Magic Slim & The Teardrops Pure Magic (2014) [chicago Blues Session Vol. 82]

Wolf manager Hannes found 12 songs, which have never before been on CD or LP! These are live recordings from 1992-1995, when Magic Slim played together with John Primer, Nick Holt and Earl Howell! There are great Albert King covers and a wonderful version of "Since I met you, Baby".

Magic Slim (Morris Holt) is best known for carrying on the Windy City tradition of back-to-the-basics blues bar bands, blasting out a quintessential sound that the music's legends would appreciate and that its newest fans can still enjoy. With Blue Magic, Holt and the Teardrops take a few steps outside their home turf for a New York City session with several surprises. Although most of the material is Holt's, the new album features several conspicuous exceptions, such as an intriguing attempt at country legend Merle Haggard's "I Started Loving You Again." But it's producer Popa Chubby's updating of the Bobby Rush gem "Chickenheads," popularized by Holt's fellow Chicago stalwart Mighty Joe Young, that is the most adventurous experiment. With the band sitting out, Popa Chubby takes over all the rhythm duties and adds sampled loops to the mix.

Chicago blues drips from the raw and gritty music of Magic Slim. His vocals are delivered like a champion boxer punches. His sharp, fast lead guitar notes are drenched in sweat. His rife rhythms rock like a ship that’s tossed about by a hellacious storm. His potent backing band – comprised of Jon McDonald (guitar), Danny O’Connor (bass), and David Simms (drums) – is more than capable of supporting the master. Together with Slim, they are considered to be one of the last real Chicago blues bands. Magic Slim doesn’t need to rely on guest stars in order to make a great CD. Still, eight confidant colleagues, including Otis Clay and Elvin Bishop, appear throughout the 47-minute disc. This is practically a 100% pure Chicago blues record. It was recorded in Chicago, it was produced by a Chicago blues artist, the cover photo and CD design were created by a Chicago graphic artist, most of the songs were written by Chicago artists, and the guests are all associated with Chicago.

The Wolf record label has served Magic Slim & the Teardrops well, producing eight CDs between 1986 and 1992, when the band was emerging from Chicago to tour the world. They are deserving on many fronts as the self-proclaimed "best blues band on the planet," and these tracks, marketed as "Magic Slim's best 14 songs," certainly go a long way to proving that assertion. Of the album's 14 tracks, 11 come from the studio and three are previously unissued live concert sessions in Austria, all with Slim, the remarkable second guitarist John Primer, brother and bassist Nick Holt, and different drummers. Only one of the tunes was written by Slim, the others taken from classic blues songwriters and heroes of the lead vocalist and guitarist, whose distinctive sound comes shining through from start to finish. Albert King for sure is a favorite of Magic Slim…

Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s. Slim doesn't bring many modern touches to his music; he plays in the classic Chicago style that laid the foundation for today's rock and blues and that's just fine. With his backing Teardrops – Jon McDonald on guitar, Andre Howard on bass, and B.J. Jones on drums – he continues making first-class albums that sound like they were cut in 1955 and that's a good thing. Denise LaSalle's "Someone Else Is Steppin' In" gets a humorous reading with Howard singing a high lead vocal to complement Slim's growl, which often slips into a Howlin' Wolf-like growl.

Magic Slim has released a pile of albums, all of them true to his group's house-rocking credo. The idea this time around was to hook him up with producer Dick Shurman and get Slim to record tunes he hadn't committed to wax yet. With a tight version of the Teardrops aboard (the ubiquitous Nick Holt on bass and vocals, Michael Dotson on rhythm, Allen Kirk on drums, and Slim's son Shawn Holt making a guest appearance on "Young Man's Blues"), Slim turns in a solid effort here. But perhaps the biggest change this time around is the inclusion of four original tunes from Slim, big news for a combo that many consider to be the ultimate blues cover band. Counting Nick Holt's "Playin' with My Mind" and Shawn Holt's "Young Man's Blues," the original material is up to the 50-percent mark, making this their most adventuresome outing to date.

This raw-boned LP captures Slim's unpretentious houserocking sound about as well as any studio set possibly could. Among its highlights: the hard-shuffling "Early Every Morning," and a surreal "Scuffling," and Slim's tribute to his late pal Magic Sam, "She Belongs to Me."

Here are two legends of Chicago Blues - Pinetop Perkins & John Brim. John got a hit for Chess Records: “Ice Cream Man” in the 50´s. The Wolf All Star Band played together with him: John Primer, Willie Kent, Tim Taylor & Billy Branch. Pinetop was not only a sideman for Muddy Waters, he was a great piano player and singer too! On this CD, only Tim Taylor played drums with him and sang some great Blues Classics.