Magic Slim & the Teardrops
(Blind Pig Records)
With a smooth hand and raspy voice, Magic Slim, backed by his band, the Teardrops, guides you through original and covers of blues tunes, taking you back in time to the days of the thriving Chicago blues scene.
Proud of the fact that he uses nothing but an old Gibson Les Paul and an amp, Slim displays raw blues talent similar to those that he admired as a young, struggling musician in Chicago. Don't think that a cotton gin accident, leaving him with an unusable pinky finger, would leave him down and out. If anything, the accident proved to be an inspiration for Slim to become a better musician and move to Chicago from Mississippi, where the legend would be born.
Joined by the Teardrops, featuring Jon McDonald (guitar/vox), Danny O'Conner (bass) and Lenny Media (drums/vox), this powerful quartet brings songs like "Spider In My Stew" and "Carla" to life by joining together to create a slow, melodically churning blues progressions, leaving the listener transfixed in the groove. Tunes later in the album like "Loving You is the Best Thing that Happened to Me" and "Full Load Boogie" turn up the heat, encouraging listeners to "boogie" along as Slim tears it up on guitar behind Lenny's tight-hitting snare and O'Conner's thumping bass.
If you pride yourself as a blues fanatic and love the style of the old Mississippi blues, this baby is for you. Slim's name should never be left out of discussion when it comes to the great blues players of our, and maybe before, our time. As he continues to rock small blues clubs around the United States, he will keep on proving why the best days of the blues didn't die with the legends that created it.
Standout Tracks: "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad," "Spider In My Stew" MATTHEW RECCHIA
