GRANT WOOD

Inside a work of art - by Corky Siegel

When I was a very young child I remember the place mats that were placed on our breakfast table every morning. As kids we hadn't yet learned that there was such a thing as bad art or bad music so we allowed many things - anything - even something as mundane as the tiny white hexagon shaped bathroom tiles to inspire our attention and awe. There was a natural joy and love of shape, light, shade, color, sound, motion, words, and we had no judgment process to compromise a complete surrender into the beauty, the wonder, and amazement. Don't you remember?

The place mats were prints from Grant Wood landscapes. And I remember day after day being drawn deeply into the paintings, going into them and becoming part of them. As I gazed at my favorite place mat I would see, surrounded by the artist's classic puffy lolli-pop trees and shrubs, a little Inn or general store. A creek ran along the stone building and a horse and buggy was progressing across the willowy bridge. Eventually a glass of milk and dish of fried bacon and eggs from Mom would obstruct my view. To this day Grant Wood renderings give me goose bumps.

One day back in 1981 or 1982 my wife Holly and I went on a journey to Iowa where I was to perform. We arrived as this quaint little town called Stone City and drove up to this little stone building and went inside to do an early afternoon sound check before checking into our bed and breakfast. On a wall near the stage hung a painting by Grant Wood. Of course I had to stop what I was doing and gaze and connect with that joy. It was that painting I told you about. You know, with the little stone building the horse and buggy. I never knew the title of the painting but I noticed it that moment. It was called; "Stone City." It was interesting because we were in Stone City and the club I was performing at was called the Inn At Stone City.

I walked over to one of the people that was hosting me and asked them if someone named the club after the painting and if they were Grant Wood fans or was it just a coincidence that the painting had the same name as the club. She said; "Actually the work was named after this place and it is a rendition of this very building your are standing in and the area around it. I ran outside and there it was - the creek, the bridge ... and I turned around and there was the little stone building I had just been standing in - just as I saw it in the painting throughout my life.

I ran back into the club and stood in front of the Grant Wood in a bit of dreamy state that can happen when your mind is blown. With my eyes tearing and the goose bumps taking over, I stared at the painting and allowed my self to be drawn in. I saw a child looking back through the placemat and through the image and right at me. That was me as a young child at the breakfast table looking into the painting in wonder and awe. We waved at each other for a moment until our mom obstructed our view with a glass of milk and a plate of fried bacon and eggs.

It shouldn't be surprising then, that when I was contemplating the art work for "My Travels With Chamber Blues" (the liner note companion for the new CD "Traveling Chamber Blues Show") that I asked my wife to create a cover that reflects the Grant Wood feel, the story of Stone City and also communicates her own feeling about her travels with all the members of Chamber Blues this last year.

So when you play some music on your victrola or ipod, why just listen? Allow yourself to be drawn into and become part of the amazing play of sound and silence that music offers. And if you are going to play "Corky Siegel's Traveling Chamber Blues Show" we can experience each other through the other side of the stereo speakers. Hey! Why stop there? Hop into the little white van on the painting at the top of the story, join me and the Chamber Blues crew; Jeff, Jill, Nell, Frankie, Mark, Tako, and my wife (she's a good driver and a great tour guide) as we go from town to town, Cause you know what? - This is also Your travels with Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues. - Corky Siegel

Now Holly Tucker (Corky's Wife) will take the wheel and act as your own guide in:

My Travels with Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues.