AFST 338 - The Birth of Chicago Blues: Race, Chess Records, and the Blues

Spring (3) Murchison

This course examines the early history of the Chicago-based independent label Chess Records, from its founding to its emergence and rise to become an important force in the music industry. Founded by immigrant brothers, Chess played a major role in disseminating Chicago blues from the late 1940s to the the mid-1960s. Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Howlin Wolf transformed the Delta Blues into the urban Chicago Blues. The busines operations at Chess Records also provides a case study of the music industry. The course considers the issue of race and music on the eve of the modern civil rights movement. Cross-listed with MUSC 338.