Just two years after she first picked up the instrument in her native Australia, Tal Wilkenfeld commenced studies at Los Angeles Academy of Music. She split college for New York City wherein she sat in on local jam sessions and quickly built her reputation as a top player. An invitation by Allman Brothers Oteil Burbridge and Derek Trucks to join the band on stage at their annual Beacon Theater residency led to widespread exposure and an impressive audition tape which she sent to Jeff Beck. Within months of that performance, Tal waxed her debut slab Transformation (2006) and was on the bandstand with Chick Corea. She later joined Beck’s band for several tours, one of which is captured on the incendiary Live At Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
Wilkenfeld quickly rose to the top echelons of her profession, which is where she sits now, collaborating with the crème de la crème of rock, jazz, and pop artists including Prince, Herbie Hancock, Warren Hayes, Corinne Bailey Rae, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, The Roots, Wayne Krantz, David Gilmour, Macy Gray, Ryan Adams, Pharrell, Buddy Guy, Jackson Browne, Todd Rundgren, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, and Dr. John to cite a very select few. Tal’s weapons of choice are Sadowsky basses, and EBS amplifiers.
Her solo bow entitled Transformation (2007) is a 21st Century jazz-fusion masterpiece.
Tal’s sophomore slab, Love Remains (2019) was a surprise to her “bass only” fans as she emerged as a formidable singer-songwriter, drawing influences as diverse 70s Laurel Canyon and 90s alt-rock!
Tal Wilkenfeld Sound & Vision…
Tal with Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott’s “Nadia” https://youtu.be/drAv2FoYji8
“Transformation” https://youtu.be/iBKChtJ2AeU
“Corner Painter” https://youtu.be/sJuO_HKrVPQ
By Tom Semioli
For a time, he was the “&” in Darryl Hall & John Oates! His impressive body of work on stage and on record traverses pop, rock, funk, fusion, jazz and rhythm & blues and permutations thereof.
A prolific studio ace, sideman, composer John Siegler waxed sides with artists including Todd Rundgren and Utopia, the aforementioned Daryl Hall & John Oates, Bette Midler, Desmond Child, Edgar Winter, Cher, Roger Daltrey, Rick Derringer, Meat Loaf, Tim Curry, Air, and Moogy Klingman, among others. Siegler’s main weapon of choice was a Fender Jazz bass (which he still plays) with the bridge pick-up tweaked ever-so-slightly to afford a biting tone ala Jaco, which was rather vogue in the late ’70s – early ’80s.
Nowadays John composes, arranges, and appears on soundtracks for film, television, and advertisements and plays select gigs at The Bitter End.
John Siegler Sound & Vision:
Air “Man Is Free” https://youtu.be/80lElVCVA8A
Todd & Utopia:
“Freak Parade” https://youtu.be/DitwakvT7hw
“Another Life” https://youtu.be/68CszREd_rY
(Reunion) “Lady Face” https://youtu.be/nWupBsiOom0
(Reunion) “The Ikon” https://youtu.be/OeFkydP5PFs
John’s and performance speech at The Bitter End memorial concert for Utopia keyboardist Moogy Clingman – performing “A Dream Goes On Forever” along with The Utopians Kasim Sulton, Jesse Gress, Daryl Tookes, Curtis King, and Julie Eigenberg https://youtu.be/_adj3LnbVQM
Darryl Hall & John Oates:
“Can’t Stop the Music” https://youtu.be/dSBZtisVJaA
“Beanie G and the Rose Tattoo” https://youtu.be/iSoK8Khy6A4
“You Make My Dreams Come True” https://youtu.be/EErSKhC0CZs
KYBP Adjunct Professor Tony Senatore’s renditions of John with DH & JO:
“Your Imagination” https://youtu.be/Uy7myz5KwW8
“Looking for a Good Sign” https://youtu.be/XT3NBHSNAJo
“Tell Me What You Want” https://youtu.be/sGe452RgVTw