"Come to Popa... Chubby"
by Mike SomersSponsored In Part By
Sponsored In Part By
For many musicians, the search for meaning and truth in the music they write and perform is a lifelong journey. For Popa Chubby, many small but important thoughts have been revealed to him starting from a very early age. The path he has followed has finally paid off big with his most current release named HIT THE HIGH HARD ONE available from Prime CD.
This live recording captures a huge guitar talent with a heartful of soul. Recorded live over a two-night span last year in Saratoga Springs, NY, the fourteen tracks uncover a hard-driving blues slinger playing and singing with passion, power, and poise. "What I sought to do with this recording is to show the world what Popa Chubby is all about," states Popa. What Popa Chubby is all about is this very simple truth -- he is ready to join the ranks of the great players that came before him.
Born in the Bronx, NY, and growing up listening to his jazz-loving father spin record after record of soul and rhythm and blues, Popa Chubby developed a deep love for the truth in music. At an early age when his father dragged him to a local Chuck Berry show, the truth about his own life began to be revealed to him. The early influences of guitar heroes such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Freddy King left their mark on him, but the real "butt-kickin'" took place after he heard the legendary Jimi Hendrix. For Popa Chubby, the truth had finally and forever been delivered.
"To me, the blues is sacred," states Popa. What he has laid down upon the altar in the form of three earlier CD releases was only "pieces of the puzzle and trying to fit them together to find my own voice." Forming the Popa Chubby band a mere five years ago and putting over 200 dates a year on the road has matured the music and the musician. He has found his voice and is loudly speaking the blues truth for people who feel that music is still important to them. "I play music for people who want to feel like they're part of the experience," continues Popa. "You know, people who want to rock!"
Popa Chubby's newest release is a live showcase of shredding guitarwork, groove-driven blues rock, and growling, inspired soul. Popa's '69 Stratocaster soars with heart-pounding passion on every cut, and he delivers energetic bursts of improvisational and magical lead guitarwork. "I just go where the music takes me," says Popa. The eight original songs on HIT THE HIGH HARD ONE, including "Sweet Goddess of Love and Beer," which hit the top 15 on BILLBOARD's blues chart, speak the truth from Popa Chubby's heart. And if the truth be told, it's high time to come ta Popa!