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Machers and Rockers: Chess Records and the Business of Rock and Roll

1 rating: -1.0

2004 non-fiction book by Rich Cohen

Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. They specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases. Run by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, the company produced and released many … see full wiki

Tags: Books, Nonfiction, Chicago Blues

Author: Rich Cohen

Genre: Music History

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Co.

Date Published: September 30, 2004

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How Leonard Chess built one of America's truly great indie labels

Dec 3, 2008

by drifter51
posted in Music Matters

Rating:

-1

These "record men" were a special breed. Men like Herman Lubsinky at Savoy in New Jersey, Sam Phillips at Sun in Memphis, Syd Nathan of King Records in Cincinnati and one Leonard Chess were the driving force in the evolution of the music we now call rock and roll. "Machers and Rockers" concentrates on Leonard Chess and tells the remarkable story of Chess Records. In the span of 20 years beginning in 1948, the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, would build Chess records into the second largest independent record company in America. No small achievement! More importantly, it was Leonard Chess who played a pivotal role in bringing the blues out of the fields and into America's cities. It was this development, perhaps more than any other, that would ultimately result in the emergence of what we now call rock & roll in the mid 1950's.

How did these guys do it? Why did these men succeed when so many others tried and failed? A s author Rich Cohen points out there was really nothing terribly mysterious about it. Leonard Chess was a savvy businessman who was determined to succeed in the record business. And God knows, he was not afraid of hard work. Successful "record men" would do whatever it took. Leonard Chess was actively involved in nearly every aspect of his business. He beat the bushes in search of talent. He signed the artists and produced the records. T hen he would stuff thousands of records into the trunk of his car and hustle them all over the Midwest. For the indies like Chess there was little margin for error. A major miscalculation could doom a small record company.

"Machers and Rockers" is a revealing look into the underbelly of the recording industry in 1950's America. However, there are several glaring errors in this book. Some pretty sloppy research if you ask me. The best I can muster is a lukewarm recommendation. Since there are a number of books devoted to the subject of Chess records you might want to check out one of those.

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