Jazz Record/CD stores in NYC

[Bluerein]

Hello all,

I'm off to NYC again this friday. Besides the usual suspects (Tower, J&R, Jazz Record Center) what other stores do you recommend for jazz and classical cd's (not LP's). Thanks!

[clifford_thornton]

Downtown Music Gallery, on 4th and Bowery I think...

More 'progressive' stuff but a great selection of CDs that you won't find at those other places.

[clifford_thornton]

Academy CDs, in the West Village... (the original Academy location)

[Jazz Kat]

Virgin Megastore. I think there's one on Broadway. Im certain there's one in Times Square.

[brownie]

Academy Records

Always worth a visit for jazz and classical music!

[7/4]

Virgin Megastore. I think there's one on Broadway. Im certain there's one in Times Square.

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Very expensive.

[Jazz Kat]

Man, I must of forgotten what the price ranges were. I used to go a lot, what were the prices?

I don't remember it being that expensive..

[7/4]

Man, I must of forgotten what the price ranges were. I used to go a lot, what were the prices?

I don't remember it being that expensive..

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When I'm paying more than $20 including tax for one CD, it's too expensive.

[kh1958]

An obnoxious store and inferior to Tower.

Virgin Megastore. I think there's one on Broadway. Im certain there's one in Times Square.

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Very expensive.

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[Brad]

I like Academy and Tower up by Lincoln Center. I don't like Virgin: the location, the prices, etc.

[sidewinder]

Hope to call in at Academy later today!

[marcello]

Jazz Record Center

236 West 26th St.

Room 804

New York, NY 10001

Phone: 212.675.4480

Fax: 212.675.4504

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Try Norman's Sound & Vision down in the East Village in the vicinity of the Village Voice (67 Cooper Square).....Norm runs the place.

[Jazz Kat]

An obnoxious store and inferior to Tower.

Virgin Megastore. I think there's one on Broadway. Im certain there's one in Times Square.

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Very expensive.

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Never went to Tower.. I'm assuming their jazz section is quite good?

[7/4]

Never went to Tower.. I'm assuming their jazz section is quite good?

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Used to be. The Jazz section is about half the size it was 10 years ago, but it's worth checking out.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Try Norman's Sound & Vision down in the East Village in the vicinity of the Village Voice (67 Cooper Square).....Norm runs the place.

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Norman's sells re-wrapped used CDs as new. You pay new prices and when you open them up, it's clearly a used CD with scratches and fingerprints all over the disc. Norman's also knowingly sells stolen goods. I got into a big argument with them when they were selling piles of sawcut Mosaic boxes that had been stolen from Mosaic. Also, one time my good buddy went in there and found Leo Parker's "Rolling With Leo". He went up to the front desk to check out and they refused to sell it to him saying it wasn't supposed to be on the floor... even though it was priced. I just don't like that place. I won't buy anything from them anymore.

However, right around the corner on St. Marks are a whole bunch of cool little shops, so it is worth the trip down to that area.

Kevin

[kh1958]

Compared to any store in Dallas, the Tower near Lincoln Center is still quite good.

Never went to Tower.. I'm assuming their jazz section is quite good?

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Used to be. The Jazz section is about half the size it was 10 years ago, but it's worth checking out.

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[7/4]

Compared to any store in Dallas, the Tower near Lincoln Center is still quite good.

I was talking about the the 4th St. store.

[Dig'Em]

None to add, but a few 'seconds':

Jazz Record Center - best for vinyl, but some fine CDs, especially in the sale racks.

Downtown Music Gallery - I wish everything was filed/shelved, but a great, great store, especially for AG/'downtown' scene.

J&R for the mor common stuff.

Don't think it's been mentioned, Other Music on E4th. Not a huge jazz collection, but some decent stuff, along with other ear-opening items.

Finally, just cruise St. Marks.

[Guest akanalog]

the st. marks stores don't have good jazz selections. rockit scientist is ok for a randon smattering of stuff and has a good enough jazz selection to make it worth a stop.

normans definitely does sell used as new-i have scratched my head about that before. but they also have random stuff you might not find anywhere else. it is worth a stop if you are over there.

the jazz section at other music isn't so good. neither is the jazz section at mondo kims. but i guess they are worth peeks.

downtown music gallery has some interesting stuff-even for someone like myself who doesn't care for anything done since 1980. they have some black saint and soul not stuff and those recent british jazz reissues our british friends are jizzing over on the aaj board.

j & r is underrated. good prices and good selection of common stuff. i guess tower is ok but j & r is better.

if you want LPs, check out academy records on i think 10th street off of 4th avenue. good selection and prices. the CD shop over on 18th and 5th is ok but i have noticed turnover has slowed down a great deal and there are generally a lot of weird smelly older men in there who will push by you rudely.

avoid virgin unless you are there anyway. you might find something random-like i know right now the union square one has "that's where it's at" japanese blue notes in.

if you take the L to williamsburg from union square, the music store down on bedford and north 3rd or something has a small but interesting jazz selection.

and there is an academy records satellite in williamsburg too with another good LP selection.

jazz record center is fine but the prices are no bargains on LPs and i like being able to listen before i buy which you can't do there.

[sidewinder]

Some good stuff in Academy today (first thing I saw was a Grachan Moncur 'Evolution' mono original for $20 - not mint but not bad at all) but my reaction in Jazz Record Center was . We have nothing in the UK that even compares with this. Scored two Tal Farlow mint Norgrans (incredible), a Japanese Mercury box with the Brownie EP, a Ken McIntyre United Artists 'Way Way Out' and a few other items such as Gerald Wilson's 'Eternal Equinox'. That place is unbelievable - the jazz equivalent of a candy store. You could lose a week or three in there.

Edited June 24, 2005 by sidewinder

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Norman's sells re-wrapped used CDs as new. You pay new prices and when you open them up, it's clearly a used CD with scratches and fingerprints all over the disc. Norman's also knowingly sells stolen goods. I got into a big argument with them when they were selling piles of sawcut Mosaic boxes that had been stolen from Mosaic.

Really? I bought a bunch in March and they were all new. Have picked up re-wraps w/fingerprints & scratches from Red Trumpet & Tower though. The thing about that place is that they're happy to crack open a disc and give it a quick spin for you which I thought was kinda neat. If you decide not to buy, they very well could pull a re-wrap. I dunno.

Say, um....when you're on a mission from Stamford, do you flash your Mosaic badge? Anyone ever pull a gun on ya?

[Dig'Em]

the st. marks stores don't have good jazz selections.

if you take the L to williamsburg from union square, the music store down on bedford and north 3rd or something has a small but interesting jazz selection.

and there is an academy records satellite in williamsburg too with another good LP selection.

jazz record center is fine but the prices are no bargains on LPs and i like being able to listen before i buy which you can't do there.

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I still find things along St. Marks and at Other Music from time to time. Agreed, not huge selections, but, particularly with respect to the latter, worthwhile.

Forgot about Williamsburg. Two fine places, one on either side of the subway (L) stop.

As for JRC, Mr. Cohen has been willing to pay things for me in the past, but generally only when significant, not his sale CDs or 'cheap' LPs.

Edited June 24, 2005 by Dig'Em

[chuckyd4]

Norman's sells re-wrapped used CDs as new. You pay new prices and when you open them up, it's clearly a used CD with scratches and fingerprints all over the disc. Norman's also knowingly sells stolen goods. I got into a big argument with them when they were selling piles of sawcut Mosaic boxes that had been stolen from Mosaic. Also, one time my good buddy went in there and found Leo Parker's "Rolling With Leo". He went up to the front desk to check out and they refused to sell it to him saying it wasn't supposed to be on the floor... even though it was priced. I just don't like that place. I won't buy anything from them anymore.

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The used CDs that you buy there new are indeed one's that have been opened for in-store play or to let a customer listen to them. All the stuff that comes in "used" - as in sold back by customers - goes in the used section (unwrapped). I'm not saying that's 100% right, but when I worked at Tower we did the same thing with the listening station CDs.

However, I could write an entire book about the illegal activity that goes on within Norman's. I have no desire to put somebody out of business by ratting on them, but I would suggest avoiding that store, and the selection and prices really isn't that great anyway. Suffice it to say that if you have a desire to support good business practices with your dollars, Norman's is not the place for you.

I did get the 2-disc "State of the Tenor" for 5 bucks when I was working there, though.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Jeez, with all this talk you guys have Reinier all 'worried' that Frank Serpico and a well armed strike force are gonna assault the place and take some folks down while he's perusing the Phil Woods mini-lps. It was the guys at the Tower in the east village that actually suggested the place to me and who said that's where they go to find items of interest that would never see the light of day in their visibly shrinking Tower jazz dept. That said, I've been amazed at the number of Venus discs that I've seen in at that one Tower location. They seem to be peddling alot more Fresh Sounds and Jasmine discs as well. Think I picked up that 'Fabulous Claude Williamson Trio' FS in there.