Aaron Cohen Presents: "The History of Soul Music"

Overflow Coffee is excited to host Aahon Cohen, professor and author of Move On Up, as he shares the powerful story of soul music in Chicago. Aaron will also spin some classic hits and discuss the economic and societal impacts of soul music in the Windy City.

In Move On Up, Aaron Cohen tells the remarkable story of the explosion of soul music in Chicago. Together, soul music and black-owned businesses thrived. Soul music also accompanied the rise of African American advertisers and the campaign of Chicago's first Black mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983.

This empowerment was set in stark relief by the social unrest roiling in Chicago and across the nation: as Chicago's homegrown record labels produced rising stars singing songs of progress and freedom, Chicago's Black middle class faced limited economic opportunities and deep-seated segregation, all against a backdrop of nationwide deindustrialization.

About Aaron Cohen:

Aaron Cohen teaches humanities and English composition at City Colleges of Chicago and writes about music for the Chicago Reader, National Public Radio, Chicago Tribune and numerous other publications. His most recent book, Move On Up: Chicago Soul Music and Black Cultural Power (University of Chicago Press), looks at the social and musical changes that shaped R&B in Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s. His first book, Amazing Grace (33 1/3; Blooms-bury), analyzes Aretha Franklin’s popular 1972 soul-gospel album. Cohen has been a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar and DownBeat editor. He is also a two-time recipient of the Deems Taylor Award for outstanding music writing from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

About Overflow Coffee:

Overflow Coffee is a space to prosper—to foster hope, creativity, and community. A space where belonging is felt from the first greeting to the last sip. Since the beginning, Overflow Coffee has been passionate about the South Loop community. Newly relocated in the former building of the acclaimed Vee-Jay Records, Overflow extends its rich history and creates a space for people to call home once again. Freshly baked pastries, hand-brewed coffees, and authentic interactions carry the essence of home throughout the space, with passion and joy at the core.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Overflow Coffee, 1449 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, United States