Corky Siegel Chamber Blues at the Angela Peralta Jan 27th

The theatre is starting to fill and it will be a huge crowd today.

Filled all the way to the top.

All seated and ready to go except for Corky!

Gordon Campbell welcomes us and then gives us some history on the blues and Corky Siegel and his Chamber Blues group. 

Corky arrived on stage from the back of the theater playing his harmonica all the way.

Corky gave us a little history of the group and then told us what his next number would be.  It was called One and he and his wife had written and composed it.  Unfortunately it left Eric and I both cold.  I think we were both thinking we may have made a mistake with this concert and then….

….it all changed and really took off.  Whew!!!  The musician on percussion Kalyan Pathak(Tabla) is from India.  Unfortunately there was no program today so I had to try and find the musicians on the internet.

Just wailing on the harmonica.

The violinist Jaime Gorgojo is from Spain and Corky is now on his knees!

….and then on his back!  A bit of a showman and hugely agile and energetic for a man of 75!

The group is introduced and some interesting news shared with us…

The young lady bowing is from Taiwan.  We are then told that their usual violist had a kidney stone attack and at the last minute could not come with them.  When they arrived Carlos Beltran stepped in to save their skins!  He has been a lead violist in the local symphony for nine years and they just met him at 5:30 pm the night before.  How gutsy is that!  A huge round of applause!  The cellist Allegra Montanari is from Chicago and she is also a stand in for the regular cellist who is on maternity leave.  She flew in without her cello as they wanted a full seat price for it and she couldn’t afford it.  She was loaned a local cello that dates from the 1600’s!  Quite a story for the group. 

Intermission and Connie chats with George and Glenda.

We are back and Corky moves to the piano.

Hugely talented and Eric really enjoyed him on the piano. 

Carlos, Allegra and Kalyan.  I spent some time on the internet but it appears that the musicians that play with Corky are always changing so it was hard to sort them out.   

This is violinist Chihsuan Yan from Taiwan on the Erhu.  The erhu is a two stringed bowed musical instrument.  Very interesting and haunting sound.

Corky has moved off the stage and right in front of him is Mike who is sitting next to Ruth and Eddie. 

Back on his knees.  He had a case with 4 harmonicas and….he wailed on them all!

This is Carlos who couldn’t be thanked enough and got a huge round of applause from the audience.  He appeared more than a bit embarrassed with all the attention.  Hugely talented musician.

At this point the musicians are on their feet as well!  Corky then told us that he was going to play the encore on his own and he asked all the musicians to leave the stage.  He said if they stayed they’d all just start joining in!!

On the piano and singing as well. 

And then the fun began…one by one starting they started trickling in and playing along with Corky.

Here comes Allegra too!

Really having a good time and a very innovative encore!

The crowd is on it’s feet and applause is deafening.   A really, really good concert and enjoyed by all.

Now it was time for some lunch.  Today we wandered down Carnaval to Angel Flores and then walked east up past Benito Juarez.  I’d noticed a few small Mexican restaurants up that way and this is where we ate.  Unfortunately I forgot to note it’s name.  Not too busy which suits us fine.  There were so many gringos milling around in the Plazuela after the concert we just wanted to “ Get out of Dodge!”

The waiter is getting us some chips and salsa.

I had enchiladas in a mole sauce which was delicious. 

Eric had chicken which he really enjoyed and then he ate all the tortillas and all the salsa!  He just loves mexican salsa!

A really good concert and good meal and then home.