PAUL FILIPOWICZ
Midnight at the Nairobi Room (Big Jake Records)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Madison, Wisconsin's Paul Filipowicz is a local blues hero of Southern Wisconsin, but I hope that Midnight at the Nairobi Room gets Paul some much-deserved notice nationwide. Paul plays every note within an inch of its life on the "Devil Boogie," and the entire CD shows off his considerable electric chops in a rough-hewn urban high energy style that doesn't quit from the opening power frenzy of "Switchyard" until the set's closing slammin' jams of "Squad Car Boogie." When I turn on the tour-de-force of the instrumental "Junk in the Truck," I flash right back to Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks, or SRV; Paul's well worth a comparison to these giants of the blues. His gritty vocals match the classic artwork that's blues noir, and the story inside the liner notes is classic, late-night blues; I can't wait to hear the further exploits of Paul, Little Joe, Kate and Smokey in the Nairobi Room.

Track List:

Switchyard * Lookin' Back * Midnight at the Nairobi Room * Devil Boogie * Tail Dragger * Gamblin' Woman * Raining in My Hart * Junk in the Trunk * Most Dogs * Squad Car Boogie

© 2002 - Eric Steiner