West Side Soul album cover
West Side Soul

Magic Sam

1967
Delmark Records

Magic Sam was one of a trio of artists — the other two were Otis Rush and Buddy Guy — who revolutionized Chicago blues guitar playing with their striking tremolo sound. Born in Mississippi in 1937, he moved to Chicago at 19 and began recording for the Cobra label, releasing numerous singles in the late 1950s. In 1967, he signed with Delmark and released this album, which showcased his stinging, reverb-heavy guitar solos and his soulful vocals. The album includes a re-recording of “All Your Love,” one of his 1950s singles, as well as takes on several songs made popular by other artists, like “My Love Will Never Die” (Otis Rush), “Sweet Home Chicago” (Robert Johnson), and “Mama Talk To Your Daughter” (J.B. Lenoir), but it’s such a rocking, vibrantly alive album that it doesn’t matter if the material is familiar.

Phil Freeman

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