Like every young, earnest student in Chicago, I spent a certain amount of time listening to Matt "Guitar" Murphy in blues clubs when I was at the University of Chicago. It’s a rite of passage for every college and grad student. After a short time I got sick of hearing "Sweet Home Chicago" and of watching long haired girls sway with their eyes closed, so I avoided the Northside clubs and took a cab to the Checkerboard Lounge on the Southside.
The Checkerboard had far less young, earnest students there. The few other patrons were aging black guys. It had long narrow tables suitable for resting a beer and an ashtray. One night James Cotton wandered in and gave an impromptu show. Less talented, but equally entertaining was the Black Cowboy dressed in a light blue polyester suit.
Blues is one genre of music that is doomed by the most annoying fans. If I hadn’t found the Checkerboard, I would have written off the whole business.
To find the love again, here’s a nice short video.
Apt. 11d 
Oh wow, I haven’t thought about the Checkerboard for years. I lived in Burton-Judson for a year and the South Side experience wasn’t complete without at least one visit to the Checkerboard.
LikeLike