Born in Seattle, Washington, and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Dan began piano lessons at age eight, and started performing professionally as lead singer and guitarist in a rock band at the age of 12.
He holds a BS in Music Composition and a MM in Jazz Studies, and studied piano in Boston with the legendary Madam Chaloff.
After receiving a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, Dan began recording his own compositions with his band. In 1979 he was signed to Inner City Records, a New York based independent jazz label. His second album, The Hot Shot (1981), reached No.1 on the Radio & Records Jazz Chart and remained in Billboard’s Top 10 selling Jazz albums for 10 weeks. In 1983 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film and television work as well as a more active recording career. Since then, he has traveled and performed around the world in support of his numerous Top 10 recordings, and maintains a global audience.
Over the years, Dan’s albums have provided an abundance of diverse material, from the electronic oriented Another Time, Another Place (1984), (with Patrick O’Hearn and Alex Acuna) which Keyboard Magazine called the best keyboard oriented fusion LP of the year, to the exotic world music direction of Hemispheres (1995), which features an ensemble of eclectic musicians including; Bela Fleck, Ottmar Liebert, Andy Narell, Osamu Kitajima, and Dori Caymmi, playing in unique and unlikely combinations. He has produced several other projects, one of which is the group Birds of a Feather, a gathering of world-renown musicians that has included Larry Carlton, Boney James and Ernie Watts. Dan is a frequent traveler to Asia and in 1995 went to Beijing, to record and produce China’s first jazz band, Tien Square.
Siegel’s work as a TV and film composer has included the score for the cult film, Reform School Girls (1986), and Universal Studios dramatic TV series, Hard Copy (1987). He has worked as musical director/ conductor on the late night CBS TV show, Overtime with Pat O’Brien (1990). Dan has played on numerous TV and film projects as a session player, including the Oscar winning film, The Usual Suspects. Siegel has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including: Glenn Frey (The Eagles), Chaka Khan, Berlin, Philip Bailey (Earth Wind & Fire), Kenny Rankin, Hugh Masekela, Joe Sample, Herbie Hancock and the London Symphony Orchestra.
New CD Release - Sphere
As the carefully programmed commercial radio format dubbed “smooth jazz” has been steadily shrinking in recent years, longtime contemporary jazz fans that have been frustrated by the lack of musical originality are becoming more open to independent minded veteran artists who mix melody and groove with a deeper vision.
No artist captures this sense of heartfelt freewheeling joy and creativity than Dan Siegel, whose seminal 1987 album Northern Nights launched the keyboardist to instrumental stardom during the vibrant and ambitious early days of the format. His all acoustic, live in the studio 2006 Native Language album Departure brilliantly blended the melodic and rhythmic pop sensibilities he’s famous for with his traditional jazz roots. The multi-talented composer and keyboardist keeps the dynamic and organic momentum of this project going on his new release Sphere, which features some of the same top L.A. session cats that made the first collection groove so well: acoustic bassist Brian Bromberg (who also co-produces), saxman Bob Sheppard and percussionist Lenny Castro.
Siegel adds a few new “cats” to the sessions on Sphere, including electric bassist Alex Al (on “No Regrets” and “Good Fortune”), drummer Joel Taylor and electric guitarists Allen Hinds and Darrell Crooks. He also reaches back across the years for some bona fide superstar contributions by contemporary jazz legends Larry Carlton (who adds his inimitable electric guitar to the playful “elegant funk” flavored opening track “What Goes Around”) and Tom Scott (whose sax soars over the fiery Latin vibe of “No Regrets”). It’s a true full circle effect, as Carlton and Scott first recorded with the keyboardist on Siegel’s 1982 self-titled Elektra album. “Some of the songs on the album reminded me of music I recorded in the old days, so it made sense to bring Larry and Tom on board to add the same kind of magic,” he says.
Sphere, which follows Siegel’s unique 2008 side project Fables: Stories From the 80’s, a reimagining of his classic songs from that era, also features Grammy Award winning violinist Charlie Bisharat on the sensual and jazzy, ultra-exotic “Gypsy.” The track harkens back to Bisharat’s work on the keyboardist’s critically acclaimed 1994 world jazz album Hemispheres. Saxman Gary Meek contributes his soulful energy to the closing track “Wishful Thinking,” which begins in a coolly funky mode before exploding with a parting burst of blues/rock energy.
“My goal with Departure was to take the acoustic route like I always wanted to do and essentially create my own unique vibe, rather than chase commercial airplay as many artists did back in the day,” says Siegel. “I loved the whole texture of being grounded in a jazz trio setting, and having Brian co-produce and play acoustic bass was the key to making Sphere the logical follow-up to that recording. Looking back, however, Departure was somewhat introspective and the way the songs on Sphere took shape, the album has more groove and energy and may remind people of the optimistic spirit of my older hits. I don’t go in with preconceived notions, I just write in the style that feels good to me—and which sounds very current. Brian’s role is essential, because the minute you put an acoustic bass on there, it takes the songs sideways, down a notch from what passes for modern funk, but very cool.”
Other highlights on Sphere include the high spirited, grooving and jazzy “Good Fortune,” the mood swinging title track (which begins with dark edges before the optimistic piano reflections shine through), the thoughtful and nostalgic “Then And Now,” the slick, in the pocket bass driven urban jazz tune “Conundrum” and the wistful and romantic “If Not Now,” whose passion extends into a more rockin’ jazz realm towards the end.
Most longtime Siegel fans know his colorful recording history by heart. Some may be less aware of his unique musical ventures of the past few years, most prominently his work in Romania as musical director for pan flutist Damian Draghici and his Filarmonika Romanes, which includes numerous live performances as a popular television special last year; Siegel is also production coordinator for Romanian classical singer Angele Gheorghiu. He is also working with Bromberg on the bassist’s next solo recording and is doing development with young rock-classical violinist Antonio Ponterelli.
Backtracking: In the late 70s, the Eugene, Oregon native made a rudimentary demo of four songs that led to a multi-album deal with New York’s Inner City Records and the now classic recordings Nite Ride, Hot Spot and Oasis. Thanks to fellow keyboardist Jeff Lorber and a growing interest at certain radio outlets, Siegel was the focus of a mild bidding war between Clive Davis of Arista (Lorber’s label) and Elektra.
The result was 1982’s self titled album, which achieved its greatest success in Japan. His three mid 80’s recordings, Another Time, Another Place (1984), On The Edge (1985) and Short Stories (1986) were all later re-released by Sony, where Siegel achieved his greatest fame beginning with Northern Nights (and its still-played hit single “Rhapsody”). He is currently rerecording Another Time, Another Place with modern instrumentation for an impending commercial release.
After a handful of years away from the scene—after 1998’s Clairvoyance, he recorded a few new tracks for the Epic/Legacy retrospective Along The Way: The Best of Dan Siegel in 2000--Siegel viewed Inside Out and his deal with Native Language as an exciting opportunity to reach a whole new listening audience who might not have been there when Northern Nights, Late One Night (1989), Going Home (1991) and Reflections (1992) were setting the standards in the early days of “smooth jazz.”
“Trends may come and go and obviously the landscape has changed in terms of opportunities for every artist with something unique to contribute being able to get radio airplay,” Siegel says. “But thirty years after I first ventured down this road, music is still sacred to me, and I still find making music a spiritual and invigorating experience. I enjoy rolling with the changes and opportunities and hope I can keep sharing what I do with people for many years. There will always be an audience for quality songs and great playing, and I think fans will always recognize that our honesty as musicians comes from the fact that we do it because we love it. To me, it’s the essence of life.”
Website :- www.dansiegelmusic.com
