Greetings. I am a resident of the Chicago area and an enthusiast of blues music, especially guitar. I was "turned on to" the blues by Stevie Ray Vaughn in the 80's. In the Blues Brothers movie, Jake (John Belushi) introduces the song Sweet Home Chicago, "This is dedicated to the late great Magic Sam". Not enough talk out there about Samuel Gene Maghett aka Magic Sam, so I want to spread the good word with what limited knowledge I have. Please share your constructive thoughts, links. listening advice etc. Honestly there is not boatloads of information on him. Most of the recordings I have heard so far are remarkably awful sound wise. But musically, just crazy great. Parts are just goosebumps. Here is the wiki link to who he is. Magic Sam - Wikipedia Dig this its EPIC, This instrumental track he is known for, "Sam's Boogie". This crazy. How I actually found out about Magic Sam. I noodle on guitar myself (not well) and I fancy the likes of Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson etc and all those guys talk about the blues and playing with economy. somehow I got onto a video of a guitar clinic with Paul Gilbert, a known shred guy from the 80's . Personally I find this whole video entertaining but if you want to get to the part where he starts talking about blues guys it's around 7:50 ish. The BB King finger part is funny. Paul Gilbert at Supatone More talk about Sam. This is the guy who recently wrote the book about SRV. Mostly a guitar tutorial but some interesting stuff. He is a smokin guitar player himself. How to Play like Chicago Blues Legend Magic Sam Lastly, it kind of struck me Magic Sam is burried so close, along with many other notable names (like Muddy) to where I sit. It's 3 towns over maybe 6 miles Restvale Cemetery - Wikipedia Sam died 50 years ago on December 1. I would like that this thread be one that comes up as a reference when one Googles Magic Sam. So please post.
Very cool! I only learned of Magic Sam recently, Marc Maron on the WTF podcast mentioned he'd been trying to learn to play Sam's Boogie. Subsequently I saw the clip on you tube and mind blown - goosebumps indeed!
I don’t have a problem sound-wise with his two classic Delmark albums “West Side Soul” and “Black Magic” Essential blues recordings and anyone interested in blues, blues-rock should have these
Anyone who appreciates Magic Sam should look into a blues guitarist by the name of Bobby Radcliff. As a youth Bobby heard a live performance of Magic Sam at a blues festival and took it upon himself to meet him. Magic Sam was in the hospital recovering from serious health issues when Bobby arrived, and they became friends, and Sam invited Bobby to stay with his family in Chicago more than once. Bobby is now acknowledged by many blues fans to be the guitarist performing in the style closest to Magic Sam's. His records are well worth checking out, and although I haven't seen him around my area recently I believe he is still touring regularly and he is definitely a blues guitarist not to be missed. A true musical descendant of Magic Sam.
Truly essential Magic Sam... 1.21 Days In Jail (single -1956) 2.West Side Soul (1967) 3.Black Magic (1968) The originals are obviously the records to seek out but the newer Delmark cds with bonus tracks are quite good as well FWIW early Grateful Dead blues covers has Garcia sounding uncannily close to Magic Sam as does Mike Bloomfield
I think I have the original cd. One sounds literally like the mic was in another room. I am going to hunt down vinyl copies. My music world was recently opened up to Butterfield, Bloomfield, Mayall and Fleetwood Mac. interesting on the Dead. I am not a Deadhead but I hears somethings I really like.
Bobby Radcliff's early albums on the Black Top label highly recommended. He is still releasing albums (most recent 2018)
Magic Sam Live (Delmark) is a favorite here. It might be somewhat lo-fi but the performances are fantastic. Turn it up and any hang-ups you have about the sound quality will disappear in a second. Highly recommended.
Magic Sam's death was a tragedy. He was a very gifted young man pioneering a new, yet still traditional , blues style (West Side Soul). He was destined to be the early 70's star of the blues in the same way that Robert Cray was in the mid 80's
Time to also try some Otis Rush (not to mention hundreds more) Otis Rush was good enough for Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck. Led Zeppelin.... to "borrow" some influences from. Stevie Ray Vaughan even named his band after one of his songs.
Huge in fluence on how I play the blues. Love the guitar tone and his percussive playing. Incredible rhythm guitar playing.
Finally discovered Magic Sam last year after buying West Side Soul. Brilliant stuff I wish I had discovered many years before that.
Magic Sam Live at Avant Garde shouldn’t be missed. Magic Sam West Side Soul and Junior Wells Hoodoo Man Blues are essentials for Chicago Blues records. Peace
Certainly two of my all time favorite blues albums and another good one to go along with them. Magic Sam Blues Band – Black Magic Label: Delmark Records – DD-620 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: 1994 (originally released 1969) Magic Sam Blues Band – West Side Soul Label: Delmark Records – DD-615 Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: US Released: 1994 (originally released 1968) Magic Sam – The Magic Sam Legacy Label: Delmark Records – DD-651, Delmark Records – 651 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: 1997 Genre: Blues
Not a huge blues fan, but a big yes to Magic Sam. Picked up these two shortly before worldwide lockdown. The sound is gonna be rough. Name of this one was kinda already taken: West Side Soul - Charly Blues Masterworks Vol.29 This one was still sealed: Live At Sylvio's 1968
Love Magic Sam. West Side Soul just awesome. His live in Berkeley record is great too. Raw sound great performance. The demos one recorded on his porch really shows off his voice and playing nicely. Black Magic rocks. He was so good. Sad he died young on the cusp of 60s revival and spotlight he would have shown brightly in. The Cobre stuff is cool. But he got better later. As with the other three young lions on cobra. Buddy and Otis Rush. Otis was stellar on Cobra. Just perfect music. Buddy and Sam got better later. All three similar in a way. Great voices and wild frantic guitar playing. That was different from established guys. New guys gettin wilder. Similar and each their own too. Love Sam.
In January 2019 I was in a record store in Paris, and the clerk - a rail-thin young man with the best rockabilly pompadour I've ever seen - was spinning "West Side Soul." I looked over at him and said, "Magic Sam?" And he replied, "Exactement!"
All I can say about Magic Sam is Oh Baby! As has been stated earlier in the thread again and again... West Side Soul and Black Magic are 2 of the best albums of genre... ever. Just about everything of his that's made its way to wax is indispensable. There's no direct relation... but whenever I find myself exasperated exclaiming; "what you don't know Magic Sam"? Later in the conversation or reprimand I add with extreme prejudice "and you also best give a listen to Howard Tate's Get It While You Can". I'm always astounded when even knowledgeable music lovers and so called aficionados don't know these two giants. Giants; if talent is the measure.
