MAGIC SLIM - Tin Pan Alley
CD 120.809
Magic Slim – Tin Pan Alley
Magic Slim – Tin Pan Alley
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 offthe-cuff quality – you never know what obscurity he’ll pull out of his oversized hat next.
Born Morris Holt on August 7, 1937, in Grenada, 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 (times change; 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. So he retreated to Mississippi for a spell to hone his chops. When he returned to Chicago in 1965 (with brothers Nick and Lee Baby as his new rhythm section), Slim’s detractors were quickly forced to change their tune. Utilizing the Teardrops name and holding onto his Magic Slim handle, the big man cut a couple of 45s for Ja-Wes and established himself as a formidable force on the South side – his guitar work dripped vibrato-enriched nastiness, and his roaring vocals were as gruff and uncompromising as anyone’s on the scene.
All of a sudden, the recording floodgates opened up for the Teardrops in 1979 when they cut four tunes for Alligator’s “Living Chicago Blues” anthology series. Since then, a series of nails-tough albums for Rooster Blues, Alligator, Blind Pig, and a slew for the Austrian Wolf logo have fattened Slim’s discography considerably.
Bill Dahl
Slim’s sound is perhaps the tightest of all Chicago blues bands working at the present time. He played Chicago’s blues clubs, and took over for Hound Dog Tayor at Florence’s, the popular blues bar on the city’s South side. Since the early 80s he tours Europe every 2 years and plays on every important blues festival all around the world. Slim recorded his first Wolf CD in 1986 in Chicago. This CD won a W.C. Handy Award, and so did the following Cds for Wolf Records – one with his brother Nick and the other one with live recordings. His best studio recordings can be heard on the Wolf Cd “Magic Blues”. Last, but not least, Slim is great presented on four live Cds, titled “The Zoo Bar Collection”. These recordings have been published in the 90s, as well as two Cds for Blind Pig. The CD “Tin Pan Alley”“ – his last one in the 20th century – shows Slim at his best: Live & cooking with the best blues band on the planet: the Teardrops (including John Primer & Nick Holt).
Wolf CD 120.809
MAGIC SLIM Tin Pan Alley