Arquivo

Leonard and Phil Chess are two immigrant brothers running a Chicago junkyard in the 1940s. In his off hours, Leonard is drawn to the Chicago nightclub scene, where blues musicians from further south are showing off their stuff. Smitten with the music, Leonard convinces Phil to invest their savings and open their own club. From there, it is only a small jump to putting artists like Muddy Waters on record. And the list grew, Leonard’s car for musicianship led him to Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, Howlin’Wolf and Etta James. Leonard Chess changed the face of modern music, and he did so without playing a note. At first with a nightclub and then with his legendary record label, he earned his place in American cultural history.