Memphis Slim - The Memphis Slim Story

Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:39:59 
Size:104,3 MB 
Label:Good Time Records, under exclusive license from the Peter Chatman Estate 
Styles:Blues 
Art:Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. We've Been Together Too Long - 4:01
 2. Sassy Mae - 2:04
 3. The Driving Wheel - 2:57
 4. Life Is Like That - 4:31
 5. All By Myself - 2:11
 6. Next Time You See Me - 2:56
 7. Misery - 2:22
 8. Kansas City - 2:27
 9. The Comeback - 3:38
10. H.C.F Boogie - 3:31
11. The Blues Is Everywhere - 4:17
12. Boogie Jam - 4:58

Alright, let’s talk about The Memphis Slim Story—a 1962 live cut from Paris. Memphis Slim, real name John "Peter" Chatman (yeah, the guy who wrote “Every Day I Have the Blues” and didn’t even put his real name on it—wild), was already a blues OG by this point. Left Chicago for France like “peace, y’all,” and recorded this one in Paris, May ‘62. No big studio tricks. Just piano, voice, and a band that kinda shows up and does their thing. First off—his piano? Thick. Like, syrup-on-pancakes thick. He don’t play notes, he stomp 'em in. And his voice? Sounds like gravel wrapped in velvet. Rough but smooth, if that makes sense. Track “Sassy Mae” kicks in like a rusty gate swinging open—simple, catchy, and you’re already nodding your head. “Life Is Like That” is pure blues gospel. Dude just states facts like “life is tough, deal with it,” over a slow boogie. No whining. Just truth. Now, Ben Waters plays clarinet, soprano, and tenor sax here. One dude, three horns. Feels like he’s trying to be an entire section. Sometimes it works (“The Blues Is Everywhere”), sometimes it’s like watching someone juggle too many apples—impressive, but might drop one. Kansas Fields on drums keeps time like a heartbeat. Not flashy, but you’d notice if it stopped. “Boogie Jam (1-2)” and “Boogie Jam” later on? Basically the same jam, split. 
Kinda lazy. Or maybe they just had fun and decided to leave both. Honestly, I’m cool with it. Feels real. Unpolished. Like overhearing a bar gig at 2 a.m. But here’s the thing—some tracks drag. “All By Myself” twice? C’mon. One version hits hard, the second feels like leftovers. And while Memphis Slim’s charm is his no-nonsense delivery, after 15 tracks of mid-tempo blues, you start craving a curveball. A ballad. A scream. Something. It’s all simmer, no boil. Also, why’s the album called a “story” but doesn’t really tell one? Liner notes are by Slim himself, which is cool, but where’s the arc? Where’s the drama? Feels more like a setlist than a narrative. Misleading title, man. Still. When he sings “The Driving Wheel,” you feel it. That moment when you realize you’re stuck in life’s driver seat, going nowhere fast. Chills. Real ones. And get this—recorded in Paris, by an American blues legend, backed by a French label, with a British dude on horns. The whole thing’s a weird cultural sandwich. Blues made in Europe, by ex-pat Americans, for people who probably don’t even speak English. Wild when you think about it. So yeah, not perfect. Repetitive. A bit samey. But damn, when Slim leans into the mic and growls, you shut up and listen. That voice. That piano. That vibe. You don’t need fireworks when you’ve got a slow burn this real.

Note:

This is the CD version (2026).

The Memphis Slim Story