Keeping it in the family, Shawn Holt, son of the late blues icon Magic Slim, is the latest of a number of sons of famous fathers to try to break into the music industry. Holt took over as front man for his father’s band earlier this year when Magic Slim was hospitalized hours before opening for Johnny Winter in Phoenixville, PA. When Magic Slim passed away, Shawn (aka “Lil Slim”) assumed the reigns permanently to lead the Teardrops.
The blues in the old days, going back as far as its West African roots, was often passed down in families from one generation to the next. With more contemporary blues in the United States, the family tradition has continued with the likes of Muddy Waters’ sons Big Bill and Mud Morganfield, John Lee Hooker’s son John Lee Jr., Luther Allison’s son Bernard and Paul Butterfield’s son Gabriel.  In each instance, the father was a tough act to follow but each son has gained some respect for his talents without enduring the years of obscurity some of the fathers had to endure. With this in mind, Holt’s following Magic Slim (who was born Morris Holt) into the business isn’t surprising. Magic Slim was among that group of blues musicians who came of age in 1950s Chicago but it wasn’t until the late 1970s that Slim started to have an impact on the blues scene with his crusty vocals and sassy, piercing guitar licks. Starting in the 1990s, Slim homesteaded at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska and moved his family there. He and the Teardrops released many outstanding albums, and, as evidenced on Bad Boy, released in 2012 when Slim was 75, Slim was near top form right up until the end.
Daddy Told Me, Shawn Holt’s first effort as leader of the Teardrops, is a good one.  It holds up on repeated listening.  Holt’s vocals aren’t as gruff as his famous father’s (he’s arguably a better singer), and his playing style is perhaps a bit more subdued, but the total package is a tight enjoyable album following the traditional Chicago electric blues style of his father.  Guest artist John Primer, a present-day Chicago blues icon who once played rhythm guitar with the Teardrops led by Magic Slim, pitched in on a couple of the tunes, providing another connection to the Teardrops of old. Together with steady Teardrops Levi William on guitar, Chris Biedron on bass, and Brian “B.J.” Jones on drums, Holt has accomplished a solid album for his debut as leader of the Teardrops that includes five original songs, a handful of blues standards, and two Magic Slim numbers.
About the author: Bill Wilcox is a roots music enthusiast recently relocated from the Washington, DC area to Philadelphia, PA and back again.