On a recent visit to Chicago I didn’t get the sense that Chicago memorializes their native (or adoptive) musical sons very diligently. This article confirms this impression: worth following the links in this article. This recently released collection by Rhino commemorates Curtis Mayfield’s 50 years as a solo artist and this year marks 20 years since Mayfield’s death. Aside from a chance hearing of the Superfly soundtrack being piped onto the Virgin Hotel’s sidewalk and a large Muddy Waters mural there is not even a plague marking Chess Studios at 2120 South Michigan Ave. (Even J&M Recording Studio was designated as a historic landmark in New Orleans). Georg Solti, however, is the exception, and is well remembered. And how could I have overlooked Lou Rawls — THE voice — and The Staple Singers.
manwithoutqualities 