Phil Berkowitz is a Lucky Loser

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Lucky Losers Phil Berkowitz

He came out of West Orange but made his mark in San Francisco. MoMojo Records/MVD Distribution has released Arrival, the sixth album from The Lucky Losers, Phil Berkowitz and Cathy Lemons. They both sing and write the kind of songs that stick to the mind like a tattoo on the brain. Phil blows a nasty blues-harp. The ubiquitous Kid Andersen produces and plays guitar. The 11 originals bespeak a vociferous grandiosity, be it deep country blues, classic rock, gospel or R’n’B. Influenced as much by Mavis Staples as Allen Toussaint, Lemons spares no expense lyric-wise when she writes of the sexual abuse of young women in “I Believe Her (Because I Am Her).” And her politics are on full display in “Pull On The Rope.” Lemons is “Pig Iron Tough” as she moved 15 times before the age of 17. Arrival is 47 minutes of brutal honesty.

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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