Magic Sam – That’s Why I’m Crying
Louis Myers – Top Of The Harp
Leo Evans and the Jazz Prophets – Coming Down With The Blues
I’m not sure where I picked up this collection, I’m thinking it was during my time in the Midwest, maybe in Rockford, IL at Toad Hall Records. Toad Hall was truly an experience, records everywhere, more or less organized, mostly less, with an upstairs, a downstairs and a bulding across the street just filled with records. When I went there (around 1998 and 1999) there was an older guy in a wheelchair in the center room who I always assumed was the owner. He’d always chat with me about the records I was looking for, generally jazz at that time, and about artists who he had seen and that he loved. I figure I got the record there just because of the condition of the LP, with a bit of mildew at the top, there were always a few water damaged LPs at that store, which is to be expected when you just have mountains upon mountains of records.
Regardless of the condition, I absolutely had to get this one, cause I’m a major fan of Magic Sam. Sam Maghett is perhaps my single favorite blues artist, certainly my favorite blues singer with a fantastic soaring tenor. His career was cut tragically short,just as it was taking off, from a heart attack at 32. Needless to say, there aren’t a lot of Magic Sam recordings out there, so seeing his name on the front intrigued me enough to pick up this record and I was overjoyed to find that 6 of the 11 songs featured Magic Sam’s distinctive vocals (especially “That’s Why I’m Crying”) or guitar stylings (“Top of the Harp” with harmonica player Louis Myers, I’ve included here, but the Eddie Shaw led instrumentals “Ridin’ High” and “Blues for the Westside” are also stellar and only found here).
The rest of this collection is really top-notch, including some fine early work from Luther Allison that is especially notable for the use of Hawaiian Steel Guitar. There’s also a mystery with this album in the form of Leo Evans and the Jazz Prophets. I’m not sure if this group ever recorded again, I haven’t been able to find any other credits though the notes mention “performances” the group recorded. The Jazz Prophets are described as an avant-garde group that played in Hyde Park, but none of the names seem familiar to me based on the Chicago Avant-Garde scene at that time. To top it all off, for some reason “Leo Evans” is listed as “Lefty Lopez” on the front of the LP, which adds a different mystery in who the hell is “Lefty Lopez”? Did someone mis-hear “Leo Evans” as “Lefty Lopez” or was this actually a person? Even the sound of “Coming Down With The Blues” is a little mysterious. The track was apparently recorded in 1968, but sounds like it could have come earlier. As much as I love Magic Sam, this is the track that I’ve come back to more often over the years. There’s just something about the sound, everything seems distant and pushed back a bit in the mix, giving it this different sonority than the other songs on the collection. Just a stunning piece of music that everytime I play it I wish there was more. I suppose I should just be thankful that this collection exists and that it made it’s way to my hands and my turntable.
Cheers,
Michael
…while looking up info on Toad Hall, I came across this nicely done promo video for them. The old guy in the wheelchair doesn’t seem to be the owner any more, but clearly the place is still a digger’s delight.