Highly recommended
Magic Sam died in 1969, so I'll start
with some background. The first generation of post-World War II
Chicago bluesmen were men who were born in the South and migrated to
Chicago as adults, usually stopping along the way in Memphis. They
began recording in the late '40s or early '50s. The big four were
Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (#2), and Little
Walter, all of whom recorded for Chess Records. Others include
Elmore James, Jimmy Rogers and Big Walter Horton.
The second generation consisted of men
who came to Chicago at a younger age, and credit the first generation
with part of their musical education. Some of them recorded in the
'50s, but they hit their stride in the early '60s. This group
includes Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Luther Allison, Carey
Bell and Eddy Clearwater. Guitarists like Guy, Rush and Allison
played in what was called the West Side style—stinging single-note
solos with lots of vibrato.
Samuel Maghett, aka Magic Sam, is
usually considered the primary exemplar of the West Side style. He
was also known for his soulful vocals. He recorded four classic
singles for Cobra Records in 1957 and 1958, followed by a few less
interesting singles for the Chief and Crash labels. His primary
legacy is two Delmark LPs, West Side Soul
(1968) and Black Magic
(1969), both of which were best sellers. He seemed poised for
stardom and it was rumored that Stax Records was ready to sign him
once his commitment to Delmark was over. Tragically, he died of a
heart attack on December 1, 1969, at the age of 32. Although I think Magic
Sam was a better guitarist and singer than his contemporaries at the
same time, it is his unrealized potential that is the tragedy. It is
not fair, for example, to compare his recordings to the '80s and '90s
CDs of Buddy Guy or Luther Allison.
The
fact that he recorded so infrequently has created a market for any
Magic Sam recordings collectors can find. Delmark released The
Magic Sam Legacy,
which has alternate takes and unissued sides from the two albums.
They've also released three CDs of live performances [Magic
Sam Live
(1982), Rockin'
Wild in Chicago
(1990) and Give Me
Time
(1991)]. The present CD is Delmark's fourth set of this type. There
are also a few Magic Sam performances on other labels. They were
typically recorded on less-than-professional equipment under
less-than-ideal conditions by Magic Sam fanatics. The liner notes
usually include a disclaimer apologizing for the sound quality.
There is a lot of duplication of songs.
This
CD was recorded by high school senior and Magic Sam fan Jim Charne at
a small coffee house in Milwaukee on June 22, 1968. In the notes, he explains
that, with the cooperation of both Sam and the management, he placed
several mics around the room, but had no opportunity to check the
sound in advance of the performance. The result is excellent guitar
sound quality, full and clear, but the vocals are slightly
underrecorded (relative to the guitar) and suffer from some
distortion. All in all, not a bad result. He doesn't explain why it
took 45 years for these tapes to reach the public.
Although
Sam usually recorded with a piano and/or tenor sax, this set just has
Big Mojo Elem on bass and Bob Richey on drums. The impression is one
of a typical Saturday night set in a blues club. Sam's singing is
relaxed. His playing is energetic, although his solos don't differ a
great deal from those on his other recorded versions of these songs.
He introduces some of the songs, but don't expect at lot of chatter.
I personally never cared much for “That's All I Need,” and this version is
typically boring, but all the other songs range from very good to
great. The blistering instrumental “Lookin' Good” is a highlight
wherever it appears. Here is a clip from a German documentary
featuring Sam playing his first single, “All Your Love,” which is
not on this CD, and “Lookin' Good.”
Five
of the sixteen songs are from West
Side Soul
and two are from Black
Magic.
Four of the tunes are Sam originals. There are covers of songs by
Freddy King, Bobby Bland, B. B. King, Little Junior Parker, Lowell
Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Otis Rush and Junior Wells. Particularly
noteworthy are versions of Muddy Waters' “Still a Fool” and Jimmy
Rogers' “That's All Right,” because I don't think they appear on
any other Magic Sam CDs. There are three instrumentals. One of
them, “Hully Gully Twist” by B. B. King, is also unique to this
CD.
None
of Sam's live CDs are essential purchases for anyone other than a
dedicated Magic Sam fan. The essential Magic Sam is his four Cobra
singles, which have been reissued on several CDs, and his two Delmark
studio albums. However, if you decide to supplement them with a live
Magic Sam set, Live
at the Avant Garde
is not a bad choice.
Tracks:
San-Ho-Zay; Don't Want No Woman; I Need You So Bad; Feelin' Good;
It's All Your Fault, Baby; You Belong to Me; Bad Luck Blues; Come On
in This House; Hoochie Coochie Man; Still a Fool; That's All I Need;
All Your Love (I Miss Loving); That's All Right; Lookin' Good; Every
Night, Every Day; Hullky Gully Twist. (68 min.)
Personnel:
Magic Sam, vocals, guitar; Big Mojo Elem, bass; Bob Richey, drums.
You may also be interested in reading or watching:
Magic Slim (1937-2013)
Video of the Week #40 (Otis Rush)
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