Magic

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."

If any single thing could be said about Magic Slim & The Teardrops, the watchword that prevails is consistency. Over eight CDs on the German Wolf label and the same total for Blind Pig Records – compilations notwithstanding – this group not only delivers time and time again with their electric contemporary urban blues, but continually reminds us of the forefathers that preceded them in making Chicago a focal point for this music. From classics by Elmore James, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Nighthawk, J.B. Hutto, Clay Hammond, and Little Milton, Slim and the band put their foot to the wood and never let up on the gas, steaming through these classic blues songs with a rock & roll attitude. Three originals by Slim also reflect the same no-nonsense posture, but add updated, doubting Thomas inquiries, as on the shuffle rocker "Do You Mean It?," "Shame," and the sly Chi-Town blues of "Treat Me the Way You Do." While the smart, well-chosen material is the key to their success, it's how they play with utter confidence, energy, passion, and drive that sets this band apart from all others.

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.

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…