Jazzjet

Yes, the other part of the DVD is from a 1966 programme titled 'The Universal Mind of Bill Evans'.

Totally agree with the Don Ellis 'Electric Heart' recommendation. Wonderful stuff! Also, the Miles Davis at the Isle of Wight ( 'A Different Kind of Blue' ) if thats your bag. Great restroration job.

I've got a fine LP under Jimmy Witherspoon's name ( 'Spoon Sings and Swings' ) recorded at the Bulls Head with Dick Morrissey and Phil Seaman. It really cooks. Will swap for 'Storm Warning'!

My Dad was a big classical music fan, although not so much for the later 20th century composers, and it was played in our house a lot. Being a child of the 60s, this tended to produce an opposite reaction in me and, for a while, it bored me stiff. Then, in about 1968, my Dad and I agreed to a deal where I would go along with him to a concert of 'Carmina Burana' by Carl Orff and he would come with me to a concert of Charles Lloyd ( with Keith Jarrett ). I like to think we both got something out of this. I know I did. Having said that, classical music doesn't play a big part in my life now, although I can appreciate it on some level. I guess this is mainly because there is so much music to appreciate and catch up with that you have to prioritise.

The disturbing thing for me was how many of them I USED to have but subsequently sold, only to find out later how valuable they would become.

Some fantastic - and nostalgic - album art from the 50s here : British Jazz Album Art Lots of other album art as well.

Ray ( of 'Rays Jazz' ) was a big cricket fan too and you would have been just as likely to hear the radio on in his shop. Must be a connection between jazz and cricket. Probably, as my wife says, hours of boredom interrupted by a few moments of excitement!

That's very much my experience. I've lost count of how many times I've browsed in my local ( soulless ) HMV, only to go home and order via Amazon for several quids saving. Mind you, the same is true of shopping for books but it hasn't seemed to have had the same dramatic impact on bricks and mortar book shops ( or not where I live anyhow ). Maybe its the ubiquitous 3 for 2 offers plus the in-store coffee stores. Book shops usually have a more friendly and welcoming atmosphere than record shops ( although that 'atmosphere' used to be part of the appeal of the old record shops ).

Here's a couple of more pieces concerning Dobell's - the record shop and the label. How Britain Got The Blues Jazzology

Don't know if anyone has posted this but here's a brief rundown of the Honest Jon's history, mentioning their shops in Camden and Covent Garden. Honest Jon's

You're right about the jazz being at the rear of the shop but there was a basement with most of it taken up with rock and soul. And, yes, I remember the record stall outside.

That sounds like the one. Very chaotic and loads of fairly crap 80s stuff. Jazz collectors must be recognisable by their extended fingers through all the flicking through the racks - or early arthritis.

Ah, the thread that never dies! The only shop I remember in Birmingham was in a sort of arcade / walkway under a high rise concrete monstrosity not too far away from New Street station ( I never strayed too far away from New Street station as I could never wait to get away from Birmingham ). I remember buying Prince's 'Crucial' bootleg with Miles on it. Reddington's? I've never been to Plymouth either but I do remember Dave Carey's Swing Shop in Streatham and another fine shop in New Cross, whose name always escapes me. I agree that the staff in Tower were usually fairly offhand. I seem to remember someone saying a while ago that the little, bonkers Scottish guy ( Jacky someone? ) who used to be seen in Rays rifling through the rack at great speed, got a job in Tower for a while. There also used to be a branch of James Asman's in the Liverpool Street / Fenchurch Street area in London ( this would be in the late 60s ). It had a second hand basement ( fairly damp as usual ) with tons of jazz EPs, eg Vogue. I remember this store well as its one of the few times I've bought an album just from hearing it over the shop's P.A. This was Charles Lloyd's 'Forest Flower'. Another one was Don Ellis's 'Live at Monterey' in the original New Oxford Street Colletts. Anyone else done this? I also remember a shop in Goodge Street but can't remember the name. I believe there's a Latino shop around there nowadays so maybe its changed hands. A couple of other shops that come to mind. One was City Sounds, that used to be in Proctor Street, Holborn. It was run by Chris Hills, a jazz DJ during the late 70s jazz - funk years. Fearsomely trendy at the time. Another was Cheapo Cheapo Records in Rupert Street, Soho that used to sell tons of cheap vinyl of all types. Took a lot of searching but you could sometimes come up with a real find.

Too many times to mention. I keep coming across CDs with the Tower sticker on. Once bumped into Jeremy Paxman - literally - as he was heading for the classical section. I also spent quite a bit of time - and money - in the Towers in San Diego and San Francisco. Of course you needed to ditch the jewel cases before flying home!

I assume you prefer the non-download type sites ( there are a few good, responsible ones ) but this site is always very readable : Destination Out

I think this is the image you mean ( its the last one on the page ) Horace Silver at Dobells

I'm afraid I'm old enough to remember when record shops used to be a counter in an electrical goods store, usually staffed by a bloke in a brown coat. I bought many of my earlier singles in such shops - Craig Douglas, Lonnie Donegan etc. Coffee shops in record stores are always a good idea in my opinion, especially when shopping with your wife.

Jazzjet, my recent stroll revealed Soul Jazz still there. Selectadisc too and stocking secondhand/new Jazz vinyl. Also the Record & Tape exchange on Berwick street had a good few racks of Jazz vinyl (found Jackie Mac's Hipnosis after years of hunting). Just opposite R&T Ex is Revival records (phoenix born from Reckless Records) that stocks jazz vinyl and CDs. Spoke to Honest Jon's today so guess they're still alive and kicking - a visit a couple of months ago revealed all stock on one floor with maybe 200 jazz vinyl and as many secondhand and new jazz CDs - still tons of reggae/soul/dance etc. Rough trade still just off portobello and new store in Brick Lane (v little jazz). Rays providing the widest selection still with friendly informative staff. Sorry but can't think of an If Records. Camden? I gave up on there when Rhythm Records disappeared - I wonder if there's still any market stalls selling vinyl on weekends? Thanks for the update - and welcome. I found a site for If Records. They've moved apparently. If Records

On the subject of jazz record shops in London, I'm down in Cornwall and haven't been to London for a shopping trip for a few years. Can anyone enlighten me on which shops still exist and are worth visiting. The ones I know about ( except the megastores ) are Soul Jazz in Broadwick Street, Soul Brother in Putney, Selectadisc in Berwick Street ( some jazz, used to be some bargains ), If Records in Soho ( not sure if its still there ), Rays in Foyles, Honest Jons, Rough Trade off Portobello Road. Is there nothing in Camden nowadays? My tastes go beyond jazz to funk and soul now and again so any current recommendations would be appreciated.

I remember Colletts moving to Charing Cross Road but for the life of me I cannot remember it having a music section, but I am sure that is just my memory failing me. I must admit my memory of exactly when Collets morphed into Rays is very hazy. One record shop that WAS in Monmouth St was 'Soul City' but that was at a different time and a different sort of music. I seem to remember that the music bit of Colletts in Charing Cross Road was in the back. I remember a large-ish, hippy-ish woman on the folk section ( Jill? ) who was very earnest. I'm not absolutely sure that the Jazz section ( with Ray ) moved there from New Oxford Street, or were there for only a short time before setting up in Shaftesbury Avenue.

Just googling and it appears that Bob Dylan once recorded in the basement at Dobell's in early 1963 : Bob Dylan recordings ( Click on The List and there's a full rundown of Dylan recordings - broadcasts, rarities etc )

Indeed - spot on. I believe that Ray's ( more accurately Colletts ) moved from New Oxford Street ( folk upstairs, jazz in the basement ) to Charing Cross Road as part of a larger Colletts bookshop ( mainly left wing literature ) before Ray split off and moved to St Martins Lane / Monmouth Street. I have a vague memory of a record shop being across the road from Rays in Monmouth Street. Could this have been the short-lived branch of Honest Jon's?

I can certainly identify with that, John! On one of my my first visits in 1957 at the age of 17 I was chased out of the booth for playing too many 78s! (They were by by Pinetop Smith and Meade Lux Lewis.) There was also an infuriatingly cool bloke behind the counter on the ground floor who accompanied everthing on the sound system with (admittedly accurate) "cymbal" strokes with his ball pen! But Johnny Kendal downstairs in the dungeon-like second-hand section was a really sweet guy, this confirmed by a woman friend of mine who went out with him. I first started going to Dobell's in the 60s and I didn't think the staff were that unfriendly. Just a bit intimidated by all that grown-up music. The thing I remember was the state of the turntables in the listening booths at the back. They were like something out of the Flintstones and the pickups weighed a ton. God knows what damage they did to the records. And I loved going to Johnny Kendall's second-hand basement, although the smell of damp could be overwhelming. Asman's was OK if you were buying older jazz. I remember going in there and buying 'Miles In The Sky' and you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.

Somebody should write a book about that place ! It gets mentioned in the frighteningly long lately-departed list at the front of the book. The writer's career has been mainly in the rock area so I doubt if Mole will figure highly. I'll let you know if it gets mentioned. Actually, I was thinking that between us we could probably write a book about London's lost jazz record shops. The only problem would be that we're the only people who would want to read it. It's also highly likely that we were in the same few record shops at the same time back in the day - without realising it. I was the one that looked like George Clooney!