Magic Sam The Magic Sam Legacy Delmark Records

It was a few years into my interest in blues music that I discovered Magic Sam. In more modern times, information about just about anything is available at the push of a button or just by asking Alexa or Siri. But during that period of darkness we know as the late 1980s, information was not quite as easily accessible.

I saw a Delmark Records ad for Magic Sam’s West Side Soul and Buddy Guy and Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues in a Roundup Records catalog. I had seen both albums listed as part of Living Blues’ “Top Ten Desert Island Discs” survey, but was unfamiliar with either of them and decided to try them both out. In retrospect, it was a wise decision on my part.

A few months later, now in 1990, I ventured to Clarksdale, Mississippi for the first time and discovered the Delta Blues Museum and Stackhouse Records (the predecessor to Cathead for blues-related product in Clarksdale). As I was perusing the cassette tape section, I discovered a new Magic Sam collection called The Magic Sam Legacy, also on Delmark Records, so needless to say, I snatched it up as quickly as I could. I had no idea what was on it, but I was impressed enough with what I’d already heard from Magic Sam to take a leap of faith.

The Magic Sam Legacy collects 13 tracks, 11 of which were recorded and initially unused from Sam’s two Delmark releases, 1967’s West Side Soul and 1968’s Black Magic, plus a couple of tracks recorded in 1966.

The first two tracks are the 1966 selections, “I Feel So Good” and the instrumental “Lookin’ Good,” which was originally intended for an aborted label, cut by Bill Lindeman. Sam is backed by Eddie Shaw (tenor sax), Mac Thompson (bass), and Robert Richey (drums). Since these tracks were re-cut for West Side Soul, Delmark opted not to use these versions at the time.

The next four tracks include an alternate take of “That’s All I Need” from West Side Soul, plus three tracks that were not included on the album. These tracks --- two from Jimmy Rogers (“Walkin’ By Myself” and “That Ain’t It”) plus the blues standard “Hoochie Coochie Man” --- are fine covers and may have been omitted due to time constraints.

“That Ain’t It” features a particularly soulful vocal from Sam that indicates he might have ventured into the R&B genre a bit more had he lived longer. These tracks also feature harmonica from Shakey Jake, additional guitar from Mighty Joe Young, Thompson on bass, and Odie Payne, Jr. on drums.

Black Magic is represented by the last seven tracks on the disc. Four of the tracks, “What Have I Done Wrong,” “I Just Want A Little Bit,” “Easy Baby,” and “Keep On Lovin’ Me Baby,” are alternate takes. “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right” is a remake of one of Sam’s classic Cobra sides that could have easily made the final cut, and “Keep On Doin’ What You’re Doin’” is a solid mid-tempo West Side blues.

My favorite song on the disc is the instrumental, “Blues For Odie Payne,” a slow burner which really showcases Sam’s fretwork and the seamless interplay between his guitar and Eddie Shaw’s tenor sax. It’s a side of Magic Sam that you don’t usually hear, as he encourages each musician through their respective solos. Other contributing musicians on these tracks are Young, Shaw, Thompson, Payne, and Lafayette Leake on piano.

For most of the alternate versions, they are very good, but there’s no question that the better cuts made the final albums. Maybe Mighty Joe Young’s guitar solo on “Just A Little Bit” is a bit less robust than the album version (or lower in the mix). Or maybe the instrumental sections are a big longer or shorter, but these sides are as intriguing as the final choices for the albums. It’s also pretty cool to hear some of the studio banter that precedes a few of the songs.

Magic Sam’s tragic death at the age of 32 is one of the big “What Might Have Been” questions in music. He was primed to sign with Stax Records after fulfilling his Delmark contract, so there’s no telling where his path would have led.

For newcomers to the talents of Magic Sam, I would still recommend checking out West Side Soul and Black Magic first, and the Cobra sides, of course. But The Magic Sam Legacy is a wonderful collection of tunes and the first place to turn once you’ve sampled the other releases.

--- Graham Clarke