This is the story of Polish immigrant brothers Leonard and Phil Chess who moved to Chicago in 1928 and ended up building a record company that influenced three generations of musicians. Synonymous with the blues and musicians - such as McKinley Morganfield (AKA Muddy Waters), Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry - the company also specialised in jazz through its Argo label. The pair worked as an entrepreneurial tag team, creating their own publishing and distributing companies, pressing plants and radio stations. "If you wanna be a big star, get on Chess," singer Etta James was advised. Paternalistic at best, the brothers would later face allegations of exploitation after disputes over royalties, a result (largely) of the informal nature of their music contracts. Nadine Cohodas's book is a bit dense but if you're a blues fan that won't matter; it will be a must .