By Phillip Smith; Oct. 26, 2013
Shawn Holt, son of Morris
‘Magic Slim’ Holt, who passed away earlier this year, is now taking over the
reins as front man for the Teardrops. His
debut release, Daddy Told Me, a mix of originals and covers and is an
extraordinary tribute to his father. This album is pure blues and in my opinion
should be a contender for a coveted Handy Award. The Teardrops (guitarist Levi William,
bassist Chris Biedron, and drummer Brian ‘B.J.’ Jones), deliver the goods,
which I like to think of in this case, as a briefcase full of blues.
It was a pleasant surprise to
find that Holt enlisted legendary bluesman John Primer (who played with his
father for thirteen years) to handle lead vocals and guitar on a fantastic
cover of Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me”.
Primer also sticks around to play guitar on the funky “Buddy Buddy
Friend”, an original from Shawn about so-called friends who hang around when
times are good and you’re sharing the wealth, but disappear once the bankroll
dries up. I think we can all relate to that.
The title track, “Daddy Told
Me” is gritty and chalk-full of attitude.
I love the rapport between Holt and William, both on guitar, as it is a
huge part of what makes this song sound so cool. I really enjoyed the guitar on “Please Don’t
Dog Me” also, as it accentuates the slow blues beat laying behind it.
It was very surprising to me
at how little time it took for this album to enthrall me. Every song is a
winner, and the album itself, I highly recommend. Magic Slim would have been very proud.
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