The Story of the Chess Brothers
Adapted from Spinning Blues Into Gold St. Martin's Press, by Nadine Cohodas
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They came to the U.S. from Motele, Poland, in 1928, two Jews bearing a name that cried out for some vowels, "Czyz". They gave their name a vowel, 'e', and gave the world the bulk of what we now call "Chicago Blues".    Lejzor and Fiszel Czyz became Leonard and Phil Chess. They founded Chess Records and recorded the music of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter Jacobs, Little Milton Campbell, Etta James, Jimmy Rogers, Fontella Bass, Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. [Scroll down for additional text below the photos.]

Photos: 1) Fiszel, Malka, Cyrla, and Lejzor Czyz, 1926, photo courtesy of Mae Silberbrand; 2) Leonard, Marshall and Phil Chess, Chicago Tribune, 3) Disk jockey Al Benson, Little Walter Jacobs, Leonard Chess

During the 1960's the Chess Studios were located at 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill.    To a band of British lads this address was the Mecca of the Blues. In fact, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger met on a London train platform precisely because one of them carried an armful of Chess Records. When they became famous as The Rolling Stones, their greatest wish was to record at Chess Studios, and, being on the top of the charts, they got their wish and recorded "12 X 5", their second LP, at that exact address. To celebrate the accomplishment they called the first cut on the second side of the LP "2120 South Michigan Avenue".

Today, the building that held the Chess Studios in the 1960's is the home of the Blues Heaven Foundation, founded by Chess Artist and Repertoire man Willie Dixon. The building was purchased by Dixon's widow after he died.