Editing Chess Records (section)

{{Short description|American record label (1950–1975)}}
{{For|records achieved in the game of chess|List of world records in chess}}
{{Use American English|date = November 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = November 2019}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Chess Records
| image       = chessrecordslogo.gif
| image_size  = 180px
| image_alt   = <!-- WP:ALT text describing the image -->
| caption     = <!-- a caption for the image -->
| parent      = [[Universal Music Group]] 
| founded     = {{start date|1950}}
| founder     = [[Leonard Chess]]<br />[[Phil Chess]]
| fate        = <!-- explain the reason of the closing-->
| defunct     = {{end date|1975}}
| status      = Defunct
| distributor = {{flatlist|
 *[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]/[[Universal Music Enterprises|UMe]] (reissues)}}
| genre       = Various
| country     = United States
| location    = Chicago, Illinois
| url         = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" -->
}}

'''Chess Records''' was an American record company established in 1950 in [[Chicago]], specializing in [[blues]] and [[rhythm and blues]]. It was the successor to [[Aristocrat Records]], founded in 1947. It expanded into [[soul music]], [[gospel music]], early [[rock and roll]], and [[jazz]] and comedy recordings, released on the Chess and its [[subsidiary]] labels [[Checker Records|Checker]] and [[Argo Records|Argo]]/[[Cadet Records|Cadet]]. The Chess catalogue is owned by [[Universal Music Group]] and managed by [[Geffen Records]] and [[Universal Music Enterprises]].

Established and run by two [[History of the Jews in the United States#Immigration of Ashkenazi Jews|Jewish immigrant]] brothers from what was then [[Poland]], [[Leonard Chess|Leonard]] and [[Phil Chess]], the company produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music canon. The musician and critic [[Cub Koda]] described Chess as "America's greatest blues label".<ref>{{cite web|author=Cub Koda|author-link=Cub Koda|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/chess-blues-mw0000092572 |title=Chess Blues, Various Artists &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]] |date=1967-08-23 |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref>

Chess was based at several locations on the south side of Chicago, initially at 4750 South Cottage Grove Ave.<ref name="bluestogold">{{cite web|author=Cohodas, Nadine|date=2000|title=Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records|location=New York|publisher=St. Martins|url=http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html|website=Bluestogold.com|access-date=2016-10-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204194237/http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html|archive-date=2017-02-04}}</ref> The most famous was 2120 S. [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]], from May 1957 to 1967 <ref name="bluestogold"/> immortalized by [[the Rolling Stones]] in "[[2120 South Michigan Avenue]]", an instrumental recorded there during the group's first U.S. tour in 1964.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/label/289765-Ter-Mar-Studios|title=Ter Mar Studios|website=Discogs.com|access-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref> In 1967, Chess relocated to a much larger building, the former home of [[Revere Camera Company]] at 320 E. 21st Street, the label's final Chicago home.<ref name=ChessRecordsHistory>{{cite web |url=https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/chess-records |title=Chess Producing Corp., est. 1947 |date=2019 |publisher=MadeInChicagoMuseum |access-date=June 25, 2019 }}</ref> Shortly before the death of Leonard Chess in 1969, the Chess brothers sold the company. The studio at 2120 South Michigan Avenue was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 16, 1990.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/landmarkdetails.htm?lanId=1267 | title=Chicago Landmarks - Landmark Details|website=Webapps1.chicago.gov }}</ref> In 1993 the building was purchased by Marie Dixon, the widow of [[Willie Dixon]], and turned into a museum which opened in 1997<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluesheaven.com/historic-chess-studio.html |title=Historic Chess Studio|website=Bluesheaven.com}}</ref>
The building is now the home of [[Willie Dixon]]'s Blues Heaven Foundation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Adams |first=Ginger |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/architecture-food-music-tourists-coming-chicago-article-1.2473972 |title=Architecture, Food and Music Keep Tourists Coming to Chicago |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|date=2015-12-22 |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref>