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Smokestack Lightnin' Home Page' -- The Blues Profile Page
The Chicago Blues is a form of blues music
that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic
acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the
harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier,
and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar,
drums, piano and sometimes saxophone and trumpet. The music
developed in the first half of the twentieth century due to the
Great Migration (African American) when Black workers moved from
the South into the industrial cities of the North such as
Chicago.
Originally, the Chicago Blues was street-corner based music. But
after the music quickly gained popularity, it became a giant
commercial enterprise. Soon the new style of music reached out
and touched Europe, which led to many famous English rock n'
roll bands to get their inspiration from the Chicago Blues.
At first, the Blues clubs in Chicago were filled with black
performers, and the music itself was aimed for black audiences.
Most of the Blues clubs were on the far south side of Chicago,
so white people did not visit them. Later, however, more and
more white audiences visited the clubs and listened to the
music. This caused clubs to open up on the north side. In
addition, more white men started playing the Blues after it
became popular.
Chicago Blues has a more extended palette of notes than the
standard six-note blues scale; often, notes from the major scale
and dominant 9th chords are added, which gives the music a more
of a 'jazz feel' while remaining in the confines of the blues
genre. Chicago blues is also known for its heavy rolling bass.
Like Delta Blues, Chicago Blues often uses a harmonica and
occasionally saxophones.
Chicago Blues is a form of blues music that developed in
Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and
harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a
microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically
amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums, piano and
sometimes saxophone and trumpet. The music developed in the
first half of the twentieth century due to the Great Migration
(African American) when Black workers moved from the South into
the industrial cities of the North such as Chicago.
Originally, the Chicago Blues was street-corner based music. But
after the music quickly gained popularity, it became a giant
commercial enterprise. Soon the new style of music reached out
and touched Europe, which led to many famous English rock n'
roll bands to get their inspiration from the Chicago Blues.
At first, the Blues clubs in Chicago were filled with black
performers, and the music itself was aimed for black audiences.
Most of the Blues clubs were on the far south side of Chicago,
so white people did not visit them. Later, however, more and
more white audiences visited the clubs and listened to the
music. This caused clubs to open up on the north side. In
addition, more white men started playing the Blues after it
became popular.
Chicago Blues has a more extended palette of notes than the
standard six-note blues scale; often, notes from the major scale
and dominant 9th chords are added, which gives the music a more
of a 'jazz feel' while remaining in the confines of the blues
genre. Chicago blues is also known for its heavy rolling bass.
Like Delta Blues, Chicago Blues often uses a harmonica and
occasionally saxophones.
Notable musicians
Well-known Chicago blues players include singer/songwriters such
as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, and Koko Taylor;
guitar players such as Freddie King, Luther Allison, Magic Sam,
Syl Johnson, Jimmy Rogers, Buddy Guy,
Robert Lockwood Jr.,
McKinley Mitchell, Bo Diddley, Mike Bloomfield and Elmore James;
harmonica players such as Big Walter Horton, Little Walter,
Charlie Musselwhite, Paul Butterfield, Junior Wells and Jimmy
Reed; and keyboardists such as Marty Sammon.
Notable record labels
Bluebird Records
Bluebird was an important Chicago Blues label, notably due to
the work of A&R/producer Lester Melrose, who created what is
known as the 'Bluebird Sound.'. Many blues artists recorded for
Bluebird, if only briefly, while Arthur Crudup, Lil Green and
Tommy McClennan spent virtually their entire career with the
label.
Chess Records
Chess Records, run by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, was
probably the most famous of the Chicago record labels to feature
or promote the blues. Musician and critic Cub Koda even
described Chess Records as 'America's greatest blues label.' It
was active from 1950–1969 when the brothers sold the company.
Most solo artists also did double duty as session musicians on
the records of others.
Checker Records was a subsidiary of Chess that recorded Chicago
blues greats such as Bo Diddley,
J. B. Lenoir,
Robert Lockwood Jr. and Sonny Boy Williamson II.
Cobra Records
Cobra Records (together with its Artistic subsidiary) was an
independent record label that operated from 1956 to 1959. The
label was important for launching the recording careers of
Chicago blues artists Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy. It
signaled the emergence of a distinctive West Side Sound.
Cobra Records was started on Chicago's West Side in 1956 by Eli
Toscano (a record store and television-repair shop owner) and
Howard Bedno. When his previous record label, Abco Records,
failed to generate much interest, Toscano approached Willie
Dixon about working for Cobra. Dissatisfied with his arrangement
with Chess Records, Dixon joined Cobra. There he served in many
capacities, including talent scout, producer, arranger,
songwriter, and bassist, as well as guiding its artistic vision.
Delmark
Delmark was formed when Bob Koester moved his Delmar label from
St. Louis to Chicago in 1958 and remains active today. They are
still known for Jazz and Blues. Artist recorded by the label
includes Roscoe Mitchell, Junior Wells,
Robert Lockwood Jr and
Sonny Boy Williamson II.
Alligator Records
Bruce Iglauer, a former employee of Delmark, formed Alligator
Records in 1971. Alligator Records remains a premier blues label
to this day. They have recorded Chicago blues greats such as
Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Hound Dog Taylor and
Eddy
'The Chief' Clearwater.
Twinight Records
Twinight Records was a minor American recording label, founded
in Chicago in 1967 by Howard Bedno and Peter Wright, who later
added E. Rodney Jones as a partner. Specializing in R&B and soul
music, for a few months the label was called Twilight Records
until it was discovered that another company already owned the
Twilight name. Over five years, the label released (or at least
recorded) 55 singles and charted seven times. The label’s star
was Syl Johnson, an established R&B performer who had had a
number of hits for King Records and who would have his biggest
hits for Hi Records in the 1970s. Johnson’s hits at Twinight
included 'Come on Sock it to Me' (1967), 'Sorry ‘Bout Dat',
'Different Strokes', 'Is It Because I'm Black' (1969), and
'Concrete Reservation'. Testament records
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