Magic Sam's Blues Band • The Late Great Magic Sam

Biography by Bill Dahl
No blues guitarist better represented the adventurous modern sound of Chicago's West side more proudly than Sam Maghett. He died tragically young (at age 32 of a heart attack), just as he was on the brink of climbing the ladder to legitimate stardom, but Magic Sam left behind a thick legacy of bone-cutting blues that remains eminently influential around his old stomping grounds to this day.

Maghett (one of his childhood pals was towering guitarist Morris Holt, who received his Magic Slim handle from Sam) was born in the Mississippi Delta. In 1950, he arrived in Chicago, picking up a few blues guitar pointers from his new neighbor, Syl Johnson (whose brother, Mack Thompson, served as Sam's loyal bassist for much of his professional career). Harpist Shakey Jake Harris, sometimes referred to as the guitarist's uncle, encouraged Sam's blues progress and gigged with him later on, when both were Westside institutions.

Sam's tremolo-rich staccato fingerpicking was an entirely fresh phenomenon when he premiered it on Eli Toscano's Cobra label in 1957. Prior to his Cobra date, the guitarist had been gigging as Good Rocking Sam, but Toscano wanted to change his nickname to something old-timey like Sad Sam or Singing Sam. No dice, said the newly christened Magic Sam (apparently Mack Thompson's brainstorm). His Cobra debut single, "All Your Love," was an immediate local sensation; its unusual structure would be recycled time and again by Sam throughout his tragically truncated career. Sam's Cobra encores "Everything Gonna Be Alright" and "Easy Baby" borrowed much the same melody but were no less powerful; the emerging Westside sound was now officially committed to vinyl. Not everything Sam cut utilized the tune; "21 Days in Jail" was a pseudo-rockabilly smoker with hellacious lead guitar from Sam and thundering slap bass from the ubiquitous Willie Dixon. Sam also backed Shakey Jake Harris on his lone 45 for Cobra's Artistic subsidiary, "Call Me If You Need Me."

After Cobra folded, Sam didn't follow labelmates Otis Rush and Magic Slim over to Chess. Instead, after enduring an unpleasant Army experience that apparently landed him in jail for desertion, Sam opted to go with Mel London's Chief logo in 1960. His raw-boned Westside adaptation of Fats Domino's mournful "Every Night About This Time" was the unalloyed highlight of his stay at Chief; some other Chief offerings were less compelling.

Gigs on the Westside remained plentiful for the charismatic guitarist, but recording opportunities proved sparse until 1966, when Sam made a 45 for Crash Records. "Out of Bad Luck" brought back that trademark melody again, but it remained as shattering as ever. Another notable 1966 side, the plaintive "That's Why I'm Crying," wound up on Delmark's Sweet Home Chicago anthology, along with Sam's stunning clippity-clop boogie instrumental "Riding High" (aided by the muscular tenor sax of Eddie Shaw).

Delmark Records was the conduit for Magic Sam's two seminal albums, 1967's West Side Soul and the following year's Black Magic. Both LPs showcased the entire breadth of Sam's Westside attack: the first ranged from the soul-laced "That's All I Need" and a searing "I Feel So Good" to the blistering instrumental "Lookin' Good" and definitive remakes of "Mama Talk to Your Daughter" and "Sweet Home Chicago," while Black Magic benefitted from Shaw's jabbing, raspy sax as Sam blasted through the funky "You Belong to Me," an impassioned "What Have I Done Wrong," and a personalized treatment of Freddy King's "San-Ho-Zay."

Sam's reputation was growing exponentially. He wowed an overflow throng at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, and Stax was reportedly primed to sign him when his Delmark commitment was over. However, heart problems were fast taking their toll on Sam's health. On the first morning of December of 1969, he complained of heartburn, collapsed, and died.

Even now, more than a quarter-century after his passing, Magic Sam remains the king of Westside blues. That's unlikely to change as long as the subgenre is alive and kicking.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/magic-sam-mn0000191429#biography

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Biografía de Bill Dahl
Ningún guitarrista de blues representó mejor que Sam Maghett el aventurero sonido moderno del West Side de Chicago. Murió trágicamente joven (a los 32 años, de un ataque al corazón), justo cuando estaba a punto de ascender al estrellato legítimo, pero Magic Sam dejó tras de sí un espeso legado de blues que corta los huesos y que sigue siendo eminentemente influyente en sus antiguos lugares de residencia hasta el día de hoy.

Maghett (uno de sus amigos de la infancia era el imponente guitarrista Morris Holt, que recibió de Sam el apodo de Magic Slim) nació en el delta del Mississippi. En 1950 llegó a Chicago, donde aprendió algunas nociones de guitarra de blues de su nuevo vecino, Syl Johnson (cuyo hermano, Mack Thompson, fue el fiel bajista de Sam durante gran parte de su carrera profesional). El arpista Shakey Jake Harris, a veces conocido como el tío del guitarrista, alentó el progreso de Sam en el blues y actuó con él más tarde, cuando ambos eran instituciones del Westside.

El fingerpicking staccato rico en trémolos de Sam era un fenómeno totalmente nuevo cuando lo estrenó en el sello Cobra de Eli Toscano en 1957. Antes de su cita con Cobra, el guitarrista había estado actuando como Good Rocking Sam, pero Toscano quería cambiar su apodo por algo antiguo como Sad Sam o Singing Sam. Ni hablar, dijo el recién bautizado Magic Sam (al parecer, una ocurrencia de Mack Thompson). Su single de debut con Cobra, «All Your Love», fue una sensación local inmediata; su inusual estructura sería reciclada una y otra vez por Sam a lo largo de su trágicamente truncada carrera. Los bises de Cobra de Sam «Everything Gonna Be Alright» y «Easy Baby» tomaron prestada la misma melodía pero no fueron menos potentes; el sonido emergente de Westside estaba ahora oficialmente comprometido con el vinilo. No todos los cortes de Sam utilizaban la melodía; «21 Days in Jail» era un pseudo-rockabilly fumeta con una guitarra solista infernal de Sam y un atronador slap bass del omnipresente Willie Dixon. Sam también apoyó a Shakey Jake Harris en su único 45 para la subsidiaria Artistic de Cobra, «Call Me If You Need Me».

Después del cierre de Cobra, Sam no siguió a sus compañeros de sello Otis Rush y Magic Slim a Chess. En su lugar, después de soportar una desagradable experiencia en el ejército que aparentemente le llevó a la cárcel por deserción, Sam optó por ir con el logotipo de Mel London Chief en 1960. Su cruda adaptación de Westside del lúgubre «Every Night About This Time» de Fats Domino fue el punto álgido de su estancia en Chief; otras propuestas de Chief fueron menos convincentes.

Los conciertos en el Westside siguieron siendo abundantes para el carismático guitarrista, pero las oportunidades de grabación fueron escasas hasta 1966, cuando Sam grabó un 45 para Crash Records. «Out of Bad Luck» volvió a traer esa melodía característica, pero siguió siendo tan demoledora como siempre. Otra notable cara de 1966, la lastimera «That's Why I'm Crying», terminó en la antología Sweet Home Chicago de Delmark, junto con el impresionante instrumental boogie de Sam «Riding High» (ayudado por el musculoso saxo tenor de Eddie Shaw).

Delmark Records fue el conducto para los dos álbumes fundamentales de Magic Sam, West Side Soul de 1967 y Black Magic del año siguiente. Ambos LPs mostraban toda la amplitud del ataque del Westside de Sam: El primero abarcaba desde la conmovedora «That's All I Need» y una abrasadora «I Feel So Good» hasta el abrasador instrumental «Lookin' Good» y los remakes definitivos de «Mama Talk to Your Daughter» y «Sweet Home Chicago», mientras que Black Magic se beneficiaba del punzante y áspero saxo de Shaw mientras Sam arrasaba con la funky «You Belong to Me», una apasionada «What Have I Done Wrong» y un tratamiento personalizado de «San-Ho-Zay» de Freddy King. »

La reputación de Sam crecía exponencialmente. Asombró a una multitud desbordada en el Festival de Blues de Ann Arbor de 1969, y se decía que Stax estaba dispuesta a contratarle cuando terminara su compromiso con Delmark. Sin embargo, los problemas cardiacos estaban haciendo mella en la salud de Sam. La primera mañana de diciembre de 1969, se quejó de acidez, se desplomó y murió.

Incluso ahora, más de un cuarto de siglo después de su muerte, Magic Sam sigue siendo el rey del blues del Westside. Es poco probable que eso cambie mientras el subgénero siga vivo y coleando.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/magic-sam-mn0000191429#biography

Tracklist:
A1 - High Heel Sneakers - 2:44
A2 - All Your Love - 2:40
A3 - Trying To Make It - 2:54
A4 - Call Me If You Need Me - 2:09
A5 - Look Out Sam - 1:56
A6 - Torturing My Soul - 3:52
B1 - Sometimes - 3:33
B2 - Back Door Friend - 1:51
B3 - Feeling Good - 3:11
B4 - All Your Fault - 3:01
B5 - Looking Good - 2:05
B6 - Easy Baby - 3:22

Credits:
    Bass – Mack Thompson
    Design [Cover] – Günther Kieser
    Drums – Robert St. Julien (tracks: B5, B6)
    Drums [Uncredited] – Bob Richey (tracks: A1 to B4)
    Liner Notes, Photography By – Norbert Hess
    Mastered By – SST (8)
    Organ [Uncredited] – Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (tracks: A1 to A6, B2 to B4)
    Piano [Uncredited] – Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (tracks: B1)
    Producer – Horst Lippmann
    Recording Supervisor – Willie Dixon (tracks: A1 to B4)
    Vocals, Guitar – Magic Sam

Notes:
Tracks A6, B1, B3, and B4 were recorded October 30, 1963 at MBS Recording Studio, Chicago and tracks A1 to A5 and B2 were recorded February 11, 1964 at IRC Studio, Chicago under the supervision of Willie Dixon. Mono recordings.
Tracks B5 and B6 were recorded October 3, 1969 at Royal Albert Hall, London (AFBF '69) in stereo.


Label: L+R Records ‎– LR 42.014
Released: 1980
Genre: Blues
Style: Chicago Blues
 

 

 

 

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