Magic Slim

Magic Slim & the Teardrops proudly uphold the tradition of what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranges upwards of a few hundred songs give the towering guitarist's live performances an endearing off-the-cuff quality: you never know what obscurity he'll pull out of his oversized hat next. Born Morris Holt on August 7, 1937, the Mississippi native was forced to give up playing the piano when he lost his little finger in a cotton gin mishap. Boyhood pal Magic Sam bestowed his magical moniker on the budding guitarist (and times change as Slim's no longer slim). Holt first came to Chicago in 1955, but found that breaking into the competitive local blues circuit was a tough proposition. Although he managed to secure a steady gig for a while with Robert Perkins' band (Mr. Pitiful & the Teardrops), Slim wasn't good enough to progress into the upper ranks of Chicago bluesdom.

Magic Slim & the Teardrops proudly uphold the tradition of what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranges upwards of a few hundred songs give the towering guitarist's live performances an endearing off-the-cuff quality…

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.

As his last recording, Magic Slim gives us a live performance from the Wolf label in Europe. There are some fine tracks on this cd and as a parting momento from a master, this is a fine cd all around….

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…

From three separate sessions held in Chicago in 1986, 1987, and 1989, this captures Slim and the Teardrops at the top of their game. The bulk of this disc emanates from a 1986 session held at the radio station WRDE, catching the combo raw and wild on nice readings of "Mama Talk to Your Daughter," "Bad Avenue," "Gambler," and "Ain't That Nice." These tracks are simply loaded with stinging guitar from Slim and John Primer and it's Primer contributing the lead vocals on "Think" and "She Moves Me." A hot session that's pretty representative of their down-home sound.

Another solid Slim set with an additional emphasis on the considerable contributions of second guitarist John Primer, who handles vocals on three cuts (including covers of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" and Eugene Church's "Pretty Girls Everywhere"). This was a particularly potent edition of Teardrops, pounding through Slim's own title cut and "Please Don't Waste My Time" and Albert King's shuffling "Cold Women with Warm Hearts" with barroom bravado.