I am honestly ignorant of Phil Upchurch, but will be checking him out immediately... thx!
That’s okay — most people, even jazz enthusiasts, have never heard of him. He’s a fabulous jazz guitarist. Been at it for a very very long time.
Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and Robben Ford were the mainstays of L.A. studio guitar in the 70’s and early 80’s - all tremendous players and all still active (primarily their own material).