About the Chicago Blues Genre

Symbolically, the Chicago Blues sound started when Muddy Waters stepped off of the Greyhound Bus from the Clarksdale, Mississippi into the big city of Chicago, Illinois.

Muddy was a part of “the great migration”, where countless thousands of mostly black residents of the south escaped brutal, caste-like systems of oppression & racism to seek industrial jobs, more equality and a better way of life in the north.

Many black southern expats found themselves on Chicago’s Southside, where roaring noise of the city forced artists to make the switch from acoustic guitars to electric. With that, the defining characteristic of Chicago Blues was born: electricity.

As popular music became a blooming industry, independent record labels began popping up en masse as Chicago quickly became a central hub for Music — spearheaded by “the blues”. Michigan Avenue became informally known as Record Row for all the labels that thrived on the street. Chess Records, Vee Jay Records, Cobra Records and many others captured the sounds that were busting out of the packed nightclubs & busy city street corners.

Places like Maxwell Street with it’s miles of markets, clubs like Theresa’s Lounge, Checkerboard and hundreds of others cultivated a unique sound of blues & soul; exciting, fast, fun and LOUD.

Musicians plugged in their guitars, amplified their voices & brought in more instruments and accompaniments like bass, harmonica, drums, and even horn instruments. The founders and pioneers of the spine-tingling Chicago sound are some of the biggest names in Blues history: Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, and a whole handful of other greats.

These Blues champions, and much of what can be defined as the classic Chicago Blues sound, came from 2120 South Michigan Ave, the home of Chess Records. Chicago blues even played a pivotal role in pioneering Rock & Roll, (much of it at Chess), introducing rock greats like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker, and inspiring bands like The Rolling Stones to play music themselves.