Magic+slim

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.

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.

Snakebite is the best and most cohesive Magic Slim album to date, where all the things he does best come together in one place. Expertly produced by Dick Shurman, this spotlights all the groove that makes Slim a bandstand favorite, with none of the rough edges that mar his other studio or live efforts. The songs are top-notch (seven of the 11 tunes here are Slim originals), and this version of the Teardrops – Nick Holt on bass, Allen Kirk on drums, and Michael Dotson on second guitar – lay a greasy pocket down behind their leader that fits perfectly. Slim's vocals are spot-on, and his guitar work is his most focused yet. A truly inspired session, this is the perfect introduction to 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.

When blues fans Jerry Del Giudice and Edward Chmelewski started the Blind Pig label as an outgrowth of the live venue of the same name in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1977, there was no way they could have known the home they were creating for blues and Americana music would have over the next four decades. The number of legends who have recorded for the label is staggering, and their finest moments are collected on the brand new Blind Pig Records 40th Anniversary Collection. With 34 classic tracks on 2 CDs, the collection spans 40 years of blues history. This wide-ranging compilation, which boasts more than 2 hours of music, is a study in the genre, from current titans like Popa Chubby, Albert Cummings and Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots winners of Best Band at the 2016 Blues Musics to no fewer than 13 legends enshrined in the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, with James Cotton, Otis Rush, Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Otis Clay and Magic Slim among them, not to mention a classic live recording by the one and only Muddy Waters.

By any yardstick, Chicago guitarist John Primer has paid his dues. Prior to making The Real Deal for Mike Vernon's Atlantic-distributed Code Blue label, Primer spent 13 years as the ever-reliable rhythm guitarist with Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Before that, he filled the same role behind Chicago immortals Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. All that grounding has paid off handsomely for Primer. His sound is rooted in the classic Windy City blues sound of decades past: rough-edged and uncompromising and satisfying in the extreme. He's one of the last real traditionalists in town. By the time he came to Chicago in 1963, Primer was thoroughly familiar with the lowdown sounds of Waters, Wolf, Jimmy Reed, B.B. and Albert King, and Elmore James.

Delmark celebrates Dave’s 30 years on the label with a stellar line-up of guests including Otis Clay, Jorma Kaukonen, Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Johnnson & more.Specter’s career has been intertwined with the deepest roots of Chicago blues and Delmark’s rich musical history. This double CD release constitutes a definitive testimony to one of today’s most tasteful and versatile blues artists featuring SpecterDave Specter has earned an international reputation as one of the premier talents on the Chicago music scene. Since 1985 Specter has performed regularly at top Chicago venues in addition to clubs, festivals and concert halls throughout the USA.

Otis Rush is a stunning vocalist, innovative guitarist and songwriter who has hugely influenced blues and rock artists, including Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan (whose band, Double Trouble, was named after Rush's song of the same name), Jeff Beck, and Carlos Santana. Rush was inspired to become a bluesman after he moved to Chicago in the late forties and saw Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf perform. Along with Buddy Guy and Magic Slim, Rush developed a playing style that would become known as the "West Side sound," an emotionally intense combination of guitar licks and expressive vocals, with an urban sound that signified a departure from classic Mississippi Delta blues.

Keeping Chicago Blues alive, Robbert Fossen & Peter Struijk, were the winners of the Dutch Blues Challenge 2012, and finalists at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, in January 2013. Fossen is also nominated for the 2013 Blues Awards "Best Vocalist!" Influenced by legends such as Muddy Waters, Magic Slim, Buddy Guy, and Jerry Portnoy, Fossen plays "real deal Chicago blues." With bands like A Crossroads Deal and the Robbert Fossen Blues Band, he performed incessantly all over Europe, backing American blues artists such as John Primer, Tail Dragger, Chick Rodgers, Nick Holt, Charles Hayes, and T-Model Ford.

J R Clark brings it on this Album! Gritty Blues, Silky Soul and Funk! Original lyrics that will make you laugh, cry and think. All the emotions you want when listening to a great album. Enjoy the ride! The first cut on this album jumps right out you full of energy and makes you think of 70's funk and you wonder how a band that is a labeled a blues act can be so versatile. The all star cast that is in the J R Clark Band and their diverse backgrounds enables this act to hit on most any style of music and make it their own. This album has nine original compositions and one cover that would put a smile on Bobby Blue Bland's face. J R Clark penned all nine original compositions on this album and you can see his growth as a musician and songwriter…