UNFILTERED
Paul Filipowicz Blues Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Harmonica

"UNFILTERED" BY PAUL FILIPOWICZ

Takes us on a musical journey through time. "He breaks the filter off of his smoking blues and gives it to you straight".

Quick Pick Goldmine mag UK
                    "Paul Filipowicz; The Blues legend you never heard of, forty years on and he continues to impress."
 Mike Goldblatt Goldmine Mag UK

REVIEWS

"Early on, my native Chicago blues guitar players were my favorites, Magic Sam being the biggest influence. His soul, his grace, his fire, but his figure picked phrasing, triggered me. I thought, Hey I play that one (lick). So I started covering most of his songs. That was over four decades ago."

I am well aware that when I show up and preform there is a lot of head scratching going on. People can't identify my style so I thought I'd bring out some of "Sam's" stuff like I used to. To give people a reference point.

I also wanted to pay homage to the sounds that were in the air when I was growing up.

The only way the Old Man could get out on a Saturday night was to take "the boys". My mom figured he couldn't get in too much trouble with us along. Instead of the movies we went to bars and pool halls. We shot a lot of Saturday night stick.

Canal Street was a strip in Lemont, IL, between the tracks and the old "Ditch". That's what they called the original "L&M Canal". It was a regular stop. The midget bartender would line the back of the bar with beer cases so he could tend customers.

When it would get slow he would come over and shoot with us. He would drag a beer case around and stand on it to shoot. He had this cane that turned into a cue. You unscrewed the bottom and it was a glass for your drink, a match holder was in there and the other half with the tip, slide out and assembled into a custom pool cue.

If he tapped it "just so" a two inch blade appeared from the tip. Nobody messed around in that place. The Juke-Boxes were different in each place. Ring Of Fire, was everywhere but we got Ray Charles, Little Richard, In UNFILTERED you have, tried and and stuff like "Honky Tonk" too. Blues true classic blues and a hand full of was always coming through the doors driving originals to sink your ears into and windows of the place next door to the barbershop that I shined shoes in front of. Six cent a piece, two for a dime. Jimmy Rogers was getting a lot of play, but when Wolf came on you just knew it had to be him. Wolf always had that extra snap.

So, besides Magic Sam I wanted to the try and capture the feel of that era. "Canal Street" is the street sounds from the ears of a ten year old out past eleven o'clock at night.

The instrumental, "Unfiltered" is an attempt to condense, in my mind's eye, all the music drifting through the air during these excursions. The rest of the stuff is us doing what we do. Weather it's a cover or one of my originals the boys always bring it strong. I can't thank them enough."

Like Wolf, Paul Filipowicz always brings that extra energy that is lacking in much of today's music. Paul always brings that extra snap. You'll be "Riding High"!

Jim Dupree, Big Jake Records

PAUL FILIPOWICZ All guitars and Vocals
BENNY RICKUN Harp
Chris Sandoval Drums
Rick Smith Bass
Tony Menzer Bass "My Woman"
Jimmy Voegeli Yamaha C7 grand p1ano "Howln' for My Darl1ng"
Tom Sobel Tenor and IJantone saxophones
Jack Naus Trumpets

Horn Charts by Tom Sobel: Horn arrangements by Tom Sobel, Paul FiliPOWICZ, Steve Hamilton

Produced by Paul Filipowicz and Steve Hamilton for Big Jake Records 2018. Recorded at "Makin Sausage" Studios Milw, WI by Steve Ham1lton for Big Jake Records Contact: Big Jake Records 920-988-8544

MORE ALBUM NOTES

Here it comes! Paul Filipowicz's hot new CD "Unfiltered".

From the first gut-bucket note of Howling Wolf's "Howlin for My Darlin" to the low down pool hall, juke-box sounds, he heard in the early 60's, "Canal Street" breaks the filter of off his smoking blues and gives it to you straight.

"I got my blues education the old fashioned way. The only way my dad could get out on a Saturday night was to take us boys along."

"Honky tonk, Ring of Fire, Chicago Bound, a dime a piece three for a quarter. Then when I was fourteen, I was standing outside of a south side Chicago club with big cardboard ice cubes over the door. Every time the door opened the music swelled. Otis Rush or Magic Sam, it didn't matter who, the guitar was singing, strong, calling my name."

"Unfiltered" includes three Magic Sam songs. Lowell Fulson's Reconsider, Tin Pan Alley, Howling for My Darling, all covered with deftness of hand true to their creators.

Five Paul Filipowicz originals including the rollicking Tramp-esque "Riding High", a couple of four on the floor dance Blues in "Brand New Hat" and "Woman".

Last but not least, songs inspired from those long ago memories, a big John Wrencher-Maxwell St style harp instrumental "Canal Street" and the guitar shuffle "Unfiltered".

Eleven songs, eleven chances to get your Blues On, "Chicago Blues Hall of Fame" style Paul Filipowicz style.