Samuel Gene Maghett (February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969), known as Magic Sam, was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter.[2] After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman after the release of his first record, "All Your Love", in 1957. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing. Sam’s Singing and playing have their roots deeply implanted in the Mississippi soil of his youth as well as in the traumatic everyday life of the raw West Side. But like all good blues and all great art, he reaches far beyond his ethnic origins and his everyday experiences and speaks for us all. That is why you will like this album regardless of your previous taste if you are reasonably “aware,” “hip,” “turned-on” or whatever your generation’s slang may be for being in touch with humanity and life. One of the greatest blues albums of all time, West Side Soul was chosen by Living Blues magazine as one of it’s top ten Desert Island Blues Discs. The new Digipak case contains previously unissued photos and 1960s pluggers (promoting west side gigs) from the private collection of Bill Lindemann. The source material for the CD is the original 1967 analog stereo mix by Stu Black who recorded many of Delmark’s classic 1960s blues and jazz recordings. With Mighty Joe Young, guitar; Stockholm Slim, piano; Earnest Johnson or Mac Thompson, bass; Odie Payne Jr. or Odie Payne III, drums. 12 songs include That’s All I Need, I Need You So Bad, Feelin’ Good, All Your Love, Don’t Want No Woman, Sweet Home Chicago and more. The stage name Magic Sam was devised by Sam's bass player and childhood friend Mack Thompson at Sam's first recording session for Cobra, as an approximation of "Maghett Sam". The name Sam was using at the time, Good Rocking Sam, was already being used by another artist.