Jazzjet

Coincidentally, Jazzwise magazine this month has a spread about Kind of Blue and various jazzers reminiscences of it. Charlie Watts's goes as follows : ' I bought it in the jazz department of Collet's in New Oxford Street when it came out in 1960. It was on the Fontana label and I've still got the copy. I first heard it at Collet's. In thise days I was a designer at Hobson's advertising agency in Conduit Street and I used to go there a lot.There was a folk department upstairs and a jazz department in the basement and Ray Smith ( later of Ray's Jazz Shop ) was playing it. He used to play the latest jazz records, beat out the drum parts on the counter then take your money.' Does anyone know the song 'Vinyl' by Georgie Fame ( its on Three Line Whip and Birthday Big Band ). There's a pretty good namecheck for Ray's in the lyrics. Never got to Dave Carey's but I do remember a jazz shop called Peter something's in New Cross Gate. I used to drop in there as a lad when I travelled from school to see my football team, Millwall ( I know, I know ).

Oh yes I remember James Asman's shop. He was very much a specialist in New Orleans and nothing much beyond the 30s. He did carry some modern jazz however, although he gave the impression that this was with some reluctance! I remember buying 'Miles In The Sky' in there for some reason and I still remember the rather pitying look he gave me when he passed it over. He also had another branch in the City somewhere and I remember there being some good second hand stuff in yet another damp basement. Some of these record shop proprieters make the Jack Black character in High Fidelity look like a pussycat.

Yes I believe the folk section did transfer to Rays basement in Shaftesbury Ave ( now I think about, I'm sure that Ray's shop in Shaftesbury Ave started off as Colletts ). It gradually evolved to concentrate more on blues and world music. Used to be some lethal spiral staircase down to the basement. Speaking of basements, does anyone remember the damp, smelly basement at Dobells in Charing Cross Road? It was run as a second hand shop and run by ( I think ) a chap called John Kendall who always reminded me of Tubby Hayes. I still have several Johnny Kendal used items, still harboring that authentic Dobell's basement damp pong, which has definitely matured over the years! Yes I remember having to dry out a couple of purchases!

Yes I believe the folk section did transfer to Rays basement in Shaftesbury Ave ( now I think about, I'm sure that Ray's shop in Shaftesbury Ave started off as Colletts ). It gradually evolved to concentrate more on blues and world music. Used to be some lethal spiral staircase down to the basement. Speaking of basements, does anyone remember the damp, smelly basement at Dobells in Charing Cross Road? It was run as a second hand shop and run by ( I think ) a chap called John Kendall who always reminded me of Tubby Hayes.

My memory may be playing tricks but I believe that Ray's evolved from the Collett's shop. Before it moved to the new building in TCR the Colletts shop used to be in New Oxford Street, just up from CentrePoint and just a little further on from where the Imhof's store was ( anyone remember that record shop?). The folk section used to be on the ground floor and jazz in the basement ( where else ). The eponymous Ray used to be the manager of the jazz section. I distinctly recall buying the Don Ellis 'Live At Monterey' album after hearing it played over the P.A in the basement - one of a very few occasions that I've bought an album in that way. Anyway, at some point ) late 80s or early 90s ( ? ) the folk section moved to TCR and Ray set up in Shaftesbury Avenue with just jazz and blues ( not sure whether the Shaftesbury Ave shop was originally Colletts before Ray took it over ). Anyway, it was the rent and rates that led to the move from Shaftesbury Ave to Foyles. Also, jazz may have originally been in TCR before moving to Shaftesbury Ave. In the TCR folk shop I recall a rather formidable folkie lady, called Jill I believe. If it sounds that I spent much of my youth in these shops then that's probably true!

Yes, this was from a Jazz 625 show recorded in 1965. Quentin Warren was on guitar and Billy Hart drums.

I bought some of those - it's all I could afford at the time (the deletions rack was my favourite hangout) Still got them I think - mainly Farmer/Golson Jazztets. Somehow fantastically nostalgic seeing the photo. How complicated - but at the same time simpler and perhaps more fun - record collecting was then.

I suspect most can't...I know I can't. I can tell a poor MP3 from a good one as I can tell a poor CD transfer from a good one. But as a rule I hear no difference - maybe if I had an expensive system I could. Mine, like most people's is quite modest. I can't see industry hanging onto CD for long just to please a small group of audiophiles. I can see someone somewhere licensing some recordings and making CDs as they now make vinyl for a small market or as they once made direct metal master discs to serve a small customer base for whom 'the best possible sound' mattered. I think most people are happy with very good quality sound. Most of the downloads I've heard recently fall into that bracket. The maths and graphs may say that this or that is lost but that is of no consequence if you don't hear it. I believe its been shown that our ability to benefit from 'perfect sound' diminishes with age so its probable that our ability to notice the audio loss in mp3s is similarly compromised. Bit of a bugger that. As we get older and ( usually ) more able to afford higher quality audiophile equipment our hearing deteriorates so we can't properly experience the benefit.

Wasn't actually me that was offering it for sale, Jazzjet; Bigbandrecord quoted my original post about it. However, I am plugging this new reissue from Neil Ardley although, again I am not selling it, I just wrote the sleevenotes for this Esoteric reissue! Harmony of the Spheres Sorry Roger - I misread the post. Great news about Harmony Of The Spheres. I've already got this in its original vinyl format so won't benefit from your sleevenotes I'm afraid!

Good analysis Bev. I live in a city ( Truro ) that used to have four decent record shops with a degree of specialisation ( this is about three years ago ). Now there's only one - HMV - and they are devoting more and more space to DVDs and games. I've often wondered whether there is a market opportunity for a music distribution service that caters to your group ( a ) by creating a community and actually asking these customers - who, after all, are pretty much guaranteed spenders - what they want to see published and tailoring their output to these needs. This would probably be mostly archive material but not necessarily. Imagine the buzz about getting a group of fellow enthusiasts to come up with their combined wants lists and then serving that need. Interestingly, Sony Legacy have started the process of asking for suggestions for future issues and a group of Miles Davis fans are already putting together their wish lists and lobbying for them.

You are talking ablout Jackie (surname temporarily forgotten). Bought the lps, put them on tape and sold them back to Ray without the jackets! I know I have a few. He worked at Tower for a short while when they opened but I guess that retailing wasn't his forte. Now you mention the name Jackie, its coming back to me. Didn't know about his Tower stint. Didn't seem to be obvious corporate employee material!

Remembering the old Ray's shop, does anyone remember a small, bearded Scottish guy ( a regular ) who used to have an amazing technique of searching the vinyl racks? He basically flicked through the LPs at a blinding speed, almost like a deck of cards. He was pretty skilled at this as he very quickly homed in on albums he wanted. Maybe he's still out there - or maybe on the forum!!!

Wow, that almost exactly replicates my experience of Mole. When I was in a position in my job to organise meetings in London I used to ensure that my shedule allowed for a worthwhile visit to Mole - if I was in that part of London - or Rays ( the Shaftesbury Ave version ) before struggling home with my spoils. I particularly recall drooling over the 'Rare as Hens Teeth' rack in Ray's. Now, of course, you can get hold of pretty much all that rare stuff somehow or other online.

I've got a fair amount of Brian Auger on CD. Among my favourite tracks are Indian Rope Man ( with Julie Driscoll ) and Maiden Voyage and Inner City Blues by Oblivion Express.

Thanks MG for this knowledgeable outline. I love this kind of music, much of which has been looked down on by critics and others for too long. Broadening it out a bit, what would you say are the top 5 ( or 10 ) Prestige soul jazz albums? ( I guess Rusty Bryant has to be in there somewhere ).

Still my favourite Norma disc...and I'm a major Norma fan. As opposed to a Norma Major fan?

Bring it on ! It's so obvious - yet no-one in this damn country has got the balls to do it. Instead I guess we get another 30 years of Wogan, Jonathan Ross etc. Not to mention endless food and cookery, makeover shows and those damn programmes following round trawlermen, lifeguards, traffic cops etc etc. What next? Toliet attendants? Our broadcasting is capable of being world class but has dumbed down to a significant degree.

Jazz FM has just relaunched in the UK and it looks like we're back to the same old same old. Lunchtime, they've just played Nutbush City Limits by Ike and Tina Turner, shortly followed by Maxwell. Nothing wrong with the tracks but it sure as hell isn't jazz.

Unfortunately for us in the rural outposts its very much present! When I moved to Cornwall I should have called my house Dunshopping!

On normal IKEA/MFI type bookcases Jazzjet (bet you can get them at Trago Mills!!!!!). By using the occasional clear jewelcase with a label on the spine as a marker ('Ellington 40s', 'Hard Bop Trumpet' etc) I can find what I need. Thanks for that. Sounds like a good idea. BTW, I hate Trago Mills!!!

Also, don't forget that all the basic software you need comes pre-installed and is fully integrated ( iLife - iPhoto, Garageband, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD etc ). So this helps with the cost equation.

Bev, As a matter of interest, how do you store the plastic sleeves. On shelves, in drawers etc? I'm thinking about doing something similar but unsure how easy it would be to find a particular CD.

What's wrong with a basic MacBook? The strong rumour is that Apple are relaunching - and reducing in price - the MacBook so it might be worth waiting a while.