Magic Sam was among the greatest vocalists of all time and those who appreciate intense, passionate blues/soul singing can't go wrong. He also happened to be a genius guitarist. Willie Dixon once said, "Most of the guys were playing the straight 12-bar blues thing, but the harmonies that he carried with the chords was a different thing altogether."

Before Magic Sam scored with 1967's West Side Soul, his recorded legacy included a handful of sides for Cobra in the late '50s, Chief in the early '60s and a few miscellaneous 45s in the mid-'60s. The 14-track Remastered Essentials: Cobra, Chief & Crash Recordings 1957-1966documents some of that late '50s/early '60s era.