VizzTone artist: Bob Corritore & Friends - High Rise Blues - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Rise Blues from Bob Corritore & Friends and I really like it. Opening with Last Time featuring Jimmy Rogers on vocal and guitar, this band is in the groove. With Chico Chism on drums, SE Willis on piano, Johnny Rapp on guitar, Bruce Lopez on bass and Bob Corritore on harmonica, this is a solid opener. Title track, High Rise Blues, features Chism on vocal and he does a great job.  Rapp is joined by Luther Tucker who rips some great guitar riffs backed by Gordo Moraga on bass and Chism on drums. Chicago blues, Honey Where You Going has a great feel with Corritore upfront on harmonica joined by Sam Lay on vocal and drums. Rapp and Chris James on guitar Patrick Rynn on bass round on this great track. Pinetop Perkins is featured on vocal and piano leading Grinder Man. His quiet yet firm vocal style provides great balance for his deliberate piano style and Corritore gets the harmonica humming on this one. With Brian Fahey on drums, Rynn on drums and James on guitar, it's a solid Pinetop track. Willie Big Eyes Smith  leads off on She's Alright, a Morganfield classic with Corritore punctuating the lead. Joined by Rapp on guitar, and Fuzz Jones on bass, classic Chicago. Shuffle, Sail A Ship features Eddie Clearwater on vocal and guitar with Chris James on guitar, Rynn on bass and Hiller on drums. Closing the set is Caught In The Act, with Lil Ed on guitar and lead vocal. Ed lays out some really nice guitar soloing, trading with Rapp, Corritore adds harmonica, all backed by Paul Thomas on bass, and Chism on drums. Strong closer.

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Magic Slim wins posthumous Blues Music Award!

MAGIC SLIM WINS BLUES MUSIC AWARD  "TRADITIONAL BLUES MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR" Magic Slim was posthumously awarded the 2013 Blues Music Award as the Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year.  The honor was announced at the Blues Foundation's annual awards show in Memphis on May 9th. Slim, a revered and towering figure in the field of traditional Chicago blues who was known for his slash and burn guitar technique and booming vocals, passed away on February 21, 2013 at the age of 75. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, Slim enjoyed national and international acclaim as one of the foremost practitioners of the raw, gut-bucket, back alley blues associated with the postwar Chicago blues sound that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers.  He and his band, the Teardrops, were one of the most sought-after headliners for festivals in Europe, Japan, and South America.  Living Blues magazine called them "a national treasure." This year's Blues Music Award marked the seventh time that Slim was named the winner of the coveted award. In fact, in his illustrious career Slim was nominated for a BMA more times in more categories than anybody except Buddy Guy. In 2011 the state of Mississippi erected a Blues Trail Marker in Slim's honor in the town of Grenada, where his mother operated a restaurant.    During a twenty year span Slim released nine albums and a live DVD on Blind Pig Records. His last release, 2012's Bad Boy, proved that Slim could still deliver the goods. As No Depression said, "Magic Slim doesn't just play the blues, he body slams his audiences with a vicious guitar attack that pins them to the floor."  AllMusicGuide added, "Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s." Label owner Jerry Del Giudice said, "Magic Slim epitomized the heart and soul of Blind Pig Records.  He was our flag bearer. Our Captain at the helm.  He was our source code and he is irreplaceable but his music will last until the end of time." To watch a video of Slim and the Teardrops performing "Goin' To Mississippi" in 2002 please click HERE.

Magic Slim & The Teardrops 1974 featuring Coleman Pettis

To the avid blues fan, the name Alabama Jr. (Daddy Rabbit) has been synonymous with that of Magic Slim & The Teardrops for 10 years, From 1973 to 1983. Alabama Jr. was a staple of the Teadrops band providing sympathetic backing to the driving lead of Magic Slim and pulsating bass of his brother, Nick Holt. Coleman Pettis Jr. (his real name) was born in Alabama in the mid 1930s. At the age of 8 his mother taught him to play the guitar, which he practiced sporadically throughout his childhood. When there wasn’t a guitar handy for him to play on, he would make his own by winding bothe ends of some baling wire around a long stick and plucking out whatever sound he could get. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing at local fish fries, first as a solo guitarist, then adding another guitar and playing as a part of a duo, for the then grand sum of $5. - per night. In 1952 he moved to Chicago, where he was eventually to meet and play with many of the great musicians who were building the foundations of what was to become known as “Chicago Blues”. On his arrival in Chicago, Alabama Jr. became an avid club goer, finding out where the hottest blues was being played, and going initially, just to listen. By 1956, he was playing bass with Little Walter, at various clubs on the Southside, and one or two in Joliet. One club that Jr. hung out at was Turner’s Lounge at 40th and Indiana, where he met and played with Lee Jackson, Big Walter Horton, J. B. Hutto, Hayes ware and others. Lee Jackson became a major influence on his career by encouraging him to keep playing the guitar. After his stint playing bass with Little Walter, he joined Lee Jackson for three years on rhythm guitar at a small club called Tony’s Blue Lounge. By 1973 Alabama Jr. had some solid playing experience behind him. He had recorded with J. B. Hutto on J. B.’s firs Delmark album called “Hawk Squat”? snd had built up a solid reputation as a fine and original accompanist. One night in ‘73, he went to hear a band called Mr. Pitiful & The Teardrops at the club named The Bo Weavil at 29th and Wentworth. He liked what he heard there and began to go often, sometimes to sit in, sometimes just to listen. Magic Slim was in the band at the time, and was soon to become the band leader because Mr. Pitiful, who played bass, was about to quit. Slim liked Alabama Jr.’s style of playing and after Mr. Pitiful left the band went through a few changes before Slim eventually hired Junior and changed the band name to magic Slim & The Teardrops. In ‘73 Slim and the band took over the farmed Sunday afternoon jams at Florence’s from Hound Dog Taylor and began to estabilish themselves as the hottest, tightest blues band in Chicago. Alabama Jr.s reputation grew in this band. Slim had found the perfect complement to his sound in Junior’s precise rhythm playing. The key to this successful combination was due to his ability to know the proper notes to play in order to enhance the sound of the other band members. As he explains, “a lot of people ask me what kind of chords am I playing? You don’t play ordinary chords like most guitar players. But the type of chords that I play is what I call a down chord. I make a flat 9th chord which most chordmen don’t make that type of chord. I try to make Slim’s guitar sound by blending in with a 9th chord, with a Jimmy Reed beat on it. What it does, it given a heavy background between the lead guitar and the bass.” It was this conscious creativity and expertise that made Alabama Jr. such a fine musician… Sources: Alabama Music Hall of Fame; Liner notes by Beverly Zeldin  

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Magic Slim memorial tribute set for Chicago

MAGIC SLIM MEMORIAL TRIBUTE AND BENEFIT SET FOR CHICAGO The blues community will come together to honor Magic Slim, a towering figure in the genre for many years who passed away on February 21st at the age of 75.   A NIGHT FOR MAGIC, a tribute to Magic Slim, will take place on Thursday, March 28th in Chicago. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, the guitarist, performer, bandleader, and recording artist went on to enjoy a career that brought him national and international recognition and acclaim. He was considered one of the foremost practitioners of the raw, gut-bucket, back alley blues associated with the postwar Chicago blues sound. He and his band, the Teardrops, became known as the "last real Chicago blues band" and were one of the busiest and best-loved blues groups around.   "A NIGHT FOR MAGIC" THURSDAY, MARCH 28th THE MAYNE STAGE 1328 W. MORSE AVENUE, CHICAGO 7:00 pm  TICKETS $25 The host band for the evening will be The Teardrops, fronted by Slim's son, Shawn Holt, who just became a member of the band at the beginning of the year. The rest of the lineup will include John Primer, Otis Clay, Eddy Clearwater, Billy Branch, Lonnie Brooks, Wayne Baker Brooks, Dave Specter, Eddie Shaw, Nick Moss, Grana Louise, Big Time Sarah, Zac Harmon, Carl Weathersby, J.W. Williams, Jimmy Burns, Linsey Alexander, Steve Cushing, the Chicago Blues All-Stars and more to be announced.  All proceeds from the event will go to Slim's family. For those who can't make the event but would like to make a donation to the family, donations can be made to Magic Slim's wife, Ann Holt, and mailed to her c/o Slim's manager, Martin Salzman, at 22 W. Washington, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602. Slim's slash and burn guitar technique, booming vocals, and intense style was the blueprint that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rock and rollers.  Living Blues magazine called Slim and the Teardrops "a national treasure." and they became one of the most sought-after headliners for festivals in Europe, Japan, and South America. Magic Slim and the Teardrops won the coveted Blues Music Award in 2003 as "Blues Band of the Year," one of six times Slim won a BMA, considered the highest honor in the blues.  In 2011 the state of Mississippi erected a Blues Trail Marker in Slim's honor in front of a building in Grenada where his mother operated a restaurant.  For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com.

Magic Slim, Blues Icon, Dies at 75

MAGIC SLIM, BLUES ICON, DIES AT 75 Magic Slim, a revered and towering figure in the field of traditional Chicago blues, died today in a Philadelphia hospital at the age of 75. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, the guitarist performer, bandleader, and recording artist went on to enjoy a career that launched him to national and international recognition and acclaim. Slim was one of the foremost practitioners of the raw, gut-bucket, back alley blues associated with the postwar Chicago blues sound. He and his band, the Teardrops, were known as "the last real Chicago blues band" for their authentic, no-frills, straight-no-chaser performance of the music. Slim's slash and burn guitar technique and booming vocals made for a commanding stage presence. His intense style was the blueprint that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers.  After catching one of Slim's electrifying live shows at a local nightclub Eddie Vetter invited Slim to open Pearl Jam's concert in Chicago.  Magic Slim also had an encyclopedic repertoire of hundreds of blues songs in his head, giving his live shows a charming impromptu quality. Growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, Slim took an early interest in music, singing in the church choir, and fashioning a guitar for himself with baling wire from a broom, which he nailed to the wall. "Mama whooped me for that," recalled Slim. His first love was the piano, but having lost the little finger on his right hand in a cotton gin accident, he found it difficult to play properly. Undaunted, he simply switched to guitar, working in the cotton fields during the week and playing the blues at house parties on weekends.  In 2011 the state of Mississippi erected a Blues Trail Marker in Slim's honor in front of a building in Grenada where his mother operated a restaurant. In 1955, like many musicians from the Deep South, Slim migrated to Chicago, where he was mentored by his friend Magic Sam, who gave the lanky Morris his lifelong stage moniker.  Initially discouraged by the highly competitive local music scene, Slim went back to Mississippi and spent the next five years woodshedding and perfecting his craft.  He confidently returned to Chicago and became a formidable player on the scene, eventually putting together the Teardrops, who would become one of the busiest and best-loved blues bands around, and one of the most sought-after headliners for festivals in Europe, Japan, and South America.  Slim and his group won the coveted Blues Music Award in 2003 as "Blues Band of the Year," one of six times Slim won a BMA, considered the highest honor in the blues.  Living Blues magazine called Slim and the Teardrops "a national treasure." Slim's recording career began with a series of singles in 1966, and he recorded his first album for a French label in 1977.  With the release of Gravel Road in 1990, he began a twenty-two year association with Blind Pig Records, who issued ten albums and a live DVD over that span.  His last release, 2012's Bay Boy, proved that Slim could still deliver the goods. As No Depression said, "Magic Slim doesn't just play the blues, he body slams his audiences with a vicious guitar attack that pins them to the floor. His blues are the in-your-face variety."  AllMusicGuide added, "Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s." Blind Pig Records owner Jerry Del Giudice said, "Magic Slim embodied the heart and soul of this label.  It was Magic Slim, and the guys like him, and their music, that inspired us to start the label in the first place." Blues Revue once remarked, "Whoever the house band in blues heaven may be, even money says they're wearing out Magic Slim albums trying to get that Teardrops sound down cold."  Now Slim can assume his rightful place as the leader of that band. For a complete biography, please click HERE.  To see a video of Slim recording "Goin' To Mississippi" in the Blind Pig Chicago warehouse in April of 2002, please click HERE.

Magic Slim has passed

This has now unfortunately been confirmed.

For Immediate Release

Posted by Magic Slim on February 22, 2013 at 3:50 AM

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It is with great sorrow that I inform you that Magic Slim, a.k.a. Morris Holt of Grenada, Mississippi passed away Thursday, February 21, 2013. He will be missed by his family, friends and blues fans all over the world. Funeral arrangements and a Memorial Service will be announced later this week. The family wishes to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers.
Marty Salzman - Manager Magic Slim
Linda Cunningham - Public Releations Magic Slim
Mike Blakemore - Tour Manager Magic Slim

Magic Slim alive

It was reported earlier that magic Slim had passed. Here is the link: LINK Fortunately at this point his website confirms that he is hanging on:

 

 

 

 

 

Magic Slim

Posted by Magic Slim on February 21, 2013 at 12:30 AM

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As of 9:50 tonight (Wednesday, February 20, 2013) Magic Slim is still breathing. We will post otherwise when that time comes. Thank you.

Magic Slim Hospitalized

Posted by Magic Slim on February 8, 2013 at 8:00 PM

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For Immediate Release - Per Marty Salzman Management - Magic Slim
Magic Slim remains hospitalized in Pennsylvania under treatment for bleeding ulcers complicated by pre-existing issues with his kidneys, his lungs, his weight, and his heart. Although seriously ill, he has been stable for the past three days, his kidneys have improved, the bleeding has stopped and his heart rate has improved. He still has a long road ahead of him, but things are moving in the right direction. We thank everybody for their kind words and prayers and ask that you keep Magic Slim in your prayers.
Linda Cunningham
Public Relations - Magic Slim

Magic Slim is a living blues legend who migrated from the South to Chicago during the 40s and 50s. Slim plays raw intense blues, a style that uses no pedals down on the floor, just him. Slim has paved the way for rock as well as modern blues. Slim has been busy traveling to the juke joints in Mississippi to the nightclubs in Chicago and to concert stages throughout the world, he has built up a die hard fan base within it, and with his release on Blind Pig, "Raising The Bar," on CD, it has been receiving immense reviews and overwhelming recognition. Slim and The Teardrops performances have become legendary, and they play the blues with an undeniable intensity that will leave you out of breath on the floor and in need for more. This is a look into a man that's from the country and plays to audiences on stages all across the world. This big man of the blues was born Morris Holt in Torrence, Mississippi on August 7th, 1937. His mother and father were sharecroppers; they lived on a farm and they all would get up early in the mornings and slop the hogs, feed the chickens, catch the mule and go out into the fields. "I still had to go to the field until I got age enough to leave home. I got little jobs around there when I was 13 and that was when I got my hand hurt. I hurt it in a cotton gin. I was at the gin and my hand got caught on a piece of wire going up in there, and I grabbed it and before I could turn it loose, I lost my little pinky finger." Slim showed his musical talents early, singing in his church choir and playing piano. After his accident he couldn't play the piano anymore because he didn't have that little pinky finger so he picked up the guitar. He made his first guitar out of bailing wire from a broom, which he nailed to a wall. "My Mama whopped me when I tore up her broom," he said, "but she let me keep on using it. My Mama said later that if she had known what I'd be into later, she wouldn't have given me a whopping." It was in 1955 when Slim made his first trip to Chicago, to play for Magic Sam, a friend of his from home. Magic Sam also gave Slim tips on playing the guitar, and it was Sam who called his bass player "Magic Slim," because back then Slim was lean and tall and he learned from Sam quickly. Sam told Slim to develop his own guitar style. "Magic Sam told me, don't try to play like him, and don't try to play like no one else; he said get a sound of your own." Slim did get a sound of his own; his guitar tone is tough and cutting, united with a virbato formed by his fingers against the strings to reproduce the sound of a slide guitar while still being able to bend the note. Slim said, "I slide with my finger. I use nothing on my finger, a lot of players try to get a sound like me and I play the same guitar everybody else plays." Slim's take on writing songs. "I just think of some words and write them down, think of some more and write them down, and then when I get enough words together I take out some and put some in there and make them rhyme together and then I learn them, then I put music to them." "My songs are either telling a story or asking a question. It's just a feelin'." I understand you do not practice or rehearse. "No, I don't." How do you make up your set lists for your shows? "I see what kind of crowd it is, I play a few songs and see how people react and just see if they are a dancin' crowd or an older crowd and go from there." Do you have a favorite CD? "No, I like them all." What about a song to play? "I don't know, I like to play all of them." "And I like to listen to blues, jazz, bluesgrass and country and western." Some of Slim's favorite places to play are Brazil, Paris, Russia and here at home in the U.S. What accomplishment stand out in your mind? "I've done so many things that make me proud, for one I like to make the people happy when I''m playing on stage and two, when I won the Handy for "Best Blues Band." Where do you think the blues is headed? "I think the blues is coming back now, there are a lot of these kids reading up on the blues and now they know where the blues came from. Some of them can play too; I don't know how they feel, because the blues is a feelin'. You have to feel the blues to play it." What advice do you have fo aspiring young guitarists? "If you want to play the blues, play the blues. If you are goin' to play rock, play rock. I didn't say not to learn everything else, whatever you want to be, be that." Magic Slim is a man that came from the country; he was slim and tall trying to play the blues, now he can play the blues. And like Slim says, "If you want to play the blues, play the blues, if you don't feel the blues, leave it alone, cause you can't be playin' it if you don't feel it."

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!