From the first gut-bucket note of Magic Sam’s “All My Whole Life Baby” to the low-down pool hall and juke-box sounds he heard in the early ‘60s, Paul Filipowicz’s Unfiltered is real and raw.
Chicago Blues Hall of Fame guitarist Paul Filipowicz breaks the filter off his smoking blues and gives it to you straight in this, his 10th recording. “I got my blues education the old-fashioned way,” Paul says. “The only way my dad could get out of the house on a Saturday night was to take us boys along, and man did we see some joints!”
On Unfiltered Paul pays homage to the masters. Three Magic Sam tracks draw on Paul’s history of playing an all Magic Sam set in the ‘70s, and Lowell Fulson and Howlin’ Wolf tracks are also represented with a deftness of hand that is true to their creators. The album includes five Paul Filipowicz originals, including the rollicking “Riding High” and the four-on-the-floor ass shakers “Brand New Hat” and “My Woman.” In the moody harp instrumental “Canal Street,” inspired by long ago late-night memories, harp-master Benny Rickun takes it all the way downtown, before the boys take you back uptown with the rowdy guitar shuffle and title track “Unfiltered.”
The Paul Filipowicz Blues Band, with an all-star lineup featuring alumni of the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys, the Tommy Castro Band, The Groove Hogs, Brian Lee, and Dave Mason, has been bringing it strong every night for over 40 years.
“If Robert Johnson lost his battle with the devil you get the feeling that Paul might be a tougher opponent.” – George P. Seedorff, Big City Blues Magazine
“Such raw grinding playing I haven’t heard in a long time. This captures the spirit of Hound Dog Taylor, ZZ Top, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy but doesn’t sound like any of them.” – Bmansbluesreport.com
“Paul plays with the bitter intensity of Big Jack Johnson, Frank Frost and Albert Collins. A must hear!” – Andre Hobus, SoulBag Magazine, France
“There is simply no one else like Filipowicz in the blues. Eclectic, unorthodox, balls to the walls but taste full guitar that pays tribute to the masters.” – Living Blues Magazine
