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Jazzjet
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Posts posted by Jazzjet
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I would also recommend that Don Ellis DVD 'Electric Heart', if they have it. Pat Martino's 'Unplugged' is worth seeing too - although that one is a sort of medical documentary with added jazz.
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.
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Last I heard it got resolved - they are certainly still actively hosting gigs. In fact I have never been there so with another London visit coming up I may pay a call. I've got the feeling Art Themen is playing there next week so may check it out.
That Dick Morrissey 'Storm Warning' LP on Mercury was recorded at the Bulls Head I believe. Would like a copy of that one !
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'!
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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.
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Thanks Jazzjet!
I had four:
Mike Westbrook - Marching Song
Mike Westbrook - Love Songs
Elton Dean
John Stevens - Chemistry
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.
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Some fantastic - and nostalgic - album art from the 50s here :
Lots of other album art as well.
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I always started at Collet's (Ray's) in New Oxford Street - bought many BYGs there, always a great atmosphere in the basement. Then onto Dobell's (agree it was less friendly) and Asmans. I always liked visiting Mole, especially the first shop. A memory is of everyone listening to the radio - not jazz. It was the afternoon Graham Hick scored 405 not out at Taunton.
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!
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Things aren't helped by the prices. Last week I received the Dutch Jazz Orchestra's Moon Dreams from an American supplier via Amazon.uk which cost me £7.33 plus £1.21 p&p, a total of £8.54. Ray's wanted £14 for it! So I think what I was looking at in Ray's was the final death throes of the once-booming bricks-and-mortar jazz record trade.
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 ).
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Here's a couple of more pieces concerning Dobell's - the record shop and the label.
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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.
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If I'm thinking of the same place, the jazz in Cheapo Cheapo was at th e rear of the shop. I don't recall a basement there. There was however record a stall outside. Only found the odd treasure there.
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.
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Ah, I think I remember Cheapo Cheapo. Were they mostly in a basement? And was everything completely disorganised so you had to look through half a million LPs to be sure you hadn't missed a gem?
MG
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.
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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.
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Absolutely! That describes the late nineties/early noughties late-afternoon Piccadilly Tower Records jazz clientele exactly ... intent middle-aged men in business suits with briefcases soon to be filled with CDs nestling among the office papers.
At that time Tower seemed THE place: many of the jazz specialists had folded and the Piccadilly branch carried a huge CD stock. Most of my OJCs came from there. Anyone else frequented Tower in those days?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!
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I assume you prefer the non-download type sites ( there are a few good, responsible ones ) but this site is always very readable :
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There is a picture of Horace Silver standing outside Dobells included in the LP version of 'You Gotta Take A Little Love'.
I am not sure but I don't think it was included in the CD version.
Anyone know of any other 'jazz musician standing outside/inside record shop' pictures?
I think this is the image you mean ( its the last one on the page )
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When in Bath I always pop in here:
It's actually Duck, Son and Pinker (who sound like renegades from Beatrix Potter) and still looks like record/music shops used to look in 1970 (and probably in 1940!) - wooden floorboards, record/cd racks that have never seen the inside of IKEA etc. The jazz selection is a bit random - a lot of Gambit and Lonehill type things but you can hit on some goodies. Good folk and classical section.
I recall a branch in Swindon when I lived there in 1972-3 (confirmed by the Last Shop Standing Book) - you could also get a good selection of LPs in Menzies, Bon Marche (where Andy Partridge of XTC worked around the time I was there) and another big department store (and I recall a new chromey type shop opening next to the Wyvern Theatre in the Autumn of '72).
When I moved to Reading in late '73 there was a big store like the one pictured above...might have been Hickies...that had pianos downstairs and records upstairs. Ainsley's in Leicester was like this well into the late 80s and there was a place in Sheffield that was mainly a piano shop that had the same sort of layout until the mid 90s.
Bath regulars will also worship this place an d hope it stays in business:
[i always chuckle in a superior 'I'm normal' way when I see blokes (only blokes) photographing buses. What do people think of me taking pictures of record shops? Having said that, I wish I'd kep a photographic record of everywhere I'd bought records since 1970!
Favourite shop? One in Dingle on the west coast of Ireland that sold books and records about Ireland and had a nice coffee shop before coffee shops in bookstores became the norm.]
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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 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.
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Just googling and it appears that Bob Dylan once recorded in the basement at Dobell's in early 1963 :
( Click on The List and there's a full rundown of Dylan recordings - broadcasts, rarities etc )
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When Ray's moved from New Oxford St. to Shaftesbury Avenue, it was actually in both Shaftesbury Avenue and Monmouth St. You could walk in one side and out the other.
Monmouth St. is an extension of St. Martins Lane (actually Upper St. Martins Lane). I just mention this in case anyone was confusing Monmouth St with St. Martins Lane.
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?
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I never felt comfortable in Dobells. The staff were not very friendly or perhaps I wasn't one of the clique.
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.
I never felt comfortable in Dobells. The staff were not very friendly or perhaps I wasn't one of the clique. Much better in Rays where I felt much more welcome and over time got to know the folks there very well.Asman's was okay, very friendly, but very small. Although mainly trad it was always worth a look, I found some great stuff at good prices in there over the years. If anyone can go back to the late 50s, early 60s it was the place for very cheap Esquire albums. Presumably unplayed review copies.
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.
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I hope that Mole Jazz gets a chapter of its own!!
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!
Bill Evans - Lund 1975/Helsinki 1970
in Artists
Posted
Yes, the other part of the DVD is from a 1966 programme titled 'The Universal Mind of Bill Evans'.