Chicago blues is, according to the lexical definition, a variation from the first half of the 20th century that is based on the flight of impoverished black farm workers from the southern states to the midwest of the USA. Through him, the "classical blues" and the country blues were brought together into a more urban variant: more jazz oriented and more technically sophisticated. Not only the guitar, but also the piano was a formative stylistic element. After the Second World War the Chicago Blues became electric and experienced a new heyday with artists like Muddy Waters, Little Walter or Howlin' Wolf. From 1957, however, the audience turned to soul.
A soft spot for life
. The situation in Europe is different. At the same time, young people and students there understand the Chicago blues as protest music, as an expression of the working class and as a soundtrack to rebellion. "Basically, it was nothing but our hip hop and rap," Mick Jagger muses. "Blues was our counterpart to our parents' jazz and musicals. Chicago blues in particular was powerful and dynamic. It was the sound that we loved and that we picked up with our band. In the first three to four years, that was all we played."
And although the band started to develop their style and write their own songs in the following years, they have always kept their soft spot for this genre. What can be read off Stones classics like "Midnight Rambler", "No Expectations" or the "Ventilator Blues". What they often underlined live (especially at club shows) and what is still part of their warm-up ritual today: just jam some blues songs, have fun and get in the mood.
The Blues break
It was the same in December 2015 when the Stones settled in the British Grove Studios in London's Chiswick district. A state-of-the-art complex owned by Mark Knopfler. Here the band first wanted to record a new rock album, i.e. a work with their own compositions. And that with producer/musician legend Don Was, whom Charlie Watts lovingly calls "Rastafarian Rabbi" - alluding to his dreadlocks and his beliefs. "Working with him is very pleasant. Even if it is only because he is respectful, but at the same time also expresses constructive criticism, which is really helpful," says the drummer.
