Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breakwater , from Paul Filipowicz and it's consistently strong. Opening with Tuff Girl , a driving blues number, Paul Filipowicz on vocal and lead guitar always comes at you guns blazing. His vocals are raw and real and his guitar playing is authentic and explosive. Backed by Steven Dougherty on drums and E.G. McDaniel on bass, this is a potent opener. Title track,  Breakwater , has a lot of traits that I love about Mississippi Hill Country music with heavy drum beats by Dougherty, Jimmy Voegeli on organ and wailing, Buddy Guy like guitar wailing. Excellent! Another great track, Lefty Philips, is built around an old Sonny Boy Williamson riff with Martin Lang on harp. Filipowicz grinds out a great jam and with his trademark vibrato and backing from McDaniel and Dougherty. Ashes In The Wind has that great Hill Country drum rhythm emphasized by  Dougherty and grinding guitar lead with vocal by Filipowicz. ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Pier 43 , by Paul Filipowicz and it's solid Filipowicz if you know his style. Opening with Old Time Superstition and Paul on slide guitar and vocal, this set is off to a good start. With it's blues rocky feel, Al Dorn on harp, Steve Lewis on bass and Brian Tito Howard on drums, this is a solid opener. Lewis opens title track, Pier 43 with a cool, sauntering bass vamp. Paul gets into a really nice groove with long flowing guitar lead and twisted blues riffs. Paul is no Clapton or Bonamassa but his notes are heartfelt and piercing. Talk about 9 plus minutes going fast...really! I particularly like When I Get To Town with a droning bass line by Lewis and jangly drum rhythms spurring on Paul and his RL Burnside like chanting. He is relentless on guitar always looking for that punctuation. Very cool. Paul digs up Slim Harpo's Hip Shake and with his unmistakable guitar/amp sound, this track really boogies. Sit st...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unfiltered , from Paul Filipowicz and it's terrific. Opening with Magic Sam's Everything Gonna Be Alright , Filipowicz picks up where he left off on Rough Neck Blues Live with his raw but focused blues attack. Filipowicz doesn't have a "Star Search" voice but this guy has grit and feel and I love it! His guitar playing isn't clean but it has real feel with pinched harmonics, chord bends and max blues. Joined by Benny Rickum on harp, Chris Sandoval on drums, and Rick Smith on bass, this band is serious. Excellent opener. Original track, Brand New Hat could easily have been written in the Mississippi Hill Country with it's driving bass line and the blues are deep with Albert Collins like bends, terrific phrasing and sumptuous horn backing by Tom Sobel on sax and Jack Naus on trumpet. Super! Instrumental title track, Unfiltered , has a Freddie King feel with underlying rock structure but th...

I just received the newest release, Rough Neck Blues Live! , from Paul Filipowicz and I really like it! A few years back I reviewed another release by Filipowicz, Saints and Sinners and this release, being live, gives Paul an opportunity to take an already great formula and blow it out and that he does. Opening with shuffle track, Gambling Woman , Filipowicz is cranking with his trademark raw vocals and rowdy guitar riffs. Backed by Rick Smith on bass and Brian "Tito" Howard on drums, this is a hot opener! Most Dogs is up next and Filipowicz brings down the tempo but not the heat. His guitar phrasing is masterful and engaging with traces of Magic Sam, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy. Black Spider is a blues rocker with a solid bottom. Chuck Berry like construction but with less spring and more blues is complimented by Benny Rickun on harp. Slowing things way down, Santa Fe Windows is a hot potato with really hot, Albert King like phrasing but without King trademark riffs...

I just received the newest release, Saints & Sinners , from Paul Filipowic z and I really like it. This cd doesn't have pretty singing and it doesn't have perfectly manicured guitar riffs... but what it does have is great! Opening with Hound Dog Shuffle , and plodding blues instrumental, I know right away I'm gonna like this guy. Simple, straight forward, not perfect but raw and interesting. Spontaneous riffs, driving drums and grit! Bluesman , has a more distinct Albert King style blues funk and the guitar maybe sounds a little like Albert Collins... but this is great stuff. Filipowicz knows how to tell the story and lack or over production to me is a thing of beauty on something like this. Your True Lovin' has a bit of a lope to it and a lot of feel...this is the real deal. If you have been reading my reviews for a while you know I don't so much like "purty" and do like dirty and gritty... this is it! Hootin' and Hollerin' has a great bass ...