Bill Lupkin's Reviews

Reviews

Dan Akroyd (Elwood Blues) House of Blues Radio Hour 12/24/2006	Featured Song "What's With That" Bonus Present under the Tree Blues Breaker of the Week
Review of "Where I Come From" by Derral of KCHO in Redding, CA	Bill Lupkin & Friends - Where I Come From - Blue Bella This one is very good and I think it's one of the best albums this year.
Review by Bill Bentley of the Studio City / Sherman Oaks Sun	The return of this singer and harp player to the blues crew is a major event, mainly because nobody had really noticed his big time talents when he left the scene over 30 years ago. Who knew this unassuming man would turn out to be one of the greatest living harp players? His tone is full and fiery, obviously inspired by Little Walter, but also with a totally individual tone. Once derisively dubbed the Mississippi saxophone, the harmonica takes its fair share of abuse from some blues snobs, but in the hands of someone like Bill Lupkin, it's as expressive an instrument as exists anywhere. A good solo, in deep supply on Where I Come From, is full of shivers and shakes, something hard to equal on anything else. It's almost like a voice without words in the hands of Lupkin. And his songs, all originals, speak of a deep love of Chicago blues, and all the mentors he had there in the late '60s, who included everyone from Muddy Waters to Junior Wells. The photos alone of Lupkin with these mighty men back then are almost worth the price of admission. They say the blues will never due, and here's one more bodacious reason why.
From "Spins" in Whatzup Magazine Review by D.M. Jones	Blues harp master Bill Lupkin's credentials are spelled out on the inner sleeve of his new release, Where I Come From. A jaw-dropping montage of scrapbook photos shows Lupkin backing up blues legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Buddy Guy, and Herbert Sumlin, among others. This bodes well for the music to follow, which doesn't disappoint. The Fort Wayne native made his way to Chicago in the late 60s to ply his musical wares, eventually getting the opportunity to play harmonica with the aforementioned greats. The gritty, earthy wails Lupkin pulls from his harp on Where I Come From hearken back to those days, transporting the listener to the intimate South Side clubs where he formed his formidable musical chops. The production on Where I Come From is refreshingly un-slick, allowing the vintage tones to shine through. "The Sun is Shinin'" is a perfect example, featuring a rolling piano, walking bassline, and a vocal coated in just enough distorted grit to put it over the top -- then Lupkin's harp comes in, wailing like a cross between a very close train and some kind of unearthly saxophone. It's classic blues done up right. "Move Out to the Country" opens with a swampy vintage guitar that provides punctuation throughout the song. Lupkin paints a lyrical picture of a free spirited getaway to the wide-open country "where the air is fresh and clean." The song is a perfect soundtrack for driving on a carefree country road with the windows down. Lupkin enters Jimmy Rogers territory on his burnished (yet somehow simultaneously raw) "Bad Feelin.'" His gruff vocal is rendered calmly but ominously as he intones, "Be careful now baby/ if you're gonna leave," while a surging piano solo takes center stage at the song's apex. Lupkin's vocals mirror his evocative harp, able to express resignation and regret alongside rage and excitement. The hard-earned veneer of experience coats every word, bolstering the album's smokey authenticity. An alternate version of "Move Out to the Country" appears at the end of the album and was tracked locally at Tempel Recording Studio (the rest of the album was recorded in Elgin, Illinois). Through a reprise, the song is totally recast here, featuring a slinky, funky groove that puts the song in a totally different light. It's an energetic and celebratory finish to a disc full of blues highlights.
From "Hot Debut" in Blues Revue Magazine #102 Review by Thomas J. Cullen III	Harp and Soul: A Windy City scenester goes front and center, forcefully Harpist/vocalist/songwriter Bill Lupkin has emerged from relative obscurity to appear on recordings b Big Bill Morganfield, Nick Moss, and Barrelhouse Chuck. The Indiana native was active on the Chicago scene from the late '60s to the mid-'70s. His solo studio debut, Where I Come From, is a sure contender for comeback album of the year, and the disc's 13 originals prove that Lupkin's powers have not diminished. The tunes, influenced by Chicago blues masters, reflect a reverence for tradition. A husky, self-assured vocalist, Lupkin eschews histrionics and slavish imitation whether revealing his desire for a better life ("Move Out to the Country"), celebrating a good woman's love ("Poor Man's Treasure"), or uncovering a bitter truth ("Can't Hide a Lie"). But it's his forceful, fluid playing (often reminiscent of William Clarke's) that will make blues fans, and especially harp fans, take notice. Most of the tunes are muscular shuffles in varying tempos. The pace changes only with the taut, grinding "Chasin' a Dream," based on Muddy's "Just to Be With You"; the mournful "Can't Hide a Lie," the rump-wriggling rumba "You Got Me Nervous," during which Lupkin teases the high notes like Jimmy Reed or Sonny Boy II; and the raucous slow blues "Early Hours of the Mornin'." Kudos to producer/guitarist Moss and the tight ensemble of keyboardist Tim Wire, drummer Mark Fornek, and bassists Harlan Terson and Gerry Hundt for imbuing Lupkin's music with blue-collar clarity and in-your-face urgency. Where I Come From is an essential purchase for harp fans.
From BluesBlowtorch.com Review By Eric Steiner	Prior to pressing "play" on my CD player to start Where I Come From, I had never heard of Bill Lupkin. He's originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and made his way to the bright lights and big city of Chicago's blues clubs in the late 1960s. Mark Hummel's history lesson in his liner notes got my attention, and photos of Bill playing with Johnny Littlejohn, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Freddie King, and Jimmy Rogers told me that I had a big gap in my Chicago blues education. Jimmy Dawkins and Hubert Sumlin were there, too, along with Lefty Dizz - and this scrapbook looks like an "who's who" of early 70's Chicago blues. Bill didn't have to finish the second song, "The Sun is Shinin';" he had me with his big fat chromatic harp tones buoyed by Mark Fornek's in the pocket drums, Harlan Terson's expert bass, and producer Nick Moss' effortless guitar. I decided just to kick back and enjoy the work of a seasoned harp player who's worthy of comparisons to James Cotton, James Harman, and one of Bill's early mentors, Junior Wells. I put down my pen 'til the 14th (yes!) song, an alternate take on "Move Out to Country," and cherished each and every song that showcased Bill Lupkin's return to the blues. An outstanding CD that shows that the postwar Chicago blues style is burning brightly well into the new millennium.
From Blindman's Blues Forum Review by Craig Ruskey	14 tracks, 59 minutes. Excellent. Bill Lupkin's career as a top-drawer harp player stretches back to Chicago in the 1960s and 70s and includes his uncredited (yet solidly tasteful backing) appearance with Jimmy Rogers on Jimmy's Gold Tailed Bird sessions for Leon Russell's Shelter label in 1972. After leaving Chicago and what amounts to a lengthy period of inactivity (while keeping his chops sharp) Lupkin re-appeared with a "live" disc in 1999 and then as a guest on Got A New Plan from Nick Moss and the Flip Tops in 2001. Blue Bella Records give Lupkin another showcase (this time with far better distribution than his self-released disc had) and the CD succeeds as a potent nod to harpist's mentors (Little Walter and Junior Wells as wells as Johnny Young and others) on an all-original set. Moss handles guitar chores brilliantly giving a clinic on backing a harmonica player while Harlan Terson and Gerry Hundt share bass duties with Mark Fornek drumming. What You Gonna Do? tips its hat to Johnny Young (with Gerry Hundt's muscular mandolin at the fore) while What's With That? reeks of Junior Wells in his prime. This is a smoldering set of storming shuffles, slow blues, and wobbling rhumbas from a harp player and vocalist we should be hearing lots more from in the future, and with a resume that lists the likes of Muddy Waters, Johnny Littlejohn, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy and others, you can bet it's real-deal blues.
From Midwest Record Recap Chicago, IL - 6/28/06	Blues blaster Nick Moss befriends a harp player that played with the Chess front line in the 70's when the glory days might have been gone, but the sizzle and the steak were still hot and smoking. Brought back from total obscurity, Lupkin takes the risky move of going all original in a sort of tribute to the bluesmen at whose side he played. Real Chicago stuff that's meant for fans and not tourists, Lupkin is strongly in the running for comeback of this year with a new outing like this.
Review by Billy Hutchinson	Bill Lupkin came to Chicago in the late '60s from Fort Wayne, Indiana where he played and learnt from the greats on Chicago's South & West sides. He made a brave move with his brother to Los Angeles with their newly-formed band - Slamhammer, and though things didn't turn out too good he did make a lasting impression on Mark Hummel who incidentally has written the sleeve notes to this disc. Bill returned to Indiana jaded by the music business to go back into his stained glass business, and raise a family. Eventually Bill returned, and cut a live CD in Indiana with all the old tone intact. Lupkin played and recorded with Jimmy Rogers, and crossed paths with Blue Bella label owner Nick Moss on Big Bill Morganfield's "Ramblin' Mind" CD. After setting up his own studio Nick gave Bill a call, and supplies the entire guitar work herein. Though this is a totally orginal score by Bill Lupkin, the songs are done in the styles of those Chicago musicians that took time with Bill as he was learning his craft. So we have a personal tribute CD with all of the fervour and emotive drive Chi-town has to offer. Though Bill has good gruff Blues delivery, it's his harp works that pricks back your ears; in fact he is the best Chicago Blues styled player I have come across since Steve Guyger! Being a staunch Chicago Blues traditionalist, Nick Moss has recreated that classic '50s Chicago sound which is a halfway house between the old studios, and a Blues bar atmosphere. The album was recorded in Elgin, and has turned back time and set up a fine movement indeed.
From BluesSource.com Review by Gary W. Miller	Do you like your Blues rough and ready? Do you like it live and edgy? This is how Blues is played in Chicago, which Bill Lupkin has enough experience with to float on the last thirty years. A longtime harp player with a true and deep sense of the Chicago Blues, learning with Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, and others, steeped in the raw sound of Blues on the West side and the South Side of the city. Lupkin has the chops and once you get used to the raw, live sound of this Blues, you feel right at home. Transplanted to the West Coast, Lupkin plied his harmonica chops for many years with some great players. Why do we not know about Bill Lupkin? I certainly don't know. This guy is one savvy harp player, and you better know he's got the chops that only experience and faith can give you. What a CD! He's an extreme talent, apparently waiting to be discovered by a Blues scene that somehow passed him by. I look for him to be recognized by the Blues community finally. This is true talent. If you love harp players, you're gonna get off on this CD. Raw, energetic and faithful to the max, Lupkin pulls it all off with the strength of a winner.
Review of "Live at the Hot Spot"	The disc starts off with a version of Muddy Water's "Blow Wind Blow," which quickly serves notice that this is a traditional Chicago blues band and not a group of recycled rock and rollers trying to play the blues. The next song, "Man or Mouse," features a great groove sparked by some monster harp work from Lupkin... Read the rest of this review
Review of "Live at the Hot Spot" by Andy Grigg	"Bill Lupkin was Jimmy Rogers' pick for harpman for many a tour, and he's backed up a long list of Chicago's finest over the years. This disc finds him fronting a very esteemed group of blues vets in front of an appreciative audience. Pretty close to perfection for a live CD, Lupkin and his band prove to be one of the best "live" bands on the contemporary scene, and his harp skills put him in the top 5 or 10, depending on who you ask. Four bottles for a very impressive disc. Harpaholics will consider this a 'must have' CD.
User Review of "Live at the Hot Spot" by Cinco	**** (four stars) A HIDDEN TREASURE! Why doesn't this guy have more CDs ? I was turned on to him by Hohner Harmonicas' website. He's endorsed by them. He plays Chicago Blues style harp like nobody's business. And finally, FINALLY, a harp player with some soul. Rough and graveled voice where there should be and smooth where there should be. If you know blues, this CD is for you. If you don't know blues, you'll like it anyway.
Review of "Where I Come From" by Dick Shurman	"In the Chicago Blues harp club, Bill Lupkin has the chops, the tone, the attitude, and the dues paid in full for Real Deal status. Enjoy this all-original program and stellar ensemble work, and be glad the music's past is still its present and future, and in good hands!" Read the rest of this review
Review of "Where I Come From"	"Bill Lupkin has been in the thick of Chicago Blues for more than 38 years & still gets one of the best tones in the Blues Biz. If you don't believe me, check this CD out for yourself."