Delmark is our Landmark

Bob Koester, a life in music

Earlier this week I got a notice about a fall book release for “The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds),”  co-founder Harold Bronson’s memoir of how the oddball Los Angeles label resurrected the career of Stan Freberg and delivered sterling compiilations of the Ramones, Chicago, the Doors and others.

Today Rhino is owned by the Warner Music Group.

Chicago’s Delmark Records is still a raging independent.

An endangered species.

Delmark  proudly and correctly celebrates it’s 60th anniversary at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston. This is a heavy lineup: amped up guitarist Lurrie Bell, Jimmy Burns, Linsey Alexander, Sharon Lewis, Mike Wheeler, Tail Dragger, Byther Smith, rising rhythm and blues cat-CTA bus driver Toronzo Cannon and SPACE partner Dave Specter. These are all Delmark Recording artists.

Think of the book label founder Bob Koester could write.

He has been approached a few times.

Besides the label, Koester owns and operates the Jazz Record Mart, 27 E. Illinois, the largest jazz and blues record store in the world. The inventory consists of 15,000 CDs and 10,000 LPs.

Blues-rock man Robert Plant picked up a Delmark Records tee shirt on his recent visit to Chicago and was wearing it when he was signing autographs at Buddy Guy’s legends. Plant shops at Delmark every time he comes to Chicago.

Whole Lotta Love for Delmark (Robert Plant photo courtesy of Delmark Records)

“It’s pretty remarkable that Delmark Records has been around for 60 years–and still under the ownership of Bob Koester,” Specter wrote last week in an e-mail. “They continue to document important blues and jazz artists with a strong focus on working musicians and bands, which most bigger labels choose to ignore.“One of my favorite things about Delmark is the amazing musical variety of artists in their vast catalog. From the country blues of Big Joe Williams to the bebop sax of Sonny Stitt, the electric blues of Magic Sam to the ragtime piano of Reginald Robinson.”

I love “John the Conquer Root,” Cannon’s recent debut effort for Delmark. It’s an unpredictable blend of Chicago soul, trad blues and blues-rock. The fuzztone blues of “I’ve Been Doing Fine” would fit right into a Black Keys record, “You Made Me This Way” is a stirring sizzle-stick in-the drink-last call blues-jazz ballad and you can dance a hot version of the Monkey Time to the horn-driven “Cold World.”

Toronzo Cannon

Cannon will open the show with Lawrence Shy Gladney on rhythm guitar, Dave Forte on bass and Chris Alexander on drums. The Mike Wheeler Band follows. Acts for the second half of the evening will front a band consisting of the deep Kenny Smith on drums E.G. McDaniel on Bass and Ronnie Hicks on keyboards.Specter is returning to Delmark to record his 10th album after his last project “Spectified” came out on Chicago’s Fret12 label in 2010. He is recording six to eight original instrumentals (“Spectified” was all instrumental) and will have Chicago soul treasure Otis Clay guest on two or three songs, including a tribute to his friend Bobby “Blue” Bland. Specter’s main keyboardist John Kattke will also sing on a couple tracks.

After a few years at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign, Specter returned to Chicago in 1985 to play blues. One of his first part-time jobs was working at both Delmark officess (in their old Lincoln Avenue location) and at the Jazz Record Mart.

Back when the Sun-Times was at 401 N. Wabash, I remember buying slabs of vinyl at the Jazz Record Mart from clerk Steve Dawson, present day band leader of the acclaimed folk pop group Dolly Varden.

Dave Specter

Specter said, “I’ve been recording for Delmark since 1990 where I’ve also produced albums by Lurrie Bell, Jesse Fortune and Steve Freund in addition to my solo projects which have featured guests from Jack McDuff to Eric Alexander and Rob Mazurek.”One bit of forgotten trivia is that Koester started Delmark in St. Louis, Mo., at the intersection of Delmar and Oliver Streets. He did have Chicago on his mind. In 1953, at the age of 21, Koester recorded the Windy City Six, a trad jazz group based in St. Louis. In August, 1958 Koester moved to Chicago.

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