Got the Blues

Faces of the Blues Greats

  For Discover Chicago we spent the final day of our Immersion Week exploring some jazz and blues music in Chicago. If you're interested in this genre than Chicago is your place, right up there with New Orleans. Chicago is considered the birthplace of urban blues, which is music like Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson.





  We started out the afternoon at Chess Records, which was a smaller record label that had some huge names, such as the Rolling Stones and many great blues artists. Now they've been bought out many times and are under the Universal Music Group label. The tour at Chess Records is one of my favorites in Chicago, as it's informal and you don't hear the "stock museum answers." If you do get the chance to go make you sure ask lots questions as this is best way to get a great experience and hear some unique information.

Chess Records Awards

Millennium Park

  At night we headed over to the Chicago Jazz Festival. We only stayed for two sets and they were both completely different. The first was a jazz trio with guitar, drums, and synth -and eventually a fourth guest artist came out on sax. Their music was catchy and close to what people usually expect jazz to be.  


 The second group had three saxes, piano, drums, and upright bass. They played a multi-movement jazz piece that was highly aleatoric and included many solos, instrument changes, and extended techniques. It wasn't for everyone, but I really dug most of the stuff they were laying down. Today the DePaul jazz band from last year is playing in Millennium Park and everyone that's into jazz and in the Chicago area should go check them out!

Millennium Park at Night