Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeff "Siege" Siegel: Live in Europe

Jeff "Siege" Siegel: Live in Europe

By Karen Hogg
August 2, 2009
View read count

Drummer/composer Jeff Siegel's Live in Europe presents highlights from two radio shows recorded overseas in 2005. Siegel's quartet—tenor saxophonist

Erica Lindsay

saxophone, tenor
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Erica Lindsay, pianist

" data-original-title="" title="">Francesca Tanksley and bassist Danton Boller—perform four of Siegel's compositions as well as tunes by Tanksley and Lindsay.

Lindsay's opening "Elvin's Circle" is a moody, propulsive tribute to the great drummer

Elvin Jones

drums
1927 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvin Jones, with searing and rhythmic playing from its composer. Siegel's "Rag Tag" starts off with a hypnotic, repetitive groove and transitions into two duets, first between the bass and tenor and then piano and drums. The latter is particularly interesting, a lively exchange of rhythmic ideas mixed with Tanksley's quirky harmonic sensibilities. The tune, which was a finalist for the "Best Performance" category in the 2005 International Songwriting competition, closes by returning to the catchy melody.

Tanksley's "Dance in the Question" is a lively, energizing piece of music; the tone Lindsay coaxes from her saxophone is warm and round, yet pointed at the same time. Boller and Siegel make a great rhythm section, managing to be grounded and innovative simultaneously.

Compositions by Siegel make up the second half of the recording. The ballad "Shifting Sands" resonates with contemplative beauty. While the term "melodic drummer" might seem like an abstraction, the description certainly fits Siegel. His phrasing and ideas have such a musical quality to them, they draw the listener inside while supporting the band and propelling the tune forward.

"Stealth" starts off with a sinister-sounding bass line from Boller, and turns into a swinging full-band workout. The closing "Remembering Shirley" honors singer/pianist

Shirley Horn

piano
1934 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Shirley Horn and the 10-bar blues is one of the highlights of the recording, a showcase for Tanksley and Lindsay.

Many groups tend to be strong in one or two areas but lacking in others; the musicians might be great soloists but not have strong writing skills. Jeff "Siege" Siegel's quartet manages to be accomplished across the board and Live in Europe is a portrait of a stellar group of musicians and writers at their best.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Elvin's Circle; Rag Tag; Dance in the Question; Shifting Sands; Stealth; Remembering Shirley.

Personnel

Jeff "Siege" Siegel: drums; Erica Lindsay: tenor saxophone; Francesca Tanksley: piano; Danton Boller: bass.

Album information

Title: Live in Europe | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: ARC - Artists Recording Collective

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Tim Daisy: Tea Music, The Disappoint...
< Previous

Charlie Parker: Bird in Time & Washi...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.