Chess - the Home of the Blues

“The Blues is at the heart of popular music and Chess Records are at the heart of the Blues.”

Buddy Guy

In the early 1947 two Polish-born, nightclub-owning brothers, Leonard and Philip Chess (real name Chez) bought into the established Aristocrat label and had their first major success was Muddy Waters, I Can't Be Satisfied. Nearly two years later Leonard and Phil bought out their original partner and renamed their label Chess.

Along with the new name came a new signings, including Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Boyd and his Chess Men, Willie Mabon, Memphis Slim and Howlin' Wolf. By 1952 they started a subsidiary they named Checker; among those on this new label were Elmore James, Little Walter, Memphis Minnie and Sonny Boy Williamson.

By 1955 Chess had expanded still further, as well as crossing over into the white Rock ‘n’ Roll market with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Soon Otis Rush and Buddy Guy joined Chess to give their sound a harder, younger edge. Much of Chess’s success was down to the excellent work of A&R man, composer, and general Mr Fix-it Willie Dixon. Dixon’s bass playing coupled with Fred Below’s peerless drumming are essential to the Chess sound.

Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s Chess records were the soundtrack to much of black America, they were the Motown Records of their day. Chess records were also treasured by young British guys, keen to hear the blues, who would write off to Chicago record stores to order the very latest recordings that they absorbed and copied. Soon enough British bands playing the blues were being listened to by white America, many of whom were unaware of the treasury of brilliant music that was theirs for the listening.