Amsterdam trip

[Quasimado]

Beer, of course, isn't part of strict vegetarian diet, so I miss out on that pleasure...

How come? Beer contains animal products?

Q

[BeBop]

So far, I'm enjoying Amsterdam. Working too much, but, if it wasn't for waork, I wouldn't be here at all.

Concerts haven't worked out so far. I'd made reservations for Joanna MacGregor/Eric Vloeimans at Bimhuis on the 20th, but my plane got in late. Otherwise, the clubs have been closed for the holidays or have featured vocalists. Makes little difference as I've worked every evening. My only breaks have been lunch hours, since my coworkers are adamant about lunch hour, mainly for shopping. So each day, I run off to a record store or two, just to see "what's up" - since there is absolutley no chance I will buy anything.

Concerto wasn't my thing. The new selection was dominated by those "seven albums on four CDs", Lonehills, Andorrans and other things I find not-quite-right. (I do know I'm in the EU now, not the US). I was there about a minute and left - never noticed any second-hand stock.

My next stop was Record Friends, which had a bunch of Jazum LPs (my old friend William Love) and other LPs of dubious parentage. If I found the Ajax/Ajazz/Joyce/Boris Rose LPs "cool" and the Andorran CDs "offensive", I suppose my hypocricy is showing. Quite a few old Blue Note LPs and some other stuff you don't see in the US often: original Tubby Hayes, Barney Wilen, Joe Harriott LPs, for instance. Really no CDs in this store.

Rare Records on Wetteringschans was mildly interesting. A few interesting LPs that were "shelved", plus lots in boxes, seemingly unsorted. No CDs here either.

Distortion on Westerstraat was just heaps of unsorted, unorganized LPs.

Fame is a mall store. They give an address of "Fame Plaza", but it's really just the top floor of a mall. Mainly CDs, other than a little alcove with LPs. Absolutely "usual" stuff - Blue Note, OJC - with a smattering of the knock-offs.

Discostars on Haarlemmerplein was LPs and CDs with a decent mix of legit and less-so. Again, lots of those old big band "from broadcast" LPs. Hard to pass up the Clifford Brown sings and plays piano CD (RLR)...but I did.

Rush Hour on Spuistraat is small and apparently specializes non-pop edgier material. I saw a few interesting things toward the fringes of jazz (avant, jazz/world blend).

I went by the Velvet Music location in Amsterdam (Rozengracht) twice. They weren't open during "opening hours". It looked pretty pop-oriented, but who knows.

A few sources show a place "Outland" on Zeedjik. It may have been a music shop at some point, but it's a toy store now.

Made Christmas dinner reservations - despite my aversion to restaurants - to keep myself amused that day. Otherwise, just lots of walking around for that day off. Cold. wet walking around.

[BeBop]

Beer, of course, isn't part of strict vegetarian diet, so I miss out on that pleasure...

How come? Beer contains animal products?

Q

There are beers suitable for strict vegetarians, including Budweiser. Some strict vegetarians don't consume yeast, but the more common hangup is the "finings" used in beer production, to settle the yeast.

- gelatin (made from bones and connective tissues)

- isinglass (from the swim bladders of fish)

- casein (derived from milk)

- chitosan (made from crustaceans)

- egg albumen

And some beers have honey.

[erwbol]

Concerto wasn't my thing. The new selection was dominated by those "seven albums on four CDs", Lonehills, Andorrans and other things I find not-quite-right. (I do know I'm in the EU now, not the US). I was there about a minute and left - never noticed any second-hand stock.

Concerto consists of four or five interconnected buildings. Second hand is at the far left.

I agree about the omnipresence of EU PD releases. It's one of the reasons I no longer go to Amsterdam specifically to browse their bins. It's also the reason I hardly ever support them anymore by placing online orders. They can go out of business for all I care, really.

This means you're basically not going to find any Dutch jazz CD store agreeable, except for the Jazz Center in The Hague.

[J.A.W.]

Concerto wasn't my thing. The new selection was dominated by those "seven albums on four CDs", Lonehills, Andorrans and other things I find not-quite-right. (I do know I'm in the EU now, not the US). I was there about a minute and left - never noticed any second-hand stock.

Concerto consists of four or five interconnected buildings. Second hand is at the far left.

I agree about the omnipresence of EU PD releases. It's one of the reasons I no longer go to Amsterdam specifically to browse their bins. It's also the reason I hardly ever support them anymore by placing online orders. They can go out of business for all I care, really.

This means you're basically not going to find any Dutch jazz CD store agreeable, except for the Jazz Center in The Hague.

...and they are expensive - at least they were when I last ordered from them years ago, before board member Bluerein took over from its former owner.

[erwbol]

Concerto wasn't my thing. The new selection was dominated by those "seven albums on four CDs", Lonehills, Andorrans and other things I find not-quite-right. (I do know I'm in the EU now, not the US). I was there about a minute and left - never noticed any second-hand stock.

Concerto consists of four or five interconnected buildings. Second hand is at the far left.

I agree about the omnipresence of EU PD releases. It's one of the reasons I no longer go to Amsterdam specifically to browse their bins. It's also the reason I hardly ever support them anymore by placing online orders. They can go out of business for all I care, really.

This means you're basically not going to find any Dutch jazz CD store agreeable, except for the Jazz Center in The Hague.

...and they are expensive - at least they were when I last ordered from them years ago, before board member Bluerein took over from its former owner.

I did not know the Jazz Center did online orders. My negative comments pertained to Concerto.

The Jazz Center in the Hague was expensive under its former owner. Still, I have a bit of a soft spot for that store, despite the former owner being a cranky old fart. The man was a bit difficult and apparently full of contempt for as he once put it these people driving up to his store in their fat BMWs and Mercedes. For sincere music fans only.

[page]

Sorry to hear the jazz isn't working out. A real pity you missed Eric Vloeimans. Tonight there was a concert of The New Cool Collective in De Melkweg.

If you like Blues, tomorrow in this location called Bourbon Street: http://www.bourbonstreet.nl/events/LAMAR_CHASE--1537.html in the Leidsekruisstraat. I've never been there.

On friday there is a live radio broadcast "Mijke's middag" in a theatre called "MC theatre"'(at the Westerpark near the North Sea Jazz Club), guests a.o. are Rob Mostert and Loet van der Lee. Free entrance, start at 16:00. http://www.mconline.nl/mconline/index.xql?id=/mc/agenda/27-12-2013
Friday night there is Onno Govaert in the Bimhuis. http://bimhuis.com/gigs/carte-blanche-onno-govaert
If you are still there on sunday, Yuri Honig is in Paradiso http://www.paradiso.nl/web/Agenda-Item/Yuri-Honing-Winterreise-7.htm

A pity you don't like vocals, you would have more options. I hope you'll have a lovely Christmas there.

Btw I lmost solely look at the secondhand jazz section in Concerto, like was said it's on the left.

Edited December 23, 2013 by page

[BeBop]

Sorry to hear the jazz isn't working out. A real pity you missed Eric Vloeimans. Tonight there was a concert of The New Cool Collective in De Melkweg.

If you like Blues, tomorrow in this location called Bourbon Street: http://www.bourbonstreet.nl/events/LAMAR_CHASE--1537.html in the Leidsekruisstraat. I've never been there.

Great tip! Lamar Chase is from my hometown, Oakland, CA.

"This veteran from Oakland, CA has been a fan favorite for over twenty years. Lamar Chase is well known by every blues lover in Amsterdam. No matter what he plays, or who he plays with, he always rocks out like there’s no tomorrow.

"This blues veteran from Oakland, CA has been a fan favorite for over twenty years. Lamar Chase is well known by every blues lover in Amsterdam. No matter what he plays, or who he plays with, he always rocks out like there’s no tomorrow.

[BeBop]

Ending Amsterdam visit with good feelings about the place. My one day off a year (Christmas) is often spoiled by being somewhere where the whole city/country is shut down. Amsterdam is quite lively today, with only the big, international chains closed in the center of town. More broadly, my hotel treated me well (I spend 100+ nights a year with the company, but that doesn't assure anything), the coffee shop people were no problem (compare the people who go to Malta to drink) and AlbertHaijn kept me fed.

The Bourbon Street concert was good until I couldn't stay awake any longer, but a great suggestion!

One more, Christmas Eve trip to Concerto put me in the second-hand section, where I was delighted to find some recordings featuring actual Dutch musicians - not just reissues of big, American stars of the 40s, 50s, 60s.

In the end, I'm thinking about making Amsterdam my European stopover city for connections to Africa and former USSR. Brussels worked for a while, but wasn't a great place to be stopped-over. We'll see how my next few trips through Schipol go.

Thanks for all the hints and guidance.