The Greats Of The Blues: Magic Sam

In my effort to bring something completely different (and non market related) to the blog, I present Magic Sam in our "Greats of the Blues" series.

Samuel "Magic Sam" Maghett was born in Mississippi in 1937. He moved to Chicago in 1950 and he started recording in 1957. His sound was new and had a definite edge, and many called it the "West Side Blues" referring to the rough and tough West Side of Chicago. Sam gained local notoriety playing the clubs and lounges in this fertile ground for the Blues, but he didn't gain critical acclaim until 1969 when he played the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Tragically - and this is the Blues after all - Sam's life was cut short when he died of a heart attack that very same year at the age of 32!

In his years, Magic Sam recorded only two records. West Side Soul (recorded in 1967) is considered one of the greatest blues LP's of all time. For Blues aficionados, this album often makes it to the top 10 albums you would want to have if abandoned on a deserted island.

For more on Magic Sam, go to this link at Wikipedia.

In this 6 minute video, there is a brief interview followed by two songs, "All Your Love" and "Sam's Boogie". Pay attention to the vocals, and also note that Sam is playing Earl Hooker's guitar. Hooker was another Mississippi native and West Side Blues legend.