The City of Aurora has a rich heritage of Blues music, primarily due to the historic RCA Bluebird recordings made in Aurora. It began in the 1930's when Chicago blues artists began recording on the 16th floor of the tallest building in town, the Leland Hotel at 7 S. Stolp Avenue. It wasn't an official recording studio, but a large ballroom known as the Sky Club. The great acoustics made it a very active place for many of the original Bluebird Records/RCA Victor recordings that documented the slowly changing urban blues sounds of the 30's. These groundbreaking recordings set the tone for the early urban Blues that later became so popular and formed the backbone for modern day rock 'n roll. The annual Blues on the Fox festival commemorates these recordings.
In 1937, Henry Townsend, Big Joe Williams, Robert Nighthawk and the original Sonny Boy Williamson traveled to Aurora, Illinois to record one of the most important sessions of the pre-war period for the Bluebird label. The songs from that session went a long way towards influencing the direction of the genre, particularly as Williamson's harmonica work transitioned that instrument from an accompanying role to that of a lead instrument, joining the guitar and piano. Many of America's most famous blues composers and musicians performed and recorded legendary songs in Aurora, Illinois between May 1937 and December 1938. They include Tampa Red, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Yank Rachell, Robert Lee McCoy (a.k.a. Robert Nighthawk), Washboard Sam, Bill "Jazz" Billium, Big Joe Williams, Bill Broonzy, Henry Townsend, Speckled Red, Roosevelt Sykes, Walter Davis, and many others.
"Sonny Boy" Williamson, a songwriter and performer, became widely accepted as the single most influential blues harmonica player of his day and possibly all time. He recorded over 120 sides for RCA and Bluebird during his tenure with the label, 44 of them in 1937-38, in Aurora, including the original "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl." Tampa Red recorded 230 sides for Bluebird in nine years, many in Aurora. RCA finally built a recording studio in Chicago in 1940. After that, most recordings in Aurora ceased.
The Leland is no longer in use as a hotel though the ballroom on the 16th floor, where all the historic recordings were done, still exists. It was in use for recording as recently as 1997, when Earwig Records producer Michael Frank brought David "Honeyboy" Edwards to Aurora to record Edwards' landmark CD, "The Blues Don't Owe Me Nothing." The decision to record in Aurora was a conscious nod to the great bluesmen who recorded there, decades earlier when "Honeyboy" Edwards' career was just beginning.
The Blues on the Fox Festival continues the legendary Blues tradition in Aurora. Through the years the festival has showcased renowned performers including Los Lobos, Jimmie Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and the late great Pinetop Perkins.
This 15-year anniversary celebration will prove to be an exciting event with Robert Cray performing on June 17th and Blues legend Buddy Guy headlining the June 18th lineup. Come celebrate with us!
Click image to enlarge and enjoy the Blues on the Fox posters from 1997 to 2011.
The City of Aurora has a rich heritage of Blues music, primarily due to the historic RCA Bluebird recordings made in Aurora. It began in the 1930’s when Chicago blues artists began recording on the 16th floor of the tallest building in town, the Leland Hotel at 7 S. Stolp Avenue. It wasn’t an official recording studio, but a large ballroom known as the Sky Club. The great acoustics made it a very active place for many of the original Bluebird Records/RCA Victor recordings which documented the slowly changing urban blues sounds of the 30’s. These groundbreaking recordings set the tone for the early urban Blues that later became so popular and formed the backbone for modern day rock ’n roll. The annual Blues on the Fox festival commemorates these recordings.
