1201music.com feedback?

[mechele]

Hi there, I'm new to the forum and thought this would be a great place to tap some brains. If you have a minute, I'd love to get feedback about our Jazz site http://www.1201music.com

We've been around for a long time, but haven't done a whole lot of promotion in the last year or so.

Any suggestions for the artists, albums, even the site would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

Mechele

[BeBop]

1201 was the label/brand that re-birthed a bunch of the old Black Lion stuff. Including Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street.

I don't know anything about the business/licensing/royalty paying aspects of the company. But there's some fine music in the Black Lion catalog.

[J.A.W.]

Including Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street.

That was originally a Rocky Boyd date, issued by the JazzTime label (later known as JazzLine), which was owned by Fred Norsworthy, Duke Pearson and Dave Bailey.

[mjazzg]

Those important licensing etc issues aside

If I've got this correct, it seems odd to me that there's no credit card online ordering for the CDs. Nor can you see what's in stock before ordering (can only do so if they've received a check/order) - is it beyond them to indicate on the site what titles they do have physically available? Certainly doesn't encourage me as a potential international customer.

But hey, they suceeded in getting me to look at the site!

[mikelz777]

Ordering CDs sounds like a colossal hassle. No credit cards? Pay by check up front not even knowing if the disc(s) are available? Getting a rebate check if 50% or more of the order is available otherwise having to be contacted to see how you want to proceed. Four weeks turn-around time? I'd have to be very desperate for a disc to even consider buying off the web site. It's a horrible business model for the physical discs. Maybe the downloading side works out better.

[sonnymax]

1201 was the label/brand that re-birthed a bunch of the old Black Lion stuff. Including Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street.

I don't know anything about the business/licensing/royalty paying aspects of the company. But there's some fine music in the Black Lion catalog.

Mechele isn't looking for information about the company, he is the company (or works for them).

Michele, I'm glad 1201 remastered and reissued some titles in the Black Lion catalog. However, these reissues do nothing to correct the confusion created by Black Lion's practice of renaming their reissues and assigning leadership to another musician. As Hans pointed out, Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street is actually Rocky Boyd's Ease It. Likewise, Dave Baily's Bash! became Kenny Dorham's Osmosis, and Duke Pearson's Hush! was repackaged as Groovin' With Nat by Donald Byrd/Johnny Coles. I can't be the only one who was perturbed by the fact that after purchasing 1201's reissue of Reaching Out by Grant Green, I learned that I already owned the same recording under Dave Bailey's name.

One other thing: when 1201 made some of their titles available for download on eMusic and other venues, many were missing tracks. After contacting eMusic, I was told that it was 1201's fault. It took weeks to resolve this problem, and I'm not sure that this significant error has been corrected on all titles in all venues. This was a careless mistake that does not contribute positively to 1201's image.

Mechele, I know you were seeking feedback about 1201's website, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to voice my opinion about what really matters to a jazz fan like me - the music and the way it's presented. Thanks for reading/listening.

[thomastreichler]

Ordering CDs sounds like a colossal hassle. No credit cards? Pay by check up front not even knowing if the disc(s) are available? Getting a rebate check if 50% or more of the order is available otherwise having to be contacted to see how you want to proceed. Four weeks turn-around time? I'd have to be very desperate for a disc to even consider buying off the web site. It's a horrible business model for the physical discs. Maybe the downloading side works out better.

You are expressing just what I was thinking! Ordering discs is exceptionally complicated, so that it keeps me off buying items from this website.

[Claude]

Send a letter indicating which titles you would like (specific product number). Attach a check for $15.98 plus $3.50 S/H for each CD, not each order. (Please note that the web-based prices do not apply do Special Orders). Please attach your email address so we can notify you.

If the words "web-based" and "email" weren't in this text, I would have thought it was copied by error from a 1990 catalogue.

[mikefok]

I am sure if there is a serious reissue of a series of the original black lion, it will be a good news to jazz lovers in all corners of the world. Quite a number of them have been long OOP.

Anyway, thanks for the effort of 1201.

[J.A.W.]

Michele, I'm glad 1201 remastered and reissued some titles in the Black Lion catalog.

I hated the sound on the Black Lion remasters I had. They sounded as if the higher frequencies had been scrubbed into oblivion... Horrible. I kept the earlier issues.

However, these reissues do nothing to correct the confusion created by Black Lion's practice of renaming their reissues and assigning leadership to another musician. As Hans pointed out, Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street is actually Rocky Boyd's Ease It. Likewise, Dave Baily's Bash! became Kenny Dorham's Osmosis, and Duke Pearson's Hush! was repackaged as Groovin' With Nat by Donald Byrd/Johnny Coles. I can't be the only one who was perturbed by the fact that after purchasing 1201's reissue of Reaching Out by Grant Green, I learned that I already owned the same recording under Dave Bailey's name.

Seconded. I'm glad I have the Japanese CD reissues of these dates, which were released under their original leaders' names and with the original titles.

[mikelz777]

Michele, I'm glad 1201 remastered and reissued some titles in the Black Lion catalog. However, these reissues do nothing to correct the confusion created by Black Lion's practice of renaming their reissues and assigning leadership to another musician. As Hans pointed out, Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street is actually Rocky Boyd's Ease It. Likewise, Dave Baily's Bash! became Kenny Dorham's Osmosis, and Duke Pearson's Hush! was repackaged as Groovin' With Nat by Donald Byrd/Johnny Coles. I can't be the only one who was perturbed by the fact that after purchasing 1201's reissue of Reaching Out by Grant Green, I learned that I already owned the same recording under Dave Bailey's name.

Thanks for that little piece of information. Now I'm perturbed as well.