Remember that place Grandma cautioned you about? The place that wears a nose-ring, has a tear-drop tattoo under the eye, speaks too loudly, and chain smokes – that place is Chicago! Whilst most cities lure you with their refinement, Chicago will whack you on the head and drag you in.
The history of Chicago and the history of music goes hand-in-hand. As Chicago grew during the Industrial Revolution so did the blues and jazz, which emerged and evolved along similar timelines in the early 1920s. Then Chicago was a wealthy industrial city which drew thousands of African-Americans from the South; folk intent on a new start and a decent wage. In turn, they brought with them their music.
Initially blues and jazz started out in small local clubs on the South Side and, thanks to pioneering musicians like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Jelly Roll Morton and countless others, helped solidify the jazz scene in Chicago, and went on to influence and inspire a new generation of musicians.
There’s a wealth of local talent playing at nightclubs across the city. The good ones (where the locals hang) include the Green Mill, which was once a favourite haunt for the Mobster Al Capone and his wise-guys. They’ve hosted jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Tommy Dorsey, Sophie Tucker, Al Jolson, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, and Benny Goodman and are reputedly the oldest continuously running jazz club in the country. Here you’ll hear classic live jazz every night of the week, and on Sunday nights it’s a poetry slam. www.greenmilljazz.com
The revered Jazz Showcase has been living up to its name and packing in crowds since 1947. It’s a big name in the business and has hosted most of the jazz titans over the years whilst keeping if fresh with new talent. From Dizzy Gillespie to Roy Hargove, jazz legends have been playing owner Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase since 1947. www.jazzshowcase.com
Chicago can’t claim to be the birthplace of jazz, but it’s undeniably a city where the genre is thriving and evolving. Although the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival draw the crowds. it’s the small jazz clubs that keep the music alive. Like Constellation, founded by local drummer, Mike Reed. He showcases local jazz groups and touring avant-garde performers. This is the venue where you’ll find anything that’s ‘too weird’ for Chicago’s rock clubs.www.constellation-chicago.com
Chicago blues is in fact the music of the industrial city, urban blues even. It’s taken old blues and moved it along from ploughing fields with donkeys and given it new perspective, new blood maybe, it’s found new life working in the manufacturing plants. The electric guitars, harmonicas and voices of artists like Kevin Moore, Kokomo Arnold, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Didley, Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters have given the blues a new edge.
Chicago-style blues is differentiated from all other blues by its greater emphasis on individual solos, ably demonstrated at places like the Kingston Mines, a Lincoln Park blues club with an unusual setup – two different bands, in two separate rooms, each set up on a different stage, with MC Frank Pellegrino keeping things moving. Local blues and jazz artists often stop here after their shows at other clubs. www.kingstonmines.com
Located just down the road from Kingston Mines, B.L.U.E.S. is an intimate affair where you get to enjoy some of the city’s best blues musicians – Lil Ed, John Primer, Eddie Shaw, Vance “Guitar” Kelly and Pistol Pete. If you’re looking for background music to a chat you’re in the wrong place. It’s packed with locals, which is always a sign.www.chicagobluesbar.com
Founded by Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy, his club – Buddy Guy’s Legends – has hosted everyone from Eric Clapton to David Bowie. Grammy trophies, worn guitars and Guy’s signature polka-dot guitar straps line the walls, which serve as a display case for gifts and accolades the musician has received. www.buddyguy.com
Blues musicians are not only responsible for some of the best Chicago albums ever made, but arguably also rock-and-roll itself. So, no matter what genre is the current king of the Chicago music scene, this city will always be considered a blues town.
Chicago has earned the reputation as the Mecca for blues and jazz. Walking in the footsteps of music legends like Charlie Parker, Jimmy Smith, and Billie Holiday you’ll hear the music in the city’s bones. The sidewalks ooze the rich history of blues and jazz, leading to obscure, dark and crowded dive bars and ‘hole’s-in-the-wall’ clubs – places with soul. They’re all crowded with serious jazz and blues junkies, who nod their heads in slow rhythmic agreement to the unhurried, infectious thump.
Before your hit the clubs, be sure to visit Appellation for dinner. It’s a restaurant located inside Pastoral, a reputed Chicago cheese monger. Order a slate of artisanal cheeses, breads and cured meats, then wash it down with a glass of Chardonnay. www.PastoralArtisan.com