‘The more I’ve played out there, the more fulfilling that’s become.’ : Blue Notes Leave the Shadows as Phil Upchurch Goes Solo

Guitarist Phil Upchurch’s priorities have changed. When he started out as a professional, his goal was to be a first-class studio session guitarist who stood in the background, played his part well and let others have the limelight.

And from 1960 to 1980, he resoundingly accomplished that goal, making records (and some tours) with George Benson, Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderly, Grover Washington Jr., Michael Jackson and a hundred others. Along the way, he chalked up more than a dozen solo projects as well.

It was a rewarding two decades for Upchurch, who said that with all the playing came a lot of recognition. “As far as the (music) industry, goes, it’s been great,” he said. “I always wanted peer respect, and to have musicians know who I am.”

But now Upchurch, who said he’s “a little tired” of the studios, has decided he needs more than peer respect. He wants the general public to know who he is, and so has been making more and more solo appearances, such as his engagement this Friday and Saturday at the Blue Note Cafe in Studio City.

“The more I’ve played out (in public), the more fulfilling that’s become. I’ve done other people most of my life. Now I’d like to do Phil Upchurch. I want to be able to get into people’s kitchens and living rooms.”

Back when Upchurch had a hit record--in 1961 with “You Can’t Sit Down”--he wasn’t ready, willing or able to cash in on its success.

“It really wasn’t my record. It was something I was involved in that I happened to get my name on,” the guitarist said of the tune, as played by the Philip Upchurch Combo, that reached 29 on the 1961 Billboard charts, and was 3 in 1963, when covered by the Dovells. “I was with (R&B; singer) Dee Clark at the time; it was his band that played it, and the tune was written by the band’s organist, Cornell Muldrow. It came out under my name because he was already under contract.”

Upchurch never toured behind the record. “I was only 19 then, and I didn’t have confidence to go out there on my own,” he said. “I turned down all offers from agents and managers simply because I was scared.”

Now Upchurch has none of the qualms about success that he had as a teen-ager, but he doesn’t have the hit records, either.

That he has recorded nothing but instrumental music (his latest ProJazz CD is “Phil Upchurch Trio”) hasn’t helped his current quest for increased popularity. “A lot of people hate (instrumental music), a lot of people hate jazz,” he said. “So if you’re associated with jazz, it can be trouble.”

To Add Some Vocals

And while the Chicago native plans to put vocals on one of his upcoming LPs, his continued emphasis will be on the music he loves most--instrumentals in the jazz and blues realm, with studies in the classics thrown in for good measure. “Playing classical pieces on my nylon-stringed guitar is one of my favorite things to do,” he said.

The man who has done sessions with such legendary bluesmen as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf said that the blues remains the essential element in his work.

“The blues is at the core of my music,” Upchurch said. “But the blues covers a lot of territory. To a lot of people, the blues means sad songs about ‘My baby’s done left me, I just lost my job, can’t pay the rent.’ But, to me, the blues is not an emotion but a form, a 12-bar form with basically three chords.”

The blues are as necessary to Upchurch as fresh air. “If I don’t hear some blues, some notes being bent, I get lonely,” he quipped, laughing.

The guitarist fittingly describes himself as an R&B; guitarist with jazz leanings. “I can play tunes like ‘ ‘Round Midnight’ but I can’t play ‘Cherokee’ at break-neck tempo. I could never play strictly jazz kinds of things. If I had come up in a different element, say New York, then I’d probably be playing totally different than I play now.”

Toured With Stars

But then maybe he wouldn’t have had such a remarkable career, which includes such personal highlights as recording and touring with Quincy Jones--someone Upchurch had always wanted to work with--and George Benson, with whom Upchurch played rhythm guitar from 1976 to 1981. One choice memory is making the guitarist’s million-selling LP, “Breezin’ ,” which included his own tune, “Six to Four,” and the vocal version of Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade,” which skyrocketed Benson into stardom.

“We went in and did that album ‘live’ (without overdubbing), as a group,” Upchurch remembered. “ ‘This Masquerade’ was done in one take, the first take. George sang it live in the studio. Halfway through the second take, (producer) Tommy LiPuma said ‘Let’s go to next track. We got it.’ I felt it was a great album, and it was very spiritually rewarding, in terms of the music.”

Upchurch is philosophical about his current status, and his impending changes in direction. “I feel like I’m just getting started,” he said. “Music sort of choose me. I played music for fun and then people started offering me money to play. Long ago, I never had to hustle. Now I have to hustle harder than I ever did.”