what do you think of jun lopito?

[blues2death]

i remember him headlining a gig that i played in....his band the bodhisattvas just released an album.the name of the concert was " blues on the loose", staged at the music museum.

i always considered him a god of the electric blues guitar.not THE god, but a deity nonetheless.

when i was part of that gig...i never considered myself as good or great as him. feeling ko i was at the right place and at the right time. lucky for me, it was another first hand experience...a blues lesson with one of the masters.

tirso ripoll mentioned in a video montage on tv...." theis guy can kick clapton's ass"....though that may be a bit too much, i think jun can hold his own with his international counterparts.

in a country where being a legend doesnt give you a chance to own your own ranch( i got that from edmund fortuno )...it's a shame that guys like pepe smith, bosyo,gary perez and others...dont get their just desserts. at the least we should recognize their achievments.no one else comes close to jun lopito.

one of my favorite jun moments was when he played the first RJ gutar night........played the jeff beck version of "cause we ended as lovers". steaming, passionate, definitely blazing rendition of a classic.

last i heard from him, he just had an operation for his eye..he probably still gigs around town...w/his inaanak guitarist who happens to be an old guitar student of mine.

anything new from him guys?

[toybitz]

Prior to inviting you and some other blues guitar player (that included Kakoy and Dolf), Kuya Jun played with the Junkies for a few months.

That was during the time his eye was at its worst.  He was undergoing acupuncture therapy.  He couldn't see very well, and he'd have his shades on even at the dimest lit bar in Makati.

To me, well, he is the greatest local rock guitarist.  As its obvious, he solos excellently, his rhythm is work is just as impressive.  His tone, legendary.

The last time he played with us was last December.  He didn't wear shades anymore.   He gave his 60s red strat to his daughter and went back to use his Hendrix strat.  Then we heard he had an accident which is very unclear.  So many different stories.

I couldn't verify it though, his landline's been either changed or cut.

Ang bait nito ni Kuya Jun.  Sobrang daldal and accommodating.  Digs younger chicks too!

[deltaslim]

"Blues on the Loose"... "Music Museum"... "Jun Lopito"... parang pamilyar pero my memory is so bad...  

anyway, i agree Jun L is one of the best pinoy blues-rock guitarists ever. i put him right up there w/ Wally G.  pero sa live, walang tatalo kay Jun L sa classic blues-rock.

sa mga mas bago at sumunod na generation: i think guys like Kakoi and Perf are their equivalents, in terms of guitar playing overall.  the stuff that perf's put down on record has already cemented his place in the pantheon.  the stuff that kakoi pulls out of his ass everytime he plays live is just beyond comprehension.  hanep talaga sila!

[toybitz]

the Jeff Beck of the Phils?  He's so into Pat Metheny too.  

Kuya Jun is simply a phenom!

[cofibreyk]

@toybitz, ...digs younger chicks ba? ahahaha...daming kwento ni sir J.LO nung naka-jam namin sya sa Puerto  

[ortigas]

jun lopito is the one of best rock guitar players in the philippines!!! he's right up there with wally g., david aguirre...i already posted this somewhere in the pinoy rock section.

i have heard that jun is not doing too well. my friend jimbo is going to see him to deliver an invite from trice and i. i hope and pray that whatever is ailing him gets better.

[cofibreyk]

ung tenga nya ata un...something about muffled ata ung pandinig nya sa isang ear dahil dun sa eye operation nya. hope he get's better, para maka-jam uli kame sa kanya  

[tele-tubby]

tirso ripoll mentioned in a video montage on tv...." theis guy can kick clapton's ass"....though that may be a bit too much, i think jun can hold his own with his international counterparts.

pre, this can't be far off man.  i love clapton, but boy, i haven't seen him do licks as tasty as what jun does

[blue buddha]

"Blues on the Loose"... "Music Museum"... "Jun Lopito"... parang pamilyar pero my memory is so bad...  

anyway, i agree Jun L is one of the best pinoy blues-rock guitarists ever. i put him right up there w/ Wally G.  pero sa live, walang tatalo kay Jun L sa classic blues-rock.

"Blues on the Loose" was effectively the first Manila blues festival in the mid 90's -- the ad material had that great image of Jun, head down and hunched over a Dobro or National resonator.

We had a great time playing at that gig, and watched in awe as Jun wailed with the Boddhisattvas. The memory that sticks in my mind of that evening was the All Star Jams at the end. I didn't even dare get up there despite being asked -- did not want to "sully" the guys who could really play. I thought David Aguirre to the left of the stage with that screaming white strat was hot, but then Jun started to dig in.... hard to describe it.... in an interview once, Clapton described hearing SRV as bearing witness to an "open channel" from the place where deep blues comes from. I recall feeling the exact same way watching Jun work his way through the Jams -- the guy really went beyond the technicality of it. Instead of hearing notes, you become awash with "feeling" -- like the guy is talking directly to you. Knife-through-the-heart stuff, you know. When you hear a guy like that, tone, phrasing, content -- all of that becomes one -- a real personal voice. Hindi na just a solo which you can pick apart and analyze. When he is on, the guy is a magical guitar player.

[blues2death]

honestly tele tubby? i think jun lopito can give clapton a run for his money!

one other thing to add about "kuya" jun is wala syang ka-ere-ere.

i dont remember how i managed to become part of this but...i was asked to join as an extra for an amanda page/elizabeth orpesa movie....naging part ako ng house band sa olongapo, keyboardist ako dun....and the members of the band were a drummer/yano,rhythm gutars/put3ska and of course jun lopito/guitars.....

d na ako nag attempt mag gitara, kasi hirap umepal baka mainis.buti na lang marunong ako mag keyboard kahit papano (blues scale in C)...

anyway, one of the boys lang si kuya jun.isang linggo din kami magkasama doon sa gapo....and kasama din namin si piyaps. grabe, tawanan ng tawanan....walang tigil na kulitan...

and walang special accomodations si jun( pati din si pepe) kahit na obvious naman na mga legend kasama namin....kung ang tulugan ay bulok na kwarto lang...e d ganon lang!

ang pinagsisihan ko lang.....d ako nakapag paturo ng licks...

[RonnieA]

Jun L. is a One of the great Pinoy Guitarist. He is one of the legends up there!

   Just for the information. He was one of the mianstays in Coco jam--the reggae, blues band fronted by Jun ( who happens to own the brown greco ES355 that I bought) He is great whethre playing reggae or blues---the guys cuts through everytime. I could remember him playing in Kalye (makati) and in Malate(Manila)

   Very humble guy. Walang ere about him and always accomodating to the "meet and greet" crowd!

  I wish he can jam with us one day!

[toybitz]

and walang special accomodations si jun( pati din si pepe) kahit na obvious naman na mga legend kasama namin....kung ang tulugan ay bulok na kwarto lang...e d ganon lang!

ang pinagsisihan ko lang.....d ako nakapag paturo ng licks...

yan ang hindi maganda sa Pinas eh.  kapag hindi mainstream hindi naaalagaan. sad but true.

ako nakapag paturo..kaso, sa sobrang star struck ko...e, hindi ko na maalala eh.

I always had the honors to take him home too after the Junkies' gigs.  Ang daldal niya sa kotse.  Daming kwento.  Both personal and music-wise.  Nun last gig namin na wala naman akong kotse, sinabay ako sa taxi.  Ang bait ni Kuya Jun.

One thing that really floored me was, while I was getting to understand more about playing guitars...Kuya Jun, never practiced with us..ever.  He would just play away or sometimes ask for the "key" the song was in.  And most of the time, when I can catch glimpses of his ryhthm playing, whoa...nilalalaro laro na niya yun chords to song.  Extremely talented.

[toybitz]

ung tenga nya ata un...something about muffled ata ung pandinig nya sa isang ear dahil dun sa eye operation nya. hope he get's better, para maka-jam uli kame sa kanya  

]

I hope he's getting help from a good doctor.

musta Rommel?

Nagkikita pa kayo?

[blues2death]

oh yeah...there you go. i heard from a kumpare of him...jun pare ang bansag sa kanya...miguel, kilala mo yun.

may tinnitus daw...at ang sa mata, parang may....uhm...small tumor sa eyelid.

first edmund...now kuya jun...in our own little way we have brought some ease into their lives. it was an honor.

toybitz....ganyan din kasi ako kay bosyo noong araw. bago lang auto ko noon...(89 corolla,hehehe lumang bago). so after ng gig sa hobbit parating hinahatid sila emmy and bosyo sa plaza quezon.

daming kwento din...at ang kwela...si jun d ko naging ka-close...hehehe.pero im sure ganong-ganon si jun din...from what you described,cnfirmed ang haka-haka.

kaka-miss ang mga old school man.....

sayang kasi naman...nanalo ng AWIT award ang album ni kuya jun.bakit ganon? nag fade out lang.... well, d naman fade out...maybe he wanted it that way because he had such a low key personality....

kakamiss ang red strat nya na bugbog sa gig!

[toybitz]

onga Bro eh.

nalungkot tuloy ako.

BENEFIT GIG NA 'TO!!

[cofibreyk]

ung tenga nya ata un...something about muffled ata ung pandinig nya sa isang ear dahil dun sa eye operation nya. hope he get's better, para maka-jam uli kame sa kanya  

]

I hope he's getting help from a good doctor.

musta Rommel?

Nagkikita pa kayo?

uy musta toybitz?, di pa kami uli nagkita ni kuya J.Lo...
ang huli nyang sabi gumagawa sya ng bagong album...tapos may reggae nga dun ni-jam namin nung huling kasama namin sya sa puerto  
sana nga maka-jam namin uli sya na miss ko ung mga adlib nya ehehe
Benefit GIG!!!

[nathanmanansala]

i've seen him play just once. shame on me.

pero dun sa nagiisang gig na yun, he had me at hello.

[ortigas]

oh yeah...there you go. i heard from a kumpare of him...jun pare ang bansag sa kanya...miguel, kilala mo yun.

oh, yeah....si Jun L? i know him quite well. is that who we're talking about?  :-s

[ortigas]

i've seen him play just once. shame on me.

pero dun sa nagiisang gig na yun, he had me at hello.

sinabi mo! once is enough to "believe"!

[ortigas]

Just for the information. He was one of the mianstays in Coco jam--the reggae, blues band fronted by Jun ( who happens to own the brown greco ES355 that I bought) He is great whethre playing reggae or blues---the guys cuts through everytime. I could remember him playing in Kalye (makati) and in Malate(Manila)

yep...i was the one who hooked em up in Kalye for the friday night slots and they were actually fronted by rolly m. who was the lead singer. we had the saturday night slot for 4 years there. i also hooked up advent call, the breed on wednesday nights, and a slew of others...those were the days.  =D> just tooting my own horn...

[blues2death]

oh yeah...there you go. i heard from a kumpare of him...jun pare ang bansag sa kanya...miguel, kilala mo yun.

oh, yeah....si Jun L? i know him quite well. is that who we're talking about?  :-s

yup yup miguel

[blues2death]

yep...i was the one who hooked em up in Kalye for the friday night slots and they were actually fronted by rolly m. who was the lead singer. we had the saturday night slot for 4 years there. i also hooked up advent call, the breed on wednesday nights, and a slew of others...those were the days.  =D> just tooting my own horn...

di ka lang dakilang rak en rol at blues blues drummer!

isa ka din booking agent!            

[tele-tubby]

di ka lang dakilang rak en rol at blues blues drummer!

isa ka din booking agent!            

hahahahah

[vic_6]

i know his old bassist. they were bandmates a few years ago if i remeber corractly. their drummer was this bald guy and they had a kid for their rhythm.

i heard so many amazing stories about him. i met him only once and saw him only once too but wow. that was amazing. he was really kind and soft spoken. parang nahihiya pa siya nakinakausap mo siya. grabe. sobrang bait pa. that was my brother in law's birthday gift to me, to see "kuya jun" and that was probably one of the best birthday gifts i'd ever received. amazing performance.

and yeah, he did have a tumor. cant remember where exactly, maybe his eye nga. very sad...

oh and i remember that he gave that kid (the rhythm guitarist) and old guitar of his. sobrang na galingan daw siya sa bata and since walang uitar yung bata, binigyan niya. wow

and about the clapton comment, i do agree that he woudl definitely give clapton a run for his money. no doubt about that.

[blues2death]

i think of him everytime i solo..." what would jun do?"

then i would stumble all over myself