Topic > Understanding Chicago Blues from the Great Migration to the Late 1950s, Its Era of Unprecedented Bloom

The early 1950s were an extraordinary time for the latest revival and return of country blues. At this point, country blues was heavily overthrown by the urban blues (and jazz) of the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, country blues once again channeled the spirit of the 1920s, when myriad African Americans left the South in a massive wave of immigration, taking their musical legacy with them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay It has been fifty years since the blues finally achieved the status of an "art" musical form. Long overdue, it is considered an important American contribution to the world's music systems. The blues has remained the same since it was conceived, which means the level of its artistic value. The subject of this article, Chicago blues, developed through natural means and was a central component in the revival of country blues. Chicago played a central role in the formation of a newly reformed country blues. This role is rooted in three key factors: first, the city was a crucial place of refuge for black migrants, especially those from the Mississippi Delta, where the blues were deeply rooted in rural culture; second, Chicago had a clandestine culture of Mafia operations stabilized and facilitated by ethnic lines and red light districts that existed even before the Civil War; finally, only New York had surpassed the city in entertainment. Considering all these factors, Chicago has been able to provide talented black artists and musicians with studio/music work and recording opportunities that are quite rare and scarce. These three factors – the community of the African Americas, the underground life and the entertainment industry – polymerized with the political events of the time, created an entirely new blues tradition that would arise in the streets and nightclubs of Chicago. Two main characteristics of African Americans living in the United States of America are subject to segregation and migration. After the end of slavery, African Americans freed themselves from slavery and oppression, but did not enjoy the same rights as a white man. Therefore, segregation provides the impetus and motivation for migration. Segregation was not the only cause of migration but also of unemployment and mass murder (lynching), however, African Americans considered migration as their last resort. In a musical sense, segregation created the blues while migration spread the blues' message. African American migrants from the South included people who were first-hand slaves, of whom the famous spirituals were made. Furthermore, it is true that the blues has its roots in the traditions of spiritual music. The first wave of northward migration began around 1915, when Southern agriculture was in dire straits. This consisted of cotton crops ravaged by insects (locusts, weevils) and a series of heavy floods. Furthermore, the decline and collapse of Reconstruction in the American South, as well as the slow economic servitude that tormented black farmers, were other major factors that contributed to the migration fad. Chicago also has its own characteristics that motivated and distanced African Americans from the world. South. Chicago, at that time, was a major active recruiting city for African Americans, meaning employment was a possibility. Additionally, wages were much higher than local jobs in the South. Additionally, the Chicago Defender ofRobert Abbott was another motivating factor for the migration. The said newspaper was the city's main newspaper for the black community covering the atrocities suffered by the black community in the South; thus, it served as an important beacon for the African-American migration to Chicago. Needless to say, as newspapers are passed from hand to hand, its influence on the migration of African Americans to the North would be difficult to overestimate. The settlement of African Americans on the Southside of Chicago has long traces of tradition and history. The black area of ​​the South Side was a narrow, few-block strip bordered by railroad tracks and factories. It stretched from 22nd to 39th Streets in 1900. Additionally, segregation, overcrowding, and a lack of adequate public facilities and services created conditions of poverty and hovels. Furthermore, the proximity to red light districts has significantly aggravated the problem. African Americans were then forced to rely on their own resources: self-help institutions such as civic groups and social clubs. Black politicians also emerged and worked their way into positions of authority. Technically speaking, the second major wave of black migrants to Chicago occurred during World War I. Due to this rapid population explosion in the city, housing units that usually housed one family now house three or four families. Additionally, tension arose between African Americans on the South Side and the Poles and Irish living on the North Side. In 1917, black residents of Chicago reported records of physical assaults and random bombings of homes and businesses. In 1919, shootings rooted in racial prejudice broke out. These discriminations against African Americans were ignored by local authorities and life continued as usual in Chicago. The Volstead Act of 1920 (which banned the production and consumption of liquor) ushered in an era of unparalleled opportunity for gangs and other groups to profit from illegal activities. Illegal alcohol consumption has increased rapidly everywhere in the United States. However, Chicago proved to be the best at this when tension broke out between authorities and businesses, these illegal groups are busy fulfilling their demands to the public. This ban had a dramatic effect on blues and, at the time, jazz. However, Chicago's jazz scene was too busy entertaining young, affluent white audiences in the highest and most lavish coffeehouses, social halls, and ballrooms. On the other hand, blues was prevalent at house parties. Prohibition gave rise to rent parties where the entrance fee covered the cost of food and whiskey. The result of all this was the establishment of a lustful and vigorous club scene that made Chicago the "home of the blues". In Chicago, nightlife and underground venues were initially called "black and white" because they featured black performers entertaining white audiences. The gangsters, Italian and Jewish, were smart enough to ally themselves with the Thompson political party. However, in exchange for immunity from the laws, they had to share and cut the profits as well as the guarantee of votes on election day. State Street was at the center of the South Side's vice zone. Most of the clubs were located on the South Side and a few scattered around the West Side area. The South Side's main system was State Street, Michigan, and Indiana Avenue. Vaudeville blues composer Perry Bradford would also write in his autobiography: I was short of money in Chicago and old "Mojo" seemed to whisper in my ear, "sing and play your blues." I sang the first one and I did it. I saw all the pimps and their girls and I remembered this blues line I started with: "My girlshe walked down the street in the rain and she was wet/ That's what she said to every man she met/ I don't want you nickel, just give me a lousy dime/ SO I can feed this hungry pimp of mine.” Famous nightclubs also included the Three Deuces on North State Street where Lonnie Johnson first played in Chicago in 1930. Homesick James moved to Chicago permanently in 1934 and was then employed at a steel mill. He was found working alongside Horace Henderson at the Circle Inn, 63rd and Wentworth. Eventually, he worked at the seedy Square Deal Club, 230 W Division Street, with famed pianist Jimmy Walker. It is said that the two played for five or six hours with a repertoire consisting mainly of Blind Boy Fuller and Memphis Minnie for three dollars each. This has always been a pattern for blues musicians during this time and it will seem very difficult for newcomers to break into the music scene. It was a hard, rough way to make a living in Chicago nightclubs. However, it was tougher for street singers. Nightclubs were home to established or novice musicians and artists who were nurtured and mentored by Big Billy or Sonny Boy, two of the big names in the blues scene. New artists arriving in Chicago had to make their way by performing at rent parties, house parties, and on the streets. The Maxwell Street market area has the largest audience capacity a street musician could reach. Race records entered the music market targeting African Americans between the 1920s and 1950s. These records contained primarily racial music, consisting of various African American musical genres including blues, jazz, and gospel comedy. These records were the major commercial recordings by African American artists in the United States. Chicago was the only other major city that cradled a major recording industry and thereby attracted many of the American South's most accomplished blues artists. African-American blues artists made Chicago their new home base, and the materials and songs recorded between 1924 and 1941 are considered the best of the blues. The Chicago Defender ads also helped a lot by reaching the attention of African Americans nationwide. This broad audience reach has made music more of a leader in the recording industry. This was reinforced by the idea that African Americans North or South would purchase these records if they were made available. By the end of the 1920s, $40 million worth of racing records were purchased. In 1947, the Chess Brothers, a pair of Polish-born immigrants, began operations with their new record company, Aristocrat Records. They started out in a small office but in 1948 moved to 5429 S. Cottage Grove and slowly began to grow into a professional recording house. In 1950, the brothers changed the label name to Chess and the blue-white label with the chessboard design was born. After discovering Muddy Waters, the artist released his first chess record, "Rollin' Stone/Walking Blues." The record was a success and showed that chess was making a successful start in the business. Muddy Waters taught the Chess brothers everything they needed to know about the culture of blues music. The first four recorded sides consisted of classic examples of blues that highlight all the poetry of the genre. Sad Letter Blues was a remake of a Columbia side and Muddy depicted the complexities and indecision that come with grief - I got a letter this morning, this is the way my letter read I got a letter this morning, this It's the way my letter read Says you better come home Muddy Waters, tell me your baby's dead On the other.