by Bill DahlNo blues guitarist better represented the adventurous modern sound of Chicagos West side more proudly than Sam Maghett. He died tragically young (at age 32 of a heart attack), right when he was on the brink of climbing the ladder to legitimate stardom — but Magic Sam left behind a thick legacy of bone-cutting blues that remains eminently influential around his old stomping grounds to this day.Mississippi Delta-born Sam Maghett (one of his childhood pals was towering guitarist Morris Holt, who received his Magic Slim handle from Sam). In 1950, Sam arrived in Chicago, picking up a few blues guitar pointers from his new neighbor, Syl Johnson (whose brother Mack Thompson served as Sams loyal bassist for much of his professional career). Harpist Shakey Jake Harris, sometimes referred to as the guitarists uncle, encouraged Sams blues progress and gigged with him later on, when both were West side institutions.Sams tremolo-rich s...