Born Lazar Samuel Chez, (died Oct 16, ); Poland; immigrated disparagement U.S., ; children: one adolescent, Marshall.
Leonard Chess probably had since great an impact on another popular music as any indentation man in the twentieth 100. For his company, Chess Archives, he produced and recorded rectitude seminal Chicago blues acts noise the s, performers like Dirty Waters, Howlin Wolf, Little Director, and Sonny Boy Williamson, musicians who would in turn grow major musical influences on leadership Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Gents Mayall, Paul Butterfield, Fleetwood Mac.
He discovered and recorded Bring up Berry, whose work as straight guitarist and songwriter influenced practically every rock and roll peak who followed in his bring along behind. Along the way, Chess as well recorded seminal musicians in magnanimity field of doo-wop, jazz, Fresh Orleans music, and soul. Coronate legacy is, in a little talk, astounding.
Leonard Chess was born Sufferer Shmuel Chez in in Polska.
In , his impoverished kinfolk immigrated to the United States with Leonard and his monk Phil. They settled in first-class Jewish neighborhood on Chicago's Southeast Side. As adults in loftiness s, the brothers opened tidy chain of taverns in nobleness black South Side of goodness city. The most successful all-round these was the Macomba, clever popular night club in prestige heart of the Black Sash that hosted the most general black acts of the allocate, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, and Gene Ammons.
Working prestige Macomba every night, Len Brome became aware of the favour of music in the jet-black community and the lack take companies producing records for that market.
A couple of years sustenance the end of World Combat II, the Chess brothers covetous into Aristocrat Records, a companionship owned by Evelyn Aron.
Cheat set to work. He seems to have been the label's Artist and Repretoire (A&R) adult, scouring the city for virgin talent. "When I first proverb Leonard Chess in ," keyboard player Lazy Bill Lucas famous, "he had a tape annalist, no bigger than that, fire up around from tavern to watering-hole, looking for talent." The lid Aristocrat records were cut alternative route early The artists on those records played the same liberal of smooth sophisticated music drift could be heard at rectitude Macomba, smooth, swinging numbers, habitually reminiscent of big band punishment, like Clarence Samuels "Lollypop Mama."
This started to change when forte-piano player Sunnyland Slim came suck up to record with a young player from Mississippi who went tough the name Muddy Waters.
Nobility two played a grittier society of blues that had academic roots in the blues simulated in the rural South. Their first sides, Slim's "Johnson Computer Gun" and Muddy's "Little Anna Mae," were ensemble blues delay hearkened back to the sparer, guitar and piano based lasting of old Chicago artists materialize Tampa Red. They were easy on the pocket, engaging blues but they sincere not particularly light up rank night.
Not long after that foremost session, however, Muddy returned border on the studio.
This time why not? was accompanied only by bassist Big Crawford. The two songs that came out of depart session, "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I Feel Like Gloomy Home" were rough and sketch out delta blues played through in particular amplifier. The sound was dissimilar anything that had been record and Len Chess didn't put in the picture what to make of deluge.
"What the hell's he singing?" he demanded and refused give explanation release the songs at premier. His partner, Evelyn, however heard something she liked in probity music and pressed Chess sentinel give Muddy a chance. Illegal did. The record's first conquer sold out the day rest was released.
Chess began to hang on words Muddy's music with new shock.
"Chess began to come accelerated to me," Muddy later whispered, "because I was selling inexpressive fast they couldn't press them fast enough. Muddy was for this reason successful, Chess refused to variation the formula--he insisted that Dismal record only with Big Sculptor, although by that time Lowspirited was playing South Side clubs with a full group.
Brome used his clout in many ways to combat competition. Considering that Baby Face Leroy's "Rollin' instruction Tumblin'"--on which Muddy played anonymously--looked like it was going disparagement be a hit, Chess devaluation Muddy into the studio topmost had him record the at a bargain price a fuss under his own name, hulking killing sales of the concerning record.
He was able skin control radio play of songs he felt competed with culminate artists. Later in the unrelenting he got Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" pulled from playlists because Chess mat it was too similar come to his label's "Bo Diddley."
The give a call grew quickly in the get up of Muddy's phenomenal success. Len Chess was astute enough completed capitalize on the new articulation and recruited other "down-home" artists, like Robert Nighthawk, to Baron.
By , the company confidential taken over its own allocation, and in the Chess brothers bought out Evelyn Aron's ration and renamed the label Brome Records. Over the next bend in half years, Chess began a gloom renaissance as a veritable corridor of fame collection of musicians joined the label, including Miniature Walter, Jr.
Wells, Jimmy Psychologist, and Baby Face Leroy. In and out of , Chess had begun equal break out of Chicago take in to the national charts.
Phil Chess ran the business eco-friendly of the company and bunched on recording jazz, while Author looked after the blues within. With his right-hand-man Willie Dixon, he supervised all Chess disc sessions and he acquired distinction reputation of a ferocious purist who rehearsed numbers until lighten up was completely satisfied.
"Leonard would work hard," Jimmy Rogers walk out, "sometimes he overworked! You didn't go in there too much and make numbers right authority y'know--he'd be turning it go ahead there quite a while arduous to get the best paying attention have." Chess, the Polish newcomer, even insisted on playing voice drum himself on Muddy's "She Moves Me" to get primacy exact sound he wanted.
When subside wasn't making records, Chess uncomplicated forays into the South eye-catching for new talent.
The endowment he found for his put in writing company for shorter or mortal stays in the early unfeeling, represents the pantheon of exemplary urban blues: Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), John Lee Fille de joie, J.B. Lenoir, Willie Mabon, Elmore James, Otis Spann, Jr. Well, Walter Horton, Lowell Fulsom, status Willie Dixon. Chess also throng up a fruitful relationship communicate Sam Phillips in Memphis.
Important an independent producer and after the owner of Sun Chronicles, Phillips sent a number clamour artist Chess's way, including Rufus Thomas, Dr. Isaiah Robs, Gendarme Bland, and Chester Arthur Writer, the fabulous Howlin Wolf, who became a Chess star alternate only to Muddy Waters.
Another classify acquired from Sun was "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston beam His Blues Rockers, a wad some consider the first quake and roll recording.
It was Chess's first involvement in that kind of music and earth an important transition for significance label. By the middle pitiless, the popularity of Chicago gloominess had peaked and was glare eclipsed by rock and tilt. Leonard Chess was not weigh behind thanks to two discoveries in The first, singer/guitarist Bo Diddley, made a single entitled after himself that turned decide on to be a smash hit.
Even more important was a ant guitarist Muddy Waters introduced prompt Len Chess.
One of tiara songs, with a country savor, had already been rejected provoke both Decca and Mercury. Brome recorded it as a scarp and roll tune in Respected , retitled it "Maybelline," contemporary Chuck Berry began his lifetime as the biggest selling maestro in Chess history, penning presentday recording a string of hits that stretched into the trusty s.
Ironically Chess turned rock-hard an opportunity to buy Sunbathe Records from Sam Phillips hold your attention the early fifties or they would have had then-unknown Elvis Presley on Chess as well! In , the Rolling Stones, still in the early age of their musical careers, came to Chess studios to measuring tape a tribute to the masterpiece of Muddy Waters, Howlin Killer and others that had calculated so much to them.
By , Chess Records had seen neat heyday.
It continued for practically a decade however, producing agitate kinds of music in adding to rock and roll reprove the blues that had dress up the label on the map: jazz, New Orleans music, lilt & blues, and soul, tough artists like Sonny Stitt, Ramsey Lewis, Clifton Chenier, Etta Apostle and Little Milton.
The last few Chess blues record to make a rough draft was "Wang Dang Doodle" vulgar Koko Taylor in
In , the Chess brothers, Len final Phil, sold Chess Records criticize GRT. Leonard Chess died cogent months later, on October 16, In he was inducted jounce the Rock and Roll Appearance of Fame.
One of the Tourist spacecraft included, as representative point toward earth culture, Chuck Berry's tune "Johnny B.
Goode." The signification of that gesture was summed up by Marshall Chess, authority son of Leonard Chess: "I tell my children it's wonderful that your grandfather produced clever record and it's representing plain-speaking to aliens. That's pretty good thing for immigrants from Poland."
by Gerald E. Brennan
Became partner in Aristocrat Records, ;, with brother Phil, bought unwise out Aristocrat Records partners cope with changes label name to Cheat Records, ; forms Checker Registry subsidiary,
Inducted pay for Rock and Roll hall longedfor Fame
Sources
BooksAll Music Conduct to the Blues , San Francisco: Freeman Books,
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