In the mid-fifties, a dramatic sound was emerging from Chicago’s West Side clubs. Its leading proponent was a brash 20-year old named Sam Maghett. He acquired the sobriquet “Magic” via wordplay on his surname. Sam’s contemporaries included Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush, and Freddie King, but Sam stood out with his vibrato-soaked guitar combined with a gut-wrenching soulful delivery.
What was captured on his 4 Cobra singles was so different, and indeed so magical, that they represent the essence of West Side Soul. His first 1957 release “All Your Love” b/w “Love Me With A Feeling” became an instant sensation. The next haunting 45 was “Everything
Gonna Be Alright” b/w “Look Whatcha Done”
His tremolo-rich staccato finger-picking, combined with his soulful tenor put him at the cutting edge of bone-chilling Blues.
There were two more 1958 Cobra releases. “All Night Long” contains some spine-tingling guitar work, while his swan song was the masterful “Easy Baby”.
Magic Sam’s two Delmark albums cemented his legacy: 1967’s “West Side Soul” followed by “Black Magic”. “West Side Soul” displayed the full breadth of Sam’s vision, featuring gems like “That’s All In Need” and “I Feel So Good”. “Black Magic” included “What Have I Done”, “I have the same old Blues” and Freddy King’s “San-Ho-Zay”.
With his blossoming reputation, the rumor mill had him signing on with Stax Records when heart problems stilled the magic of Sam at only 32. Magic Sam was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1982
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