You might be interested in a column I wrote about another "musician's musician," also a bass player, who died a few months ago. There really were so few people like this, and likely there will be even fewer, or none, in the future: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2025/11/danny-thompson-rip.html
Thanks very much for this lovely remembrance. What a legacy. The list of musicians he has influenced would be endless of course. Just a couple of days ago I happened to read of another one: it was the 80th birthday of John Paul Jones, the bassist (and mandolinist and keyboard player and other things) of Led Zeppelin. Someone posted that Jones had first been inspired to take up the bass when he heard You Can't Sit Down.
Phil Upchurch was a consistent presence in the liner notes of so many albums in my collection… back when there were liner notes and I had a collection. Thank you for the recognician
You might be interested in a column I wrote about another "musician's musician," also a bass player, who died a few months ago. There really were so few people like this, and likely there will be even fewer, or none, in the future: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2025/11/danny-thompson-rip.html
Thanks very much for this lovely remembrance. What a legacy. The list of musicians he has influenced would be endless of course. Just a couple of days ago I happened to read of another one: it was the 80th birthday of John Paul Jones, the bassist (and mandolinist and keyboard player and other things) of Led Zeppelin. Someone posted that Jones had first been inspired to take up the bass when he heard You Can't Sit Down.
Phil Upchurch was an important — and exciting! — Chicago musician before George Benson et al discovered him. Thanks for the eulogy, Leo.
Yes, the conversation with and music from Phil Upchurch is going to stay with me.
It feels like I had a dream ... Becca Pulliam
Phil Upchurch was a consistent presence in the liner notes of so many albums in my collection… back when there were liner notes and I had a collection. Thank you for the recognician
of a pillar in contemporary music.