isaacullah
2147 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:18 PM
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Hello all dear MBH'ers!
Greetings from my new abode here in NW Indiana. Well, it's officially Fall Break here at Notre Dame, and now that I've finally graded all the midterms, and entered all the grades, I'm thinking that me and the Mrs will head up to Chicago and spend a few days exploring the city. At the top of my list is visiting the Chess Records studio at 2120 South Michigan Avenue. Google searches have taken me to various third party tourist websites that indicate that you can take tours, but the main website referenced for the studio, that of the Blues Heaven Foundation who owns it, seems to have been suspended. I read a news article from about a year ago that indicated that the studio was going to be fixed up and promoted as a landmark and tourist attraction, like Sun Studios in Memphis (which I was fortunate enough to tour when I was there for a conference last spring). Does anyone know what the deal is with Chess Studios these days? Can you tour it still? Does one just show up and hope it's open? Any local or insider's info would be greatly appreciated!
Oh, and if there is any other Blues or Harmonica related landmark, destination, folklore, etc. that I shouldn't miss while in Chicago, please let me know here! I will be eternally grateful!
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Last Edited by on Oct 14, 2012 2:22 PM
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isaacullah
2148 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:20 PM
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Oh, and if you know any cool local music shops (instruments, amps, etc) or record shops, I'd love to hear about those as well! :)
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Joe_L
2109 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:24 PM
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Jazz Record Mart.
Someone hacked the Blues Heaven website. Check them out on Facebook.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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DevonTom
223 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:35 PM
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Chess studios didn't move to 2120 until the sixties . They used Bill Putnam at Universal studios to record with until then. So the Chess reverb you hear on the very earliest hits is from the tiled bathroom at the Civic Opera House. If you want to check out where Juke was recorded and all Muddy's hits from 1950 to 1955 where laid down, go to 111 east Ontario just off of Michigan Avenue where Putnam moved his Studio to after the Opera House. He was the first to use artificial reverb on a recording with Peg O my Heart by the Harmonicats.
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isaacullah
2149 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:44 PM
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Wow! I knew I could count on MBH for the real low down, real quick! :)
@Joe_L: Thanks for the FB tip! I just went and "liked" them. Glad to hear it's just hackers and that the foundation hasn't gone belly up! I was worried that something bad had happened... And thanks for the tip about Jazz Record Mart! That place looks amazing!!!!
@DevonTom: I knew that they had moved the studios at one point, but for some reason I thought that the "original" studio had burned down or something... If the original studio is still around, I'd LOVE to go see that too! Do you know if you can take a tour of that place too?
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JTThirty
184 posts
Oct 14, 2012
2:49 PM
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I'd definitely check out Buddy Guy's Legends. Visited Chicago a couple of years ago. Took my family there for lunch (underage can't get in for the evening events). They served up great "Soul Food" and Lurrie Bell and harpman Matthew Skoller were providing a free acoustic set. Also caught a great harp show with Joe Filisko and Eric Noden at S.P.A.C.E in Evanston.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N and my blog
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--coming Fall of 2012
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eharp
2009 posts
Oct 14, 2012
4:39 PM
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you should check out joe filisko.
he teaches somewhere in chicago, and i think the class goes to an open jam afterwards.
i dont know, but i gotta believe there would be some damn fine harpin' going on there.
and perhaps you could just sit in on a class.
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isaacullah
2150 posts
Oct 14, 2012
5:07 PM
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Thanks guys! I'll check out the schedule for Buddy Guy's place, and I will see if I can find out more about where Filisko might be playing/jamming/teaching this week. Great tips! :)
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kudzurunner
3585 posts
Oct 14, 2012
7:39 PM
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Isaac: Joe teaches a class on MOnday nights at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. I believe his contact info is on my "harmonica teachers" page on this website. Email and ask if you can pay to attend one class. (I think it's a term-long set of classes, but the boundaries seem to be permeable.) It will be well worth your time. Tell him I sent you.
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KingoBad
1177 posts
Oct 14, 2012
7:40 PM
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Issac, there is a audio blues tour of Chicago for free on ITunes. It is narrated by Buddy Guy. It is dated, but entertaining none the less. And hey, it's free... It might give you insight into a few places you might have not have uncovered already...
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Danny
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rbeetsme
869 posts
Oct 14, 2012
7:39 PM
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Welcome to Indiana Isaac. I'll be passing through South Bemd on my way to Michigan next weekend, I give you a random wave as I head I20.
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5F6H
1392 posts
Oct 15, 2012
1:31 AM
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@Devon Tom "Chess studios didn't move to 2120 until the sixties . They used Bill Putnam at Universal studios to record with until then. So the Chess reverb you hear on the very earliest hits is from the tiled bathroom at the Civic Opera House."
Puttnam used the opera house men's room for "Peg o' my heart" (1947), but it was a few years before he started applying creatively added reverb to the popular Chicago blues cuts (possibly '51). Malcolm Chisolm stated that he (Puttnam) had built an in-house reverb chamber in the early 50's. Also by '51 (at least) Puttnam was using tape delay.
Chess opened 2120 in approx May '57. They had been doing some primitive recordings at their previous location of 4750 South Cottage Grove from late '54 (the second site for Chess records - the initial one being 5249 South Cottage Grove, originally the Aristocrat office). It is thought that they were still flitting back to Universal from time to time for many years, especially for mastering/post production tweaks. Chess would also buy in recordings from other labels/studios.
Puttnam also consulted & designed aspects of the studio & stereo reverb chamber (that never apparently worked properly) at 2120.
Puttnam's Universal also carried out sessions for J.O.B. & Vee-Jay amongst others.
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Last Edited by on Oct 15, 2012 5:31 AM
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isaacullah
2151 posts
Oct 15, 2012
8:27 AM
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@kudzu: Damn! Today is Monday, but I booked our stay for this thursday through saturday! If I get another chance to go into the city during the week, I will definitely contact him and ask to pay to sit in on a lesson. that would be really cool.
@Kingo: Nice! I will be downloading that shortly! :)
@rbeetsme: I will be sure to wave back!
@5F6H: Thanks for the info! So, was I imagining that the old studio burnt down under mysterious circumstances? Or am I transferring from some other story? Was it a club owned by the Chess brothers that burned down? I suppose I will soon learn the real history at the place itself! :)
Thanks again everyone! I'm getting quite excited!
~Isaac
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View my videos on YouTube!
Check out my songs on Soundcloud!
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DevonTom
224 posts
Oct 15, 2012
8:55 AM
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5F6H thanks for the more accurate info! Even with the internet it is hard to get details like that.
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5F6H
1393 posts
Oct 15, 2012
9:26 AM
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@ Isaac "@5F6H: Thanks for the info! So, was I imagining that the old studio burnt down under mysterious circumstances? Or am I transferring from some other story? Was it a club owned by the Chess brothers that burned down? I suppose I will soon learn the real history at the place itself! :)"
It was the Macomba lounge, Leonard's club, that burned down (late '50). By this time, Leonard had already bought out Evelyn Aaron's stake in Aristocrat records and "Chess" (Buster Williams is credited with coming up with the corruption of Czyz to Chess) records had been a going concern for some months (1st Chess release June '50).
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isaacullah
2156 posts
Oct 15, 2012
10:50 AM
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Thanks 5F6H! I knew that SOMETHING had burned down! Lol! I can't wait to see the place itself, and to hopefully soak up some of the mojo that has to be lingering around there! :)
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View my videos on YouTube!
Check out my songs on Soundcloud!
Visit my reverb nation page!
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Miles Dewar
1407 posts
Oct 15, 2012
10:58 AM
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That place is great for small blues gatherings. You can't miss it, it is the only building on that street that is old and beat up.
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DevonTom
225 posts
Oct 15, 2012
12:15 PM
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5F6H, please forgive me, but I just couldn't resist.............. It's one T in Putnam, not two.
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5F6H
1394 posts
Oct 15, 2012
1:15 PM
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@ Devon Tom - No forgiveness necessary...you got me fair & square there! :-) Annoying, because beekuz baad spullin rally pusses mee awff!
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Last Edited by on Oct 15, 2012 1:16 PM
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