Dan Siegel Lets the Music Breathe on Resolution

Dan Siegel shares the thinking behind Resolution, a nine-song album built around original trio performances, trusting his musicians and letting the music speak.

After more than four decades of recording, Dan Siegel is finding value in imperfection. His nine-song album Resolution, due September 11, 2026, captures the pianist and composer easing up on his tendency to polish every detail. “I have a tendency to overwork things, to iron out all the little kinks,” he says. “That kind of leaves it without humanity – a little too perfect and polished. This is a little bit raw and rough around the edges in places.”

Siegel initially envisioned a rootsier, Americana-leaning trio recording, bringing together bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Jay Bellerose. Bellerose’s approach helped shape the music from the start. “His style is really subtle, he came up with different grooves,” Siegel says. Most of the album’s piano performances survived from those original trio sessions, even when Siegel considered replacing them. “I couldn’t really recapture the vibe,” he says of his attempts on a few tracks. “I just said, forget it. Leave it.”

The trio is enhanced by guests including percussionist Lenny Castro, vibraphonist Craig Fundyga, guitarist Dean Parks and longtime collaborator Rogerio Jardim. “If you hire people that are going to bring something to the party,” he says, “you let them have a good time.”

Resolution is dedicated to Siegel’s mother, Elizabeth, who died in 2026 in her late nineties. She insisted he take piano lessons, encouraged his early composing and remained interested in his music into her nineties. “She played a big part in my creative life,” he says. “She was a lot of fun.” Her encouragement helped launch a lifetime of writing music, and Siegel’s approach today reflects the confidence that comes with experience: “I’ve gotten to a point where I just let the music be what it’s going to be. You don’t want to get in the way. Let it speak.”