Chess Records Research Paper

Chess Records Research Paper

Leonard and Phil Chess were two Polish immigrants who came to Chicago with their parents at a young age to live a better life. Their father worked multiple jobs and they live in a heavily populated black community. Leonard would usually hang around with a lot of the black kids in his neighborhood. Both of the brothers then became more popularized with the black nightclub scene in the south side. Time after they later took over Macomba lounge and they then made an alliance with Aristocrat Records. Then after some time they later gain complete control over Aristocrat Records. At the time a lot of artist came in from the south with them came the blues. A lot of the artist wrote about their journey to get to the north and what challenges they faced. When they arrived at Chicago they would come in contact with Leonard Chess. Once they arrived at Chicago they became instant stars.

Leonard Chess had many different views from a lot of people. Many recall him being a family member while they were in recording session. Other still have hated him for taking their money away like one instance when Jimmy bell a pianist was not paid all the moment from the time when he was in Chess records. He only made $63,000 and was unsatisfied with that amount of cash when he should have won the double of that. Muddy was then "The King of Blues" and so he was getting the most attention especially with the bottleneck technique that he used throughout his career. His themes were mostly about delta migration like "My Home is in the Delta", "Long Distance", and "Country Boy". Muddy was part of the Chess family and was very close to the brothers for a long time and with their help he did in fact become "The King of Blues.

Muddy waters was born in Mississippi in 1915 but there has been speculation that he might have also been born a year or two earlier. Muddy was raised by his grandmother because his mother died when he was very young. How he got his name was how he was always found played in mud thereon he was called "Muddy" later changing it to "Muddy Waters". He started out playing the harmonica and later playing the guitar. He had one of the very best sliding techniques. He then move to Chicago played a couple of times and then moved back to Mississippi. Muddy later came in contact with Leonard Chess and decided to record with them but was not allowed to provide his own musicians; instead he was provided the musicians by Leonard. The band consisted of Leroy Foster, Johnny Jones, Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, and Otis Spann.

Waters became very well known with the Chicago Blues Scene and had gone on many tours. He went to the south to play and then went to England to play. His style of music to the white men was something very extraordinary. The white men then later came to like delta style blues. He was one of the Chicago's biggest hit, and Singer to top it off. Muddy had become a commercial success Leonard chess could not understand what muddy was saying in his songs. Muddy decided to become a full time musician. At first that was not what Muddy wanted to do but it later came something that then loved to do. A lot of Muddy's songs did have