The Record Men
The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Rock & Roll
“A great story, and Cohen is ideally suited to tell it. . . . [He] writes with the jagged rhythms of the street.” —David L. Ulin, Washington Post
Vibrantly written, The Record Men describes how the Russian Jewish immigrant Leonard Chess—along with the other tough-as-nail record men of the 1950s—united with poor black blues singers to transform the music of Chicago’s South Side into rock ‘n’ roll, a multi-billion-dollar business. Rich Cohen’s book is full of absorbing lore, animated by stories of legendary performers like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry, and imbued with a deep love for popular music.
“This is a brilliant book, the best book I have ever read about the recording industry…a classic.” —Larry King
“Cohen does a great job of capturing the intensity of upstart record men like Chess who were catalysts in a cultural revolution, forging a bond with black singers across the chasm of race and class.” —Jason Berry, Chicago Tribune