Spinning Blues into Gold

by Nadine Cohodas

"The great artists who sang the blues made their mark with Leonard and Phil Chess, whose Chess Records was synonymous with the sound that swept up from the South, embraced Chicago, and spread out into mid-century America. Spinning Blues Into Gold is the impeccably researched story of the men behind the music and the remarkable company they created." "Chess Records - and later Checker, Argo, and Cadet - was built by Polish immigrant Jews, brothers who saw the blues as a unique business opportunity.". "The book portrays the rich and volatile mix of race, Jews, and music. Cohodas takes us deep into the world of independent record producers, men who were sometimes abrasive and always aggressive, striving to succeed. Leonard and Phil worked hand-in-glove with disenfranchised black artists, and the intermittent charges of exploitation were balanced by the reality of a common purpose that brought them fame. From beginning to end, the lives of the Chesses were entwined with those of the artist