The Culture Corner: How Curtis Mayfield left an indelible mark on Chicago : World Cafe : World Cafe Words and Music Podcast Born in Chicago, Mayfield was responsible for so much music over the course of his career, from soundtracks to his work with The Impressions.

The Culture Corner: How Curtis Mayfield left an indelible mark on Chicago

Culture Corner: Curtis Mayfield on World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1151689271/1151692024" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Curtis Mayfield Michael Ochs/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Michael Ochs/Getty Images

Curtis Mayfield

Michael Ochs/Getty Images

Set List

  • Curtis Mayfield, "Move On Up"
  • The Impressions, "People Get Ready"
  • Billy Butler & The Chanters, "Nevertheless"
  • Curtis Mayfield, "Super Fly"

For our Sense of Place Chicago series, we've been exploring the current Chicago music scene and the artists who are creating the sound of the city now.

But today, we're going to take a look back at an artist who laid some of that groundwork that helped make Chicago a music destination.

For a special Chicago edition of the Culture Corner, World Cafe correspondent John Morrison is taking you through Curtis Mayfield's career. You might know Mayfield as a solo artist and a member of The Impressions, but he also spent time moonlighting as a producer and songwriter for others.

Episode Playlist