Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.
Below had played in high school bands and in army ensembles, and he was trained in jazz. He struggled at first to adapt to blues rhythms, but he soon developed a swinging, sophisticated style that helped define the sound of urban blues and popularize the now ubiquitous shuffle beat. The Aces were influenced by raw rural blues, big-band jazz, and the pop hits of the day, and their innovations shaped the Chicago sound in such a thorough and enduring way that it can be difficult for modern listeners to imagine how transformative they were at the time.
The Aces also made records under their own name, including the 1973 Vogue release Kings of the Chicago Blues Vol. 1 and the 1976 MCM release The Aces With Their Guests (both were French labels). Louis and Dave released solo albums as well, Dave as late as 1998.
