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Black Tornado
Studio album by Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Released	1998
Studio	Hot Ham & Cheese
Genre	Blues, Chicago blues
Label	Blind Pig
Producer	Dick Shurman
Magic Slim & the Teardrops chronology
See What You're Doin' to Me (1998) Black Tornado (1998) Snakebite (2000)

Black Tornado is an album by the American musician Magic Slim, released in 1998. He was backed by his band, the Teardrops. Magic Slim supported the album with a North American tour. The album title is a reference to his nickname. Black Tornado won a AFIM Indie Award for electric blues album of the year.

Production

Recorded at Hot Ham & Cheese, in Chicago, the album was produced by Dick Shurman. Shurman urged Magic Slim to choose songs that he had not before recorded. "Still a Fool" is a cover of the Muddy Waters song. Magic Slim's son Shawn Holt made his recording debut on "Young Man's Blues", contributing guitar and vocals. The title track is an instrumental.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Dayton Daily News	B
Los Angeles Times	A
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings
The Tampa Tribune

The St. Petersburg Times called the tracks "studies in wrenching guitar jams." The Dayton Daily News labeled the album "elegant in its simplicity... No one instrument dominates on any track." The Chicago Tribune wrote that "Magic Boogie" "treads the line separating John Lee Hooker and ZZ Top." The Los Angeles Times deemed Black Tornado "sweaty, rockin', roadhouse blues by a master of the craft." The San Diego Union-Tribune praised the "passionate, full-force style of Chicago blues that doesn't concern itself with dressing up." The Boston Herald included Black Tornado on its list of the best albums of 1998.

AllMusic noted that "the original material is up to the 50-percent mark, making this their most adventuresome outing to date."

Track listing

References

1. The Rough Guide to the Blues. Rough Guides. 2007. p. 263.
2. Hadley, Frank-John (Sep 1998). "Black Tornado". DownBeat. Vol. 65, no. 9. p. 55.
3. Siegel, Ralph (Jul 2, 1998). "Blues". Weekend. The Burlington Free Press. AP. p. 8.
4. "Over the Weekend". The Buffalo News. 23 Nov 1998. p. C9.
5. Dupont, David (Sep 9, 1999). "Arts festival has a double case of the blues". Sentinel-Tribune. Bowling Green. p. 1.
6. Morris, Chris (Jun 12, 1999). "Palm Pictures/Rykodisc leads winners at AFIM Indie Awards". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 24. p. 44.
7. Johnson, Kenneth (Aug 28, 1998). "Magic Slim". The Charlotte Observer. p. 14E.
8. Russell, Tony (14 Mar 2013). "Obituary: Magic Slim: Chicago blues singer and guitarist with a reassuring touch". Obituaries. The Guardian. p. 36.
9. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 1998. p. 421.
10. ^ Knopper, Steve (9 Aug 1998). "Black Tornado". Chicagoland. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
11. Chapman, Geoff (5 Sep 1998). "Black Tornado". Entertainment. Toronto Star. p. 1.
12. ^ Dunn, Michael (Jun 19, 1998). "Music". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 19.
13. ^ "Black Tornado Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
14. ^ Farr, Sara (31 July 1998). "Recordings in Brief". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 19.
15. ^ Locey, Bill (17 Sep 1998). "Magic Slim & the Teardrops, 'Black Tornado'". Los Angeles Times. p. F54.
16. Blank, Christopher (19 June 1998). "Magic Slim & the Teardrops: Black Tornado". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
17. Kinsman, Michael (2 July 1998). "Blues". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 15.
18. "Best CDs of 1998". Boston Herald. 25 Dec 1998. p. S27.

• 1998 albums
• Blind Pig Records albums