Buddy Guy's Legends — Chicago

Buddy Guy's Legends at 700 South Wabash Avenue is the most celebrated blues club in Chicago and the live home of one of the greatest blues guitarists alive. Guy — George Guy, born in Lettsworth, Louisiana, in 1936 — moved to Chicago in 1957 and quickly became the most explosive guitarist in the city's already extraordinary blues scene. His frantic, feedback-drenched style influenced Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan directly and explicitly: Clapton has called him the greatest guitarist alive, and Hendrix reportedly stood in front of the stage watching Guy play and said nothing for the entire set.

Guy recorded for Chess Records in the early 1960s and later for Vanguard, producing fine records that nonetheless never fully captured the electricity of his live performances. His career was revived by a landmark 1991 album Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, produced with guest appearances from Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler, which introduced him to a new generation. He has continued performing at Legends — typically January shows — with an intensity that makes him one of the most compelling live musicians on earth.

Buddy Guy's Legends has been at its current South Loop location since 1989. Guy typically performs a residency in January, which sells out immediately. The club is open for dinner and live music most nights, featuring both established and emerging blues artists. It is one of Chicago's essential experiences and one of the few places where a genuine connection to the original Chicago blues tradition can still be felt in real time.