Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records

I grew up in Chicago and am JUST old enough to recall going to the South Side when there was still an operative Chess Records. My awareness of Chess has changed my life profoundly. This book details the rise and fall of Chess in great detail, and is truly a page turner. I have decided to read it slowly -- a chapter a night -- as to best savor it. For a second generation American native with Eastern European Jewish ancestors, and knowing all the Chicago and suburban spots (from taverns to deli's) referred to here, this is more than the story of the most important label in blues and rock history. Even though my father was quite different than Leonard Chess, it's the story of my people in the new land -- Jewish immigrants working together with African-American immigrants from the South in a new place for all...creating something that changed the world for the better.

As a newbie Blues music fan, I found Ms. Cohadas' book very informative and enjoyable. Thoroughly researched, she does a great job of explaining the factors that led to the growth of the Chicago music scene, and many of the men and women who made it possible.When I listen to a recording of a song, I tend to think about the "creative" talent involved in making it, i.e. the writer, arranger and performers. It's easy to forget, however, that there are a lot of creative talents involved in producing, marketing and distributing the music, and their contributions are as important. The Chess brothers were clearly a central force in bringing a lot of great music to the public.One aspect of the book that I found particularly interesting and well-researched was the author's description of the economics behind the music business. What seems like a simple business is actually pretty complex. While the author does not excuse practices such as royalty sharing arrangements and the informal way the Chess brothers paid their artists, she manages to show how these could be interpreted in the context of the industry at the time.If nothing else, this book prompted me to purchase several of the great Chess reissues which are now available on CD.

Cohodas has done an amazing job of researching and telling the story behind the roots of rock! This proves that sometimes what's behind the scenes is often more interesting and entertaining than what's playing on the jukebox!

Author Nadine Cohodas has meticulously detailed the fascinating story behind the rise of one of America's greatest institutions-Chess Records and the musicians who created its legacy. Unlike other books on the subject, this book is no cut and paste work. Rather Cohodas, a noted political writer has conducted extensive interviews, was given exclusive access to internal company documents and exhaustively reviewed contemporary accounts of the company and the larger than life figures that are associated with it. The result is a compelling read, essential to anyone who ever listened to a Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf tune.