Recording Studio River North | Musical Legacy & History

Andy’s Jazz Club: Where River North’s Music Story Begins

I’m Ian, and I run Untold Stories Recordings here in Chicago. Being an audio engineer pays my bills, but studying history feeds my soul. That’s why I’m exploring the musical past of every Chicago neighborhood—and today, we’re talking about River North.

Most people know this area for the art galleries and nightlife. But River North has shaped Chicago’s music scene for over seventy years. From jazz clubs in the 1950s to the recording studios that defined modern Chicago sound, this neighborhood’s musical legacy runs deep.

Let me take you through the decades.

In the early 1950s, a small jazz club opened its doors on Hubbard Street. Andy’s Jazz Club wasn’t fancy—just a basement space where musicians could play and people could listen. But it became something special.

Legendary jazz and blues performers played that stage for decades. While bigger clubs came and went, Andy’s stayed. It’s still operating today, still booking live jazz and blues acts seven nights a week. That’s over seventy years of continuous music in one River North location.

Think about that. Three generations of Chicago musicians have walked through those doors. The club survived changing neighborhoods, changing music tastes, and changing economics. It’s a living piece of Chicago music history, and it’s right here in River North.

When Warehouses Became Art Spaces

The 1970s and 80s brought big changes to River North. Old warehouses that once stored goods got converted into artist lofts and gallery spaces. Places like Zolla/Lieberman, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and Carl Hammer Gallery opened up. Artists moved in. The neighborhood transformed.

But it wasn’t just visual artists. Those same industrial buildings made perfect rehearsal spaces for musicians. High ceilings, thick walls, cheap rent—exactly what bands needed. River North became a place where painters worked upstairs and rock bands practiced downstairs.

Marina City played a role too. Those iconic corn-cob towers were finished in 1961, and by the 70s and 80s, they housed artists and performers of all kinds. The building became a symbol of Chicago’s creative energy—a place where visual art and music culture mixed together naturally.

The Punk Scene at O’Banion’s

If you wanted to see punk rock in early 1980s Chicago, you went to O’Banion’s on Clark Street. Named after Irish gangster Dion O’Banion, this club became one of the most important venues in Chicago’s punk history.

Local bands like Articles of Faith, Naked Raygun, The Subverts, and Trial By Fire all played that stage. These weren’t polished performances in fancy venues. This was raw, loud, energetic music played in a cramped room for people who got it.

O’Banion’s represented something important—River North was a place where new sounds could find an audience. The neighborhood didn’t just preserve traditional jazz and blues. It made room for whatever came next.

Chicago Recording Company and the Studio Era

By the 1990s, River North had become Chicago’s recording district. The reason? Chicago Recording Company.

Founded in 1975, CRC had grown into one of the Midwest’s premier recording facilities by the 90s. Their Ohio Street location attracted major artists who wanted that Chicago sound. Wilco recorded there. Mavis Staples tracked vocals there. Resurrection Band laid down their rock tracks there. The Smashing Pumpkins worked on projects there.

These weren’t just famous people making records. These were Chicago artists defining what modern Chicago music sounded like. And they were doing it right here in River North.

CRC turned this neighborhood into a destination for serious recording work. When musicians needed a professional music studio in Chicago, they came to River North. The neighborhood’s reputation shifted from industrial warehouses to a place where important music got made.

That legacy continues today. River North still has recording studios where Chicago artists create their next projects. The tradition of capturing Chicago’s musical stories—that started decades ago—is still happening in this neighborhood.

Live Music Keeps the Tradition Alive

By the mid-1990s, River North had become an entertainment corridor. New venues opened that focused on live performance.

House of Blues brought in national touring acts. Blue Chicago kept the blues tradition alive. The Bassment became a spot for jazz, house music, and rock shows. These venues created something special—a neighborhood where you could hear live music every single night of the week.

This wasn’t a museum preserving old sounds. This was a living, breathing music scene. The same neighborhood that hosted jazz in the 1950s and punk in the 1980s now had venues booking everything from blues to electronic music to indie rock.

River North proved that a neighborhood’s musical identity doesn’t have to stay frozen in time. It can grow, adapt, and welcome new sounds while still honoring its roots.

Recording Chicago’s Musical Stories Today

Here’s what strikes me about River North’s music history. This neighborhood never picked just one genre and stuck with it. Jazz, punk, rock, blues, electronic music—all of it found a home here at different times.

That’s what makes River North special. It’s not about one style of music or one era. It’s about creating space for whatever Chicago musicians need—whether that’s a jazz club, a rehearsal loft, a recording studio, or a live music venue.

At Untold Stories Recordings, we’re part of that tradition. We’re capturing the musical stories that Chicago artists are creating right now. In twenty years, someone might write about the music being recorded in Chicago studios today. We’re making sure those stories get told properly.

If you’re a River North artist working on a project and need a Chicago recording studio that understands this city’s musical legacy, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re recording your first song or your fiftieth, we’re here to help you capture it right. Call (872) 444-6316 to book your session today.

River North taught us something important: great music happens when you create the right space for it. That’s what we try to do every day at our recording studio—create the space where your musical story can unfold exactly as it should.

What Chicago neighborhood should I explore next? Let me know—I love diving into these musical histories.