American roots music label Blind
Pig Records returns to its traditional blues origins with the release of new
titles from Shawn Holt and the Teardrops and Roosevelt Sykes.
Shawn
Holt & the Teardrops "Daddy Told Me"
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Shawn Holt is the son of the late legendary blues master, Magic Slim. After
twenty-four years and ten releases as Magic Slim's label, Blind Pig Records is
very proud to announce the debut recording by Shawn Holt & the Teardrops,
Daddy Told Me. John Primer, a distinguised and long
time member of the Teardrops, is a special
guest.
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When the blues world mourned the passing of Magic Slim this past spring at a
tribute at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago, Bill Dahl of the
Chicago Blues
Guide wrote, "'A Night For Magic' commenced in true torch-passing fashion
with Slim's guitar-wielding son, Shawn Holt, leading a second-generation lineup
of Teardrops that proved conclusively he has what it takes to maintain the
family legacy."
Magic Slim & the Teardrops have probably been nominated for the Blues
Foundation's "Blues Band of the Year" award more times than any blues band
playing today - including eight times in the last ten years. You can't become a
Teardrop until Magic Slim says you're good enough. Shawn Holt became a Teardrop
last year shortly before his dad died.
The high energy, hard-driving sound of the Teardrops is still alive and well
with Shawn, a chip off the old block, fronting his old man's band. Shawn's
booming vocal presence is more than a little reminiscent of his father's, and
his guitar playing, while similar to Slim's, exhibits a broader mix of classic
and contemporary influences. Combining a couple of his Dad's songs and other
songs associated with him with five of his own originals, Shawn shows himself
more than capable of leading the Teardrops into a new era.
Roosevelt
Sykes "The Original Honeydripper"
Considered by many to be the father of modern blues piano, Roosevelt Sykes
enjoyed a career that spanned some sixty years. In 1929, at age 23, he was one
of the earliest blues pianists to record. In the following decades he went on to
became a very prolific recording artist, a highly successful bandleader and
later, a popular solo artist. He was a pioneering pianist responsible for the
classic songs "44 Blues," "Driving Wheel," and "Night Time Is the Right
Time."
| The Original Honeydripper was recorded live in 1977 in the small
basement blues club of the Blind Pig Café in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was
recordings and performances such as this that led to the formation of Blind Pig
Records. Originally released on LP, this re-issue, with improved sound quality,
also contains two original outtakes, "St. James Infirmary" and "Don't Talk Me to
Death," that have been marvelously resurrected. |
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The selections span the length and breadth of Roosevelt Sykes' career and the
times in which he lived. Featuring Roosevelt's own musical hybrid of ragtime
and country blues piano, these solo performances capture Sykes as the consummate
entertainer who truly delighted in singing and playing piano for lively,
appreciative audiences. As
All Music Guide said, "This label can
really be counted on to do a fine job on documenting an artist. For a recording
of this artist in his later years, one can't really do better than this
set."
