BILL LUPKIN AND FRIENDS
Where I Come From (Blue Bella Records)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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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 certainly 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 pretty serious gap in my Chicago blues education. Jimmy Dawkins and Hubert Sumlin were there, too, along with Lefty Dizz - and Bill Lupkin's scrapbook looks like a "who's who" of early 70's Chicago blues.

On Where I Come From, 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. Where I Come From is an outstanding CD that shows that the postwar Chicago blues style is burning brightly well into the new millennium.

This year, Bill returns to Buddy Guy's Legends on April 13th, and I'm glad Bill's back on the blues scene. Follow bill online at www.billlupkin.com as he reignites his music career and blows some fine harp in the process.

© 2007 - Eric Steiner