by Who knew Ozaukee County had such a rich history with early recorded music?
Are you aware of the great music history of Blues, Jazz, R&B, gospel, country, classical and more in… Ozaukee County? Turns out Grafton and Port Washington were music hotspots back in the day – starting over 100 years ago. From 1917 through the 1930s, Paramount Records hosted a huge variety of musicians and their studio sessions, laying groundwork for some of the most popular music genres to ever come out of this country. And the Paramount Music Festival is about to celebrate it all in Port Washington this weekend!
Paramount Records was a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Chair Company, which had a factory along the Milwaukee River in Grafton where 78 rpm records were pressed and distributed to the nation. These recordings allowed artists such as Lawrence Welk, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Tom Dorsey and Louis Armstrong to inspire future music generations and lay the seeds for the R&B and Rock ‘N Roll Eras. Between 1929 and 1932 alone, over 1,600 songs were recorded in Grafton; the output accounted for about 1/4 of the so-called “race records” of the era.
Many of the musicians were from Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, or other points south. Most came up from Milwaukee or Chicago by train, recorded in Grafton, and stayed overnights in Port Washington, near Paramount’s main offices. So many major and influential musicians cut records here that it’s an official stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Why a Chair Company Launched a Record Company
Paramount Records operated in the Wisconsin Chair Company factory in Grafton. How did that come to be? Well, apparently the company that produced chairs and cabinets – with record players, mind you – figured they should help produce records people could play and store in their cabinets.
ParamountsHome.org does a great job researching and celebrating the history of this iconic record company and its creations. The Paramount Blues Festival started up in Grafton in 2006 to help recognize this history and bring Blues music and more to the area from today’s performers. It has since relocated to the larger grounds of Veterans Memorial Park in Port Washington; the three-day fest will take place over Labor Day Weekend, August 31 – September 2, right along the shore of Lake Michigan.
Come celebrate the music history of Grafton and Port Washington at the Paramount Music Festival this weekend! Performers will include (click on the poster below to enlarge it):
Friday, August 31
Tommy Bentz Band – 5:00pm
The Blues Disciples – 6:30pm
Kashmir – The Led Zeppelin Show – 8:30pm
Saturday Sept. 1
Jonny T-Bird & the Mps – Noon
Tallan Noble Latz – 1:00pm
Ivy Ford Band – 2:30pm
Katz Sass – 4:00pm
Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys with Westside Andy – 6:00pm
Altered Five Blues Band – 8:00pm
Sunday, Sept. 2
Sue DaBaco – Noon
Jay Edward Band – 1:00
The Spectaculars – 2:15pm
Paul Filipowicz – 3:30pm
Alex Wilson Band – 4:45pm
Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo – 6:00pm
The Bel Airs – 7:30pm
By the way, the PBS series History Detectives covered Paramount Records and their history, scroll down to watch the videos!
Paramount Records celebration and Paramount Music Festival Address:
Veterans Memorial Park
430 N. Lake Street
Port Washington, WI 53074
