01 – Bad Boy
02 – Someone Else Is Steppin’ In
03 – I Got Money
04 – Sunrise Blues
05 – Girl What You Want Me To Do
06 – Hard Luck Blues
07 – Gambling Blues
08 – Champagne and Reefer
09 – How Much More Long
10 – Matchbox Blues
11 – Older Woman
12 – Country Joyride

Magic Slim (vocals, guitar); 
Jon McDonald (guitar, background vocals); 
Andre Howard (bass guitar, background vocals); 
B.J. Jones (drums, background vocals).

Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s. Slim doesn't bring many modern touches to his music; he plays in the classic Chicago style that laid the foundation for today's rock and blues and that's just fine. With his backing Teardrops -- Jon McDonald on guitar, Andre Howard on bass, and B.J. Jones on drums -- he continues making first-class albums that sound like they were cut in 1955 and that's a good thing. Denise LaSalle's "Someone Else Is Steppin' In" gets a humorous reading with Howard singing a high lead vocal to complement Slim's growl, which often slips into a Howlin' Wolf-like growl. "Champagne and Reefer," a Muddy Waters tune, is taken at a smoky laid-back pace, as befits the subject matter, with Slim's vocal inflections suggesting Muddy in his prime. "Older Woman," first cut by Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, is taken at a leisurely pace that suggests the slow, smoldering tempo of mature love, although Slim sets off plenty of sizzling sparks with his bristling solos. Slim's originals are just as solid as the covers. "Sunrise Blues" is an old-fashioned slow shuffle with smooth Albert King-meets-Chuck Berry guitar work. "Gambling Blues" and the mostly instrumental "Country Joyride" give Slim a chance to show off his considerable chops, showcasing solos full of thick comped chords, distorted bass runs, and clear chiming lead lines. ---j.poet, allmusic.com

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01. I'm A Bluesman 
02. Chickenheads 
03. Get Your Business Straight 
04. How Many More Years 
05. Evil Woman Blues 
06. You Got To Pay 
07. Lonely For Your Love 
08. I Want To See You In The Evening 
09. I Started Loving You Again 
10. Goin' To Mississippi 

Magic Slim (vocals, guitar) 
Popa Chubby (guitar, bass, drums, loops) 
Michael Dotson (guitar) 
Danny O'Connor (bass) 
Allen Kirk (drums)

Magic Slim (Morris Holt) is best known for carrying on the Windy City tradition of back-to-the-basics blues bar bands, blasting out a quintessential sound that the music's legends would appreciate and that its newest fans can still enjoy. With Blue Magic, Holt and the Teardrops take a few steps outside their home turf for a New York City session with several surprises. Although most of the material is Holt's, the new album features several conspicuous exceptions, such as an intriguing attempt at country legend Merle Haggard's "I Started Loving You Again." But it's producer Popa Chubby's updating of the Bobby Rush gem "Chickenheads," popularized by Holt's fellow Chicago stalwart Mighty Joe Young, that is the most adventurous experiment. With the band sitting out, Popa Chubby takes over all the rhythm duties and adds sampled loops to the mix. Its reconfiguration is counterbalanced by the group's experienced, no-nonsense take on the Howlin' Wolf classic "How Many More Years." Magic Slim's trademark guitar vibrato is similarly balanced by his gruff vocals and the Teardrops, minus brother Nick Holt but still including guitarist Michael Dotson, consistently demonstrate themselves capable of transforming any studio or stage into a first-class Chicago blues bar. --Michael Point, Editorial Review

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1. Part Time Love – 3:52
2. Breaking Up Somebody’s Home – 4:33
3. Do You Mean It – 3:29
4. Cummins Prison Farm – 4:54
5. Mama Talk To Your Daughter – 3:06
6. I Can’t Hold Out – 3:33
7. Shame – 3:58
8. Sunny Road Blues – 5:34
9. Gonna Move To Kansas City – 3:40
10. 4:59 A.M. – 4:07
11. Treat Me The Way You Do – 4:01

Magic Slim (vocals, guitar); 
Jon McDonald (guitar, background vocals); 
Andrew Howard (bass guitar, background vocals); 
B.J. Jones (drums, background vocals).

If any single thing could be said about Magic Slim & The Teardrops, the watchword that prevails is consistency. Over eight CDs on the German Wolf label and the same total for Blind Pig Records -- compilations notwithstanding -- this group not only delivers time and time again with their electric contemporary urban blues, but continually reminds us of the forefathers that preceded them in making Chicago a focal point for this music. From classics by Elmore James, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Nighthawk, J.B. Hutto, Clay Hammond, and Little Milton, Slim and the band put their foot to the wood and never let up on the gas, steaming through these classic blues songs with a rock & roll attitude. Three originals by Slim also reflect the same no-nonsense posture, but add updated, doubting Thomas inquiries, as on the shuffle rocker "Do You Mean It?," "Shame," and the sly Chi-Town blues of "Treat Me the Way You Do." While the smart, well-chosen material is the key to their success, it's how they play with utter confidence, energy, passion, and drive that sets this band apart from all others. Kudos to second guitarist Jon McDonald, bassist Andre Howard, drummer B.J. Jones, and Morris Holt (aka Slim) for fortifying this music without any apologies. This is not news for the blues community who are well aware of how great Magic Slim & The Teardrops have always been, but in light of them just getting better and better, someone in Chicago should build a monument to this group for their determination, and their ability to do the city proud worldwide. Raising the Bar is yet another excellent effort made by blue-collar workers, deserving of universally wide recognition, and comes highly recommended without a doubt. ---Michael G. Nastos, allmusic.com

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01. Magic Slim - Early Every Morning (5:06) 
02. Magic Slim - She Belongs to Me (3:18) 
03. Magic Slim - Just to Be with You (5:54) 
04. Magic Slim - Walking the Dog (3:36) 
05. Magic Slim - Slammin' (2:59) 
06. Magic Slim - Rough Dried Woman (3:13) 
07. Magic Slim - Fannie Mae (4:04) 
08. Magic Slim - Give Me Back My Wig (4:18) 
09. Magic Slim - Scuffling (3:03) 
10. Magic Slim - Make My Dreams Come True (3:55) 
11. Magic Slim - 1823 South Michigan Avenue (4:27) 
12. Magic Slim - Wonder Why (3:33) 
13. Magic Slim - If You Need Me (3:21) 
14. Magic Slim - Teardrop (5:02)

Bass – Nick Holt (tracks: 1 to 14)
Drums – Nate Applewhite (tracks: 1 to 11), Steve Cushing (tracks: 12 to 14)
Guitar – Junior Pettis (tracks: 12, 14), Magic Slim (tracks: 13, 14), Pete Allen (tracks: 1 to 11)
Vocals, Guitar – Junior Pettis (tracks: 13), Magic Slim (tracks: 1 to 12)

Magic Slim & the Teardrops proudly upheld the tradition of what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranged upwards of a few hundred songs gave the towering guitarist's live performances an endearing off-the-cuff quality: you never knew what obscurity he'd pull out of his oversized hat next. Born Morris Holt on August 7, 1937, 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. 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 after they cut four tunes for Alligator's Living Chicago Blues anthology series. After that, a series of tough-as-nails albums for Rooster Blues, Alligator, and a slew for the Austrian Wolf logo fattened Slim's discography considerably.

the Teardrops weathered a potentially devastating change when longtime second guitarist John Primer cut his own major-label debut for Code Blue, but with Slim and bass-wielding brother Nick Holt still on board, it became doubtful that the quartet's overall sound would change dramatically in Primer's absence. In 1996, Slim signed with Blind Pig and cut some of the most celebrated albums of his career, including Scufflin' in 1996, Black Tornado in 1998, Snakebite in 2000, and Blue Magic in 2002. A live recording taped in 2005 at the Sierra Nevada Brewery was released that same year on both DVD and CD as Anything Can Happen. Tin Pan Alley, a set of recordings made between 1992 and 1998 in Chicago and Europe, was released in 2006 by Austria's Wolf Records. Midnight Blues appeared in 2008, followed by Raising the Bar in 2010. Bad Boy, a collection of covers given the Magic Slim makeover, hit the streets in 2012. However, while on tour with the Teardrops in January 2013, Slim experienced breathing difficulties and was hospitalized first in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and then in Philadelphia; he died there on February 20, 2013 at the age of 75. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

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