For nearly 70 years, Bob Koester owned the Jazz Record Mart and Delmark Records—and though his businesses could be “crazy town,” they helped nurture thriving communities.
Tag: Jimmy Dawkins
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Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one
Andrew “Big Voice” Odom toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
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The Aces helped invent the sound of electric Chicago blues
The Aces are best known as a backing band, but they took the lead when it came to the future of the blues.
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Blues guitarist Lurrie Bell beat mental illness to build a thriving career
By the early 90s Lurrie Bell didn’t even own a guitar anymore, but now he’s got a shelf full of Blues Music Awards.
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Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson is much more than just Syl’s big brother
Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson, still going strong at 91, released his newest album just four months ago.
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George ‘Wild Child’ Butler breathed new life into raw, old-fashioned blues
This stubbornly idiosyncratic harmonica player had lousy luck with recordings, but he thrived for four decades onstage.
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At age 88, late-blooming guitarist Jimmy Johnson enters his fifth decade in the blues
Jimmy Johnson—older brother of Syl—started out playing soul, but he came into his own as a bluesman in the late 1970s.
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The Chicago blues pantheon needs more women—and Queen Sylvia Embry deserves a spot
Queen Sylvia Embry’s bass playing and warm, soulful singing made her a hit in local clubs and on transatlantic tours.
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Luther Allison was the Jimi Hendrix of blues guitar
Guitarist Luther Allison learned his craft in Chicago, but he spent much of his career in Europe when American interest in the blues waned.
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The Secret History of Chicago Music: Emmett “Maestro” Sanders
Emmett “Maestro” Sanders was a huge figure in Peoria blues, but died unheralded this spring—in part because he only ever released one single.
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The Reader’s guide to the Chicago Blues Festival
There’s more than Mavis at Blues Fest: other must-see acts include Texas Johnny Brown, Floyd Taylor, and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band