Main Blues

By Malcolm Kennedy

Magic Slim (aka Morris Holt) is one of the last purveyors of electric Chicago blues who was there when the notorious South Side clubs were still in existence and the blues luminaries were still alive and performing. Raising the Bar clearly shows why Magic Slim is now considered a legend in his own right.

Raising the Bar does just that with 11 tracks of raw, gritty, rollicking blues with three originals and fantastic covers of JB Lenoir’s “Mama Talk to Your Daughter”, Elmore James “I Can’t Hold Out”, and songs like “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” and “Part Time Love.” Slim’s originals are all strong, I found “Shame” to be one of the stand out tracks on the album.. Another excellent cut is Slim’s take on Roosevelt Sykes’ “Sunny Road Blues;” however, you won’t be finding any of Sykes barrelhouse piano here just string bending blues guitar. For lovers of rough and raw hard edged traditional blues, look no further than Magic Slim’s Raising the Bar.