For roughly half a century, the great Memphis Slim was a fixture in American blues. Though nicknamed for his birthplace, he spent significant portions of his career in Chicago and Paris, developing a signature sound that resulted from his bold approach to the piano and his rich, deep voice. He didn't just play the keys; he hammered them. Slim's '50s-era recordings, featuring horns, fiery electric guitar, and a swinging rhythm section, are essential to the evolution of jump-blues, yet his genius ability to blend pounding boogie and urban flair enabled him to explore an astonishing range of styles.