A Dobell's exhibition!

[BillF]

http://www.chelseaspace.org/

See also 2nd item in John Fordham's blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/apr/19/john-fordham-month-jazz-april

Edited April 19, 2013 by BillF

[Big Beat Steve]

Too bad I won't be able to see that exhibition.

I have fond memories of my own visits in my very early record buying years to Dobell's during 2-week stays in 1975 to 1977 (at age 15 to 17).

The treasures in Dobell's two shops of course were a revelation to me as a budding collector (as were other shops still in existence in London then, of course), and with hindsight, no doubt any questions I may have asked in an attempt to make best use of my slim funds for buying records were not likely to have been THAT informed but I cannot recall ever feeling rebuked there. I guess I was just too overwhelmed by the sheer mass of goodies ...

But who knows ... maybe I made good in the staff's eyes when I bought the Cyril Davies LP on Dobell's Folklore label there (after having read about it in a book on "British Beat" purchased in London the year before ...)

That Bruce Turner excerpt is great! Was it ever relased anywhere on record?

Edited April 19, 2013 by Big Beat Steve

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I met Ben Webster there in '70.

My friend, who, more polite than I, stood back, bought me a beer later saying, 'Ben Fuckin' Webster! You talked to Ben Fuckin' Webster!'

Good shop. Spent lots of dosh there on forays up from Brighton in the mid '60s to early '70s. Prestige soul jazz LPs were CHEAP and viewed contemptuously, I'm glad to say.

MG

[Christiern]

I paid Doug's wonderful record shop many visits, starting in 1953. I haven't seen any mention of Johnny (don't recall his last name) who was an exuberant young man behind the counter. I think he knew every record in that store. Around the time when the Bruce Turner session was filmed, Timme Rosenkranz and I set up a record session for Doug in the basement apartment we shared on West 84th Street. It was for Doug's new label, 77 Records. I wrote about it on my blog and here's a direct link.

Anybody here remember Johnny?

[cih]

I paid Doug's wonderful record shop many visits, starting in 1953. I haven't seen any mention of Johnny (don't recall his last name) who was an exuberant young man behind the counter. I think he knew every record in that store. Around the time when the Bruce Turner session was filmed, Timme Rosenkranz and I set up a record session for Doug in the basement apartment we shared on West 84th Street. It was for Doug's new label, 77 Records. I wrote about it on my blog and here's a direct link.

Anybody here remember Johnny?

'scuse my ignorance.. on your link is a wonderful slide show - including an old press cutting indicating a book in progress with Alberta Hunter? Did it get done?

[sidewinder]

That's interesting. I have a 77 Records test pressing of that Pete Brown session. Picked up at Mole Jazz for £1 !

[BillF]

I paid Doug's wonderful record shop many visits, starting in 1953. I haven't seen any mention of Johnny (don't recall his last name) who was an exuberant young man behind the counter. I think he knew every record in that store. Around the time when the Bruce Turner session was filmed, Timme Rosenkranz and I set up a record session for Doug in the basement apartment we shared on West 84th Street. It was for Doug's new label, 77 Records. I wrote about it on my blog and here's a direct link.

Anybody here remember Johnny?

Dobell's damp basement where used discs were sold was staffed by the amiable Johnny Kendal. Youngish (in the 60s), fair hair - perhaps you mean him.

[sidewinder]

See also 2nd item in John Fordham's blog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2013/apr/19/john-fordham-month-jazz-april

That clip of Bruce Turner's Jump Band is great ! Colin Bates on piano, by the look of it.

[medjuck]

IIRC I there were piles of Dial 78s on the floor there in 1964. Not original pressings. (To be honest I may be conflating my visits to Dobells's that summer with visits to other record stores in London, but I remember piles of 78s on the floor.)

[brownie]

My memories of Dobell's date back to the mid-50s!

Did not have enough money to purchase the shop's treasures. That's where bought my first BN LP (vol. 1 of the Amazing Bud Powell)!

[Steve Gray]

I paid Doug's wonderful record shop many visits, starting in 1953. I haven't seen any mention of Johnny (don't recall his last name) who was an exuberant young man behind the counter. I think he knew every record in that store. Around the time when the Bruce Turner session was filmed, Timme Rosenkranz and I set up a record session for Doug in the basement apartment we shared on West 84th Street. It was for Doug's new label, 77 Records. I wrote about it on my blog and here's a direct link.

Anybody here remember Johnny?

Johnny Winterbourne perhaps.

More information here including a list of staff members.

http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org

George Foster was the leading light in the Jazz Society at UCL when I was there from 65 to 68. I didn't realise he worked at Dobell's

[BillF]

I paid Doug's wonderful record shop many visits, starting in 1953. I haven't seen any mention of Johnny (don't recall his last name) who was an exuberant young man behind the counter. I think he knew every record in that store. Around the time when the Bruce Turner session was filmed, Timme Rosenkranz and I set up a record session for Doug in the basement apartment we shared on West 84th Street. It was for Doug's new label, 77 Records. I wrote about it on my blog and here's a direct link.

Anybody here remember Johnny?

Johnny Winterbourne perhaps.

More information here including a list of staff members.

http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org

George Foster was the leading light in the Jazz Society at UCL when I was there from 65 to 68. I didn't realise he worked at Dobell's

Thanks for that!

Surprised to see Roland Kirk omitted from the list of American musician visitors to Dobell's. He was said to be something of a permanent fixture there during seasons at Scott's, leaning on the counter and demanding to hear Fats Waller records.

[JohnS]

I saw Roland in Dobell's one morning, listening IIRC to Omer Simeon.

I'll always remember the look of disgust on Don Solash's face when I asked to hear Spiritual Unity. But the lackluster service there was par for the course.

[Steve Gray]

Yes, I saw Roland there once as well.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I saw Roland in Dobell's one morning, listening IIRC to Omer Simeon.

I'll always remember the look of disgust on Don Solash's face when I asked to hear Spiritual Unity. But the lackluster service there was par for the course.

I got the same look, buying John Pattons and Freddie Roaches. Even more downstairs, getting Willis Jacksons and Sonny Coxes.

Years later, I contrasted that with the phone conversations I had with Sailor Vernon - eg he told me he hated the new 10" Ace release of Oscar McLollie & his Honeyjumpers but he thought I'd like it - and I did. He also got me deeper into sermons and gospel music than I was before, even though, again, he wasn't particularly a gospel fan (though he DID love preachers). From his (recently read) memoirs, he seems to have made quite a lot of money out of his mail order business, through trying to understand what his customers wanted and helping them get it.

The owner of the largest record shop (and record company) in The Gambia once told me it was easy to make money in the music business; 'you just have to know what to do and how to do it.' What more can one say of any business? Except that a lot of people don't.

MG

[Christiern]

Thanks for the list of employees. Now that I see his name, I realise that it was Johnny Kendall. He begged me to sell him one of the shirts Lil Armstrong tailored for me. I wonder what became of him.

[Steve Gray]

Thanks for the list of employees. Now that I see his name, I realise that it was Johnny Kendall. He begged me to sell him one of the shirts Lil Armstrong tailored for me. I wonder what became of him.

More info here on John Kendall from the same site

http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/john-kendall-records.html

[BillF]

Thanks for the list of employees. Now that I see his name, I realise that it was Johnny Kendall. He begged me to sell him one of the shirts Lil Armstrong tailored for me. I wonder what became of him.

More info here on John Kendall from the same site

http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/john-kendall-records.html

Nice to see that. Unlike the people upstairs, John was always a friendly guy as far as I was concerned. And "Jazz at the Tally Ho"! I spent many an evening there round about 1970.

[Jazzjet]

Interesting to see that Tony Middleton worked at Dobell's. I attended an evening course in jazz appreciation at the City Literary Institute, Holborn ( must have been 1968/69 ) and Tony was the lecturer. He arranged visits to The Phoenix in Cavendish Square ( Bill Le Sage and Michael Garrick ) and Ronnie Scott's ( Roland Kirk ) which were pretty much my first exposure to live jazz. As an aside, I also met my first wife at the evening class!

[Christiern]

Apropos, "well, it's an honest living," I remember when Timmie Rosenkrantz, Jeff Atterton and Harry Lim worked at Sam Goody's.