Magic Slim & the Teardrops proudly uphold the tradition of
what a Chicago blues band should sound like. Their emphasis on ensemble
playing and a humongous repertoire that allegedly ranges upwards of a
few hundred songs give the towering guitarist's live performances an
endearing off-the-cuff quality: you never know what obscurity he'll 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 (and times change as
Slim's no longer slim). 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. Since then, a series of nails-tough albums for Rooster Blues, Alligator, and a slew for the Austrian Wolf logo have 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's doubtful the quartet's overall sound will change dramatically in Primer's absence. In 1996, Slim signed with Blind Pig and has 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.
Don't Tell Me About Your Troubles - The Zoo Bar Collection Vol.1 (1994)
1. Mannish Boy 5:17
2. Close To You Baby 5:01
3. Best Thing That Happened To Me 5:31
4. Green Onions 5:27
5. Have Mercy Darlin' 4:34
6. Don't Tell Me About Your Troubles 7:15
7. Mojo 4:15
8. Five Long Years 7:43
9. Slim's Break Song 3:04
10. Grass Is Greener 5:16
11. Tramp 6:34
12. Ode To Billy Joe 7:16
- Magic Slim - Vocals,Guitar
- Alabama Jr.Pettis - Guitar
- Nick Holt - Bass
- Nate Applewhite - Drums
See What You're Doin' To Me - The Zoo Bar Collection Vol.2 (1998)
1. How Long 5:102. Have You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry 4:06
3. See What You're Doin' To Me 3:27
4. Heart Fixin' Business 5:24
5. Goin' To New York 5:18
6. So Mean To Me 5:52
7. 14Th Street Shuffle 4:21
8. Zoo's Blues 7:39
9. Teardrop Boogie 2:23
10. TV Dinner Blues 6:19
11. Cold Women With Warm Hearts 4:46
12. I'm Doin' Fine 4:20
13. Paying The Cost To Be The Boss 4:46
14. Teardrop 6:31
- Magic Slim - Vocals,Guitar
- Alabama Jr.Pettis - Guitar
- Nick Holt - Bass
- Nate Applewhite - Drums
- Pete Allen - Guitar
Teardrop - Zoo Bar Collection Vol.3 (1998)
1. You Don't Have To Go 5:31
2. See What You're Doin' To Me 4:14
3. Who's Loving You Tonight 6:25
4. Early In The Morning 4:58
5. You Know What My Body Needs 5:44
6. Talk To Your Daughter 5:57
7. Drink Muddy Water 5:04
8. Goin' To New York 6:19
9. Last Night 7:49
10. She Don't Love Poor Me 5:57
11. Teardrop 6:34
12. How Blue Can You Get 3:18
13. Tin Pan Alley/The Blues Are All Right 6:45
- Magic Slim - Vocals,Guitar
- John Primer - Guitar
- Nick Holt - Bass
- Nate Applewhite - Drums
- Pete Allen - Guitar
- Michael Scott - Drums
Spider In My Stew - Zoo Bar Collection Vol.4 (1998)
1. Changed 5:53
2. Spider In My Stew 5:16
3. Your Day Will Come 6:11
4. The Moon Is Full 5:17
5. Standin' On The Highway 5:04
6. Stormy Monday-Kansas City-C.C. Rider 2:59
7. Fanny's Blues 2:20
8. Drink Muddy Water 5:42
9. Walkin' Cane 7:31
10. 4:59 In The Morning 5:11
11. Kansas City 5:05
12. Since I Met You Baby 7:02
13. Mojo Boogie 3:59
14. The Blues Are All Right 6:10
- Magic Slim - Vocals,Guitar
- John Primer - Guitar
- Nick Holt - Bass
- Michael Scott - Drums
- Earlene Owens - Vocal on 6
Highway Is My Home - Zoo Bar Collection Vol.5 (1998)
1. My Buddy Buddy Friends 6:57
2. Cold Women With Warm Hearts 9:26
3. Highway Is My Home 6:05
4. Mustang Sally 8:13
5. Not The Same Person 12:21
6. Let Me Love You Baby 6:04
7. 'Possum In My Tree 9:21
8. Reelin' And Rockin' 4:43
9. She Belongs To Me 4:29
10. Hide Away 2:42
- Magic Slim - Vocals,Guitar
- John Primer - Guitar
- Nick Holt - Bass
- Michael Scott - Drums
