Popa Chubby I'd Rather be Blind

Popa Chubby’s ‘Two Dogs’ is one of his best ever albums. That’s no mean feat for an artist who has cut 36 odd albums in 25 years…

It's not obvious from listening to it, but Popa Chubby's Big Man Big Guitar is a compilation of two live albums that were previously only available in Europe: Live at FIP and Wild. The CD is the sister title to a DVD, too, and while the release may show every sign of being a souvenir of the video, or a thrown-together hodgepodge, it isn't at all. Chubby's known for his blistering live sets, but this collection takes a risk by having a gradual dramatic arc, starting slowly with a slinky version of "Hey Joe" and working its way up to the frenzied "Keep on the Sunny Side" and "Time Is Killing Me" (consider the solo performance of "How'd a White Boy Get the Blues," a gutsy encore).

Electric Chubbyland: Popa Chubby Plays Jimi Hendrix is a live and studio album by Popa Chubby recorded in tribute to Jimi Hendrix. The concert part was recorded in Middletown, New York at the Corner Stage, February 10-11, 2006. The studio part, recorded in 2006 at the Serpentine Studio in Central Valley, includes "San Catri", an instrumental piece written by Popa Chubby in the style of Jimi Hendrix. The album was re-released in 2007 by Blind Pig Records. It includes "Fire" in place of "Hey Joe".

Nothing if not prolific (this is Popa Chubby's sixth set of original material in six years), the New York City-based guitarist nonetheless scores with fresh, often inspired material on this outing, Stealing the Devil's Guitar. He has already shown he can push past the rather strict boundaries of blues-rock by gradually infusing hip-hop, Latin, Southern swamp, and even reggae influences, and continues to do so throughout 12 new songs, along with a cover of Jessie Mae Hemphill's "In This World." Chubby loves to ride a chunky riff and he serves up a tasty selection of them here. The instrumental "Kinda Dicey" is a perfect example; it's a tough, sticky, funky groove, ideal for Chubby's licks. Same with the strutting "Smuggler's Blues," a story of the titular character who is both desperate and determined, with a smoking guitar solo that mirrors its narrator's intensity to get his job done.

Twelve of Popa Chubby's most inspired blues and rock excursions culled from live concert performances in France.The DVD release features a different program, interview and extra footage.– by Blind Pig

Popa Chubby, born Ted Horowitz, has been hard rocking the blues in his fierce and soulful way for more than 25 years. Over the course of a career that dates back to 1994, he has been a force of to be reckoned with on the guitar, and his tempestuous, soulful playing has never been more powerful. An imposing figure with a shaven head, tattooed arms, a goatee and a performance style he describes as “the Stooges meets Buddy Guy, Motörhead meets Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix meets Robert Johnson," Popa Chubby is an endearing character who is one of the genre’s most popular figures.