Lance Lipinsky not only admits but is proud when saying he's "not doing anything new." The simplicity of 2 and a half minute pop songs drenched in cold reverb with baritone guitar and lightning struck piano swells is a sound Lipinsky wants to make sure survives after it's original 60 year old conception.
This back to basics sound returns and is indeed alive and well with his band the Lovers in their much anticipated and long awaited debut album "Roll," revisiting the fine line between danger, innocence, and romance that defined the Atomic age of mid century American music.
Most of the tracks on Roll were cut at the historic Sun Records in Memphis using all the original analog tape machines, microphones and vintage equipment on the recordings.
With driving Jerry Lee Lewis piano rhythms and Presley inspired swagger in his own persona, Lance Lipinsky preserves the timeless tradition of the 1950's & 60's subculture in not only in his songwriting, but also as a show stopping live entertainer.
As a new sound emerged in the mid 1950's, flocks of guitar marketed themed singers dominated the scene. In this new arena called Rock & Roll, only a hand few of front men in mainstream pop music history stood behind a piano.
Not much has changed generations later as Lipinsky himself is a descendant of this rare breed of piano based entertainers, tickling the ivories of his heroes before him like Charlie Rich, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Floyd Cramer and more.
"What's good doesn't die," is a birthright motto Lipinsky displayed since childhood. With no formal training, his dad's life long vinyl record collection contributed to a self-taught education on piano and guitar was instantly possessed by music before his time.
Paul Lipinsky never missed an oppurtunity to have his 6 year old son Lance sit in and sing with bands that made up the south central Texas music scene in the honky tonk jukejoints he frequented.
With his parent's blessing, Lipinsky dropped out of high school and moved to Las Vegas where we was determined to make it in show business. With the resources Vegas had to offer for performers, Lipinsky hoped to recreate the success he previously had in Texas when he cut his teeth as a musician by now honing his craft as a live entertainer.
Tackling every lounge and casino showroom, he eventually was discovered and put on the Vegas strip at a mere 17 years old. He was blessed to now have a fulltime career in various productions and started concentrating on writing original material.
In 2010, Lipinsky moved to Chicago and headlined over 2500 action packed shows at the Apollo Theatre in the TONY award winning Broadway musical "Million Dollar Quartet." He would call Chicago his second home and formed his dream show band The Lovers with a young stand up bassist
named Zach Lentino.
Other members of the Lovers include drummer John Perrin, guitarist
Nate Adams, saxophonist Aaron Getsug and occasional sit ins with
Wyatt Maxwell, Heitor Crespo, Aaron Dacorte, Michael Monroe Goodman
and Derrell Lowe.
Accompanied by the "Lovettes," Jessicsa Lyons, Temeka Estes and
Darcy Jo Wood provide backup harmony in a fantasy hybrid of Lesile Gore, Diana Ross, and Ronnie Spector inspired girl group.
After stockpiling his best original tunes, Lipinsky is now proud to finially showcase his debut album Roll, recorded in three different vintage based analog studios of Sun Records, Hi-Style Studios, and Custom Recorders on traditional analog tape format.
The influences range from Little Richard/Jerry Lee Lewis induced piano grooves all the way to Phil Spector meets Roy Orbison-esque ballads complete with a string section, timpani and tape delay galore.
Being born too late has it's advantages... his adventures has lead him to appear on both the David Letterman Show and at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Recently he was featured in the new HBO series "Vinyl" directed by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese.
Most modern day mainstream record companies would dismiss a throwback act like Lipinsky and label it as "oldies" or "nostalgia," but artists like Lance devoted to the Roots music movement remind us that this style is not just a mere trend from the past, but rather its own genre that has stood the test of time.
"My classic approach to songwriting isn't on purpose or intentional," defends Lipinsky, "It's not a novetlty theme or a marketing technique...
it just always naturally comes out sounding that way. Being an old soul is a lifestyle. "
Describing the Lovers as what he calls "American Made Rock & Roll music," it's obvious that Lipinsky is an evolution of time preserving these American melting pots of Rockabilly, Rhythm & Blues, Western Swing, Doo Wop, Soul, etc, as heard on his debut album Roll.
History repeats itself with Lance Lipinsky's exploration of early Rock & Roll... continuing a much awaited sequel sixty years later.