Marc Siegel is a talented and versatile guitarist whose performances stretch from jazz to classical, from Latin to pop and rock. Very much a melodic improviser who often performs unaccompanied solos, he brings the adventure of jazz to every song that he interprets while always keeping the melody in mind.

 

A long-time fixture in Wilmington, North Carolina, Marc Siegel is both a pleasing performer and an influential educator. “I look for songs with strong melodies,” says Marc, “that are stimulating harmonically and that lend themselves to an endless number of interesting variations. The best songs become a permanent part of my repertoire.”

 

Marc Siegel was born in Fayetteville, NC and grew up in Yorktown, Virginia. “My mother had a friend who played guitar. I was 11 or 12 and became very interested in listening to the finger-style playing on the acoustic guitar. I had started playing bass a little earlier but soon switched, using a guitar that my brother had. I learned to play rock by ear.”  Marc listened to the rock and pop music of the day and was most impressed by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. “Jazz came to me a little later. I listened to Joe Pass after someone told me that he was a great jazz guitar player. He became a major influence on me and led me to all of the other guitarists from Eddie Lang, Jim Hall, and Wes Montgomery to Peter Bernstein and Pat Metheny. I also listened to Charlie Parker, Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk who is still my favorite jazz musician.”

 

Marc studied music at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, earning a Master’s degree in guitar performance. “I practiced very hard, studied classical guitar which really helped me with my technique, and developed a strong work ethic.”  After graduating, Marc became a professional guitarist who often played jazz, and he became an educator, teaching jazz history and guitar. He has long been an important teacher at Cape Fear Community College, overseeing their jazz guitar program. “I really enjoy helping out students with their musical lives and careers. Being exposed to this music has changed many of their lives.” Marc has been published in Just Jazz Guitar Magazine and some of his lessons are available on You Tube.

 

As a guitarist, Marc Siegel performs at clubs, society functions, weddings, restaurants and classical recitals. No matter what the setting or the style, his distinctive musical personality shines through. An improvisational musician, he uplifts every song that he plays, even requests for current pop tunes, with his creative skills and warm sound. His solo videos on You Tube include warm and colorful versions of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Carolina In My Mind,”  “I Wish I Knew What It Felt Like To Be Free” and “Blackbird,” performances that display his relaxed musical personality and his winning melodic style.

 

Marc Siegel has shared the stage with such notables as Gene Bertoncini (who he considers his mentor), Martin Taylor, The Assad Brothers and other guitarists and musicians who he admires. He recorded a classical CD (416 S. Front) earlier in his career and he looks forward to recording again in the near future. “The ultimate goals are to perform as much as possible, make a new recording, and play at more festivals.”

 

A sensitive, quietly expressive and tasteful guitarist, Marc’s playing clearly deserves to be more widely heard and enjoyed. More information on Marc Siegel and his music can be found at www.marcsiegelmusic.com 

​

Scott Yanow