Bill Lupkin - Hard Pill To Swallow (2007)

                                                                     Bill Lupkin
 Bill Lupkin has a career in Chicago blues that dates back to the early 70's. Yet his discography is extremely short. Uncertain for what reason, the man had only released one live album before he signed to Nick Moss' Blue Bella Records in 2007. Now his second is at the same company, and it is clear that Lupkin has got a new spring. For here the man is obviously in great shape, well helped by a brilliant ensemble of playful younger musicians and seasoned veterans. The formula for success is to do what he masters best - namely tough, uncompromising Chicago blues.

To help ensure this expression in a dignified way, he has brought with him a band consisting of record company boss Nick Moss on guitar and his band colleague Gerry Hundt on mandolin and guitar. Brother Steve Lupkin steps in on bass, while super veteran Mark Fornek staffs the drums in a more than convincing way. Lupkin himself looks like a literature professor at an American university, but one should clearly not look the dog on the hair, because he plays and sings with an intensity and not least integrity that is 100 percent credible.

All cylinders are fired from the start as Think It Over Baby kicks off with a mandolin and harmonica before Moss' fiery guitar grabs the song and holds it in iron grip. Lupkin immediately uses the opportunity to show where the harmonica cabinet should stand and delivers a solo that exhibits brilliant tone and economical play. Moss signs with dirty Pat Hare / Willie Johnson / Roy Gaines guitar.

The tempo calms down somewhat on Funny Way to Show Me You Care, with a more eminent guitar from Moss. Oddly enough, it seems that Moss saves the real goodies he is obviously able to deliver on guitar to the other artists in his stable, as I think he is mewr reserved on his own records. Now perhaps the reason is that Lupkin saw to such an extent that the idiom Chicago blues masters that it spreads to the rest of the band. Moss delivers beautiful, tasteful guitar playing throughout absolutely the entire record and definitely gets Lukpin in the industry in terms of attention on the record. I doubt he does, because this is a band project, not a solo album for Lupkin.

Bad Luck is one of the album's weakest, but the impression is immediately corrected in the wonderful shuffle Fine Little Thing, where Hundt plays comp à la Dave Myers, while Moss puts on the most wonderful trills a la Robert Lockwood. Still, it is Lupkin himself who steals the show with incredibly fat harmonica. On I'll Be Over You Someday, it's Moss' turn to steal the show with one of this year's blues guitar solos in my opinion. Talk about finding the core of the song and then 'roll with the flow'. Beautiful!

Elgin Bounce is a chromatic instrumental stomp that will make the worst harmonicas throw their own harmonicas into the river, while the best will feel like tilting their nose organ and practicing a little more. It is one of the best of our time we hear here, and on this album he really brings out his potential. He sounds like William Clarke in several places, and you can hardly get better shots. Cell Phone Blues swing effortlessly and profit from a modern theme and text. See That Little Girl is extremely Chicago with acoustic diatonic harmonica and the mandolin far ahead in the soundscape. A little mediocre perhaps, but very authentic.

Hole in My Heart is one of the challengers to the best song on the album. Lupkin makes perhaps his best vocal and harmonica performance here, as well as the fact that the song has a natural touch that makes it just flow away. It should also be mentioned that all the tracks here are originals, written by Lupkin himself. This makes him sound very comfortable in his presentation. Blues Again Today is funky and nice, and sounds extremely similar to Bill Clarke. Jimmy Reed-inspired You're Gonna Be Sorry is a small masterpiece and obviously a kind of tribute to Reed, down to the acoustic harmonica solo.

Hook, Line and Sinker are OK, while Where You Goin 'is one of Hard Pill to Swallows' few quiet moments where Tim Wire gets to show some of what he can on the keys. It all ends with speed in the title track, and only to note that it has been a wild trip with Lupkin through Chicago.


320kbps

Credits:

Steve Lupkin - Bass   
Mark Fornek - Drums  
Gerry Hundt - Guitar   
Bill Lupkin - Harmonica, Vocals
Tim Wire - Keyboards   
Gerry Hundt - Guitar, Mandolin
Nick Moss - Guitar

Tracklist:

01. Think It Over Baby 03:20 
02. Funny Way To Show Me You Love Me 04:06 
03. Bad Luck 04:36 
04. Fine Little Thing 03:07 
05. I'll Be Over You Someday 04:47 
06. Elgin Bounce 04:20 
07. Cell Phone Blues 03:55 
08. See That Little Girl 04:42 
09. Hole In My Heart 04:38 
10. Blues Again Today 04:31 
11. You're Gonna Be Sorry 04:01 
12. Hook, Line And Sinker 04:51 
13. Where You Goin' 07:19 
14. Hard Pill To Swallow 05:48