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Paul Filipowicz—Pier 43—Big Jake Music

Singer and guitarist Paul Filipowicz has been making tough
blues records for about half a century now and this release, his
eleventh album, is no exception. Paul has issued another winner

from his base in Milwaukee.
The raw, gritty opener, with dirty slide guitar and primitive but
effective backing is followed up by a number squarely in the

tradition of Howling Wolf’s early Memphis recordings – rough
and ready, but before he knew what that Chicago discipline was.
The album then continues in a similar vein, with the title track a
tough instrumental, ‘Hip Shake’ a raw take on Slim Harpo’s boogying number, and ‘Poor Man’s
Throne’ a rather more controlled piece, with shades of the West side Chicago sound.

Finishing off this rather exciting and very entertaining set are a couple of rather different,
smoother, and more sophisticated soul- and jazz-tinged numbers from a 1979 radio broadcast,
with the drummer none other than Clyde Stubblefield, yes, the same man who filled the drum
stool for James Brown. They present an unexpected side of Paul himself, but one which makes
for a more rounded portrait.

Norman Darwen

(www.paulfilipowicz.com)

Douglas Avery—Take My Rider—Green Wave SCD-007

This is the debut set from Los Angeles-born singer and harmonica
player Douglas Avery, better known outside the West Coast until
now as a photographer and documenter of the southern Califor-
nia blues scene. He was inspired to take up the blues harmonica
in the early 70s and has played as an honorary member of rock

royalty The Doors.

For this album he is backed by the likes of Franck “Paris Slim”
Goldwasser on guitar, Ralph Carter on bass and Johnny Morgan
drums – and BiTS area born piano player Carl Sonny Leyland, and a cracking horn section. These
guys all know just what is required, and deliver it. Up front Douglas has a mellow-ish vocal style
and a concise and effective blues harp style; there is certainly a flavour of Billy Boy Arnold to
some of the music here, and it is no coincidence that, although much of the material is original,
Douglas does cover the older man’s ‘Bad Luck Blues’ to open the set. Other covers are Little
Walter’s very early recording of ‘Just Keep Lovin’ Her’ and John Mayall’s ‘Sonny Boy, Blow!’

Stylistically the sound ranges from the solo vocal and harmonica performance of ‘Leaving
Trunk’ to the John Lee Hooker/ Canned Heat flavoured style of ‘Blind Owl Boogie’ and the funk
of ‘Good To Me’, then further out to the closing ballad performance of ‘Looking Over A Rainbow’.
Douglas even plays flute on ‘Green Wave’, showing another string to his bow. This is a rather fine
set all round.

Norman Darwen

(www.douglasaverymusic.com)