was a fan of the old Siegel-Schwall Blues Band in their heyday and was eager to see what new material might be available. When Complementary Colors came to my attention, I snapped it up. The concept of a bluesman working with a string quartet was intriguing. Alas, it didn't work here. Despite all that, I actually found one composition to be quite enjoyable. Slow Indigo:Opus 16 has a very nice bluesy feel to it. Now if only the rest of the album was as good! There were several cuts featuring vocals and they all stunk. The lyrics range from lame to downright silly. Perhaps this album is an indulgence of whimsy on Siegel's part and perhaps he doesn't give a flying frijol about sales volume, but he should try something else next time. As presented, the pairing of blues and classical music makes for a lousy marriage.