Delayed Gratification

[Peter]

I don't know about the rest of you jazz fiends out there, but here in good old Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA it is almost impossible for me to walk in to a record store and buy the recordings I want. I've got to buy everything mail order. This means no browsing the record racks for new discoveries, no impulse purchases, etc. Also delayed gratification. I've got to wait 1-2 weeks. And of course mail order means credit cards which means my wife can easily keep track of how much I spent on CDs, causing some marital discord. Bummer.

[undergroundagent]

Ahh, the life in the mid-west...time to move, brother!!!

[Rooster_Ties]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I was in St. Louis last weekend - and stopped into Euclid Records (which is a sort of mini Jazz Record Mart - except Euclid also has great Rock and Soul/Funk sections, and a not-half-bad Classical section (at least for used Classical, I don't think they have much new Classical). I could have easily blown $200 in there without even trying.

Here in Kansas City, there really isn't anything even remotely similar. I guess maybe the closest thing is maybe Music Exchange, or maybe Recycled Sounds -- but neither one can even hold a candle to Euclid.

Plus, in St. Louis, there's also Vintage Vinyl, which has a TON of CD's. Their jazz CD selection is pretty good (though not as good as Euclid's), but their Rock/Pop/Alternative music section is fantastic (especially for promos and used CD's).

Again, nothing even close in Kansas City.

I hear ya, Peter, totally.

Edited March 16, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

You know, when I just want to brouse for music anymore, I usually hit eBay or half.com. They're not perfect, but it's closer to the experience I'm looking for, than anything here in Kansas City. Often you find bargains (or auctions that could be bargains, if the bidding stays low), and you can often find sound-samples of the discs on Amazon's or Barnes & Noble's or Tower's websites. It's not the same, but it's at least in the ballpark.

Doesn't get around the credit card thing, though. Dang!!

[JohnS]

Peter, it's the same in practically every town in the UK. Jazz racks are getting smaller and smaller. And where there are a few jazz discs they are usually MOR or easy listening.

[Peter]

Exclusive Company is a Southern Wisconsin chain that sells at a pretty good discount. A nearby store of theirs used to be managed by a guy named Eric Musial. Eric was a jazz nut and enjoyed "free" jazz. He stocked a great jazz selection. Then one day I walked in and there was a new manager and help. I could hear their comments amongest themselves ridiculing Eric's large inventory of jazz titles they felt would never sell. Needless to say, the store has never been the same. I used to get to B Side Records in Madison several times a year. B Side had a small but "choice" selection of jazz. Unfortunately, their small selection has gotten even smaller in the last year or so. Not really worth stopping by anymore. Oh well.

[alejo]

This is just another good reason to take more trips to Chicago and Madison.

You think finding jazz recordings in Milwaukee is difficult try finding anything besides Wynton M or Kenny G in Oshkosh, WI. When I visited Milwaukee last year I also had a hard time finding decent CD/LP stores that carried jazz titles. Isn’t there a store near the Oriental that has a pretty good jazz LP selection?

Have you been to Mad City Music on Williamson in Madsion? They used to have some good finds. There is also an okay CD shop on Monroe St. again in Madison, about six blocks south of Regent. There is also another cool little shop on the 700 block of E. Johnson next to the Caribou Tavern. Last time I was there I found some gems on the Eremite label and Mulgrew Miller’s The Countdown on LP.

[Jazzmoose]

It's the "delayed" part that gets to me. I get a hankerin' for some new tunes, so I check out a few threads here, scan the lists at Jazzmatazz, etc., and order a few CDs. Okay, great...but they ain't here yet! The monkey has not been fed, so a day or two later I find myself doing the same thing. Then after a few more days, they start coming in and of course by that time, I'm in the mood for swing rather than free...you can't win!

[Peter]

Jazzmoose has perfectly explained my feelings on the matter. Alejo, I'm going to check out your Madison recommendations. Today I found myself with a spare twenty in my pocket and the itch. Knowing a trip to a local store would be a waste of time, I mailed $15 cash to Chuck Nessa for the new Marsh. My grandpa always sent cash in the mail. Course he's been dead a long time now. We'll see if USPS grabs it or it gets to Chuck. I'm betting on the latter.

[wesbed]

I've enjoyed the Delayed Gratification process when in the right mood. Sometimes the anticipation and expectation is more fun than the actual receipt of the physical item. Like, when I ordered the Duke Pearson Select.

Edited March 16, 2004 by wesbed

[Rooster_Ties]

The problem with having to order everything on-line, is that you rarely stumble on things that you otherwise weren't looking for.

Heck, probably 1/3rd of my entire CD collection is made up of discs (new and used) that I stumbled on in stores, and half of those (fully 1/6th of my collection) are discs I would have never ordered.

[Peter]

I've not heard the Duke Pearson. It sounds like you were disappointed with it. And, again, Jazzmoose hits the nail on the head.

[chris olivarez]

I had good luck shopping last weekend in Fort Collins and Broomfield but generally when I back in little old Pagosa it's online city.

[catesta]

The Tower closest to my house just downsized the jazz section, it used to be in a room all by itself, now it's in the general population, so I find myself ordering more and more online.

The Tower up in the north part of town still has a decent selection, but I suspect they will downsize sooner or later.

I love nothing more than finding something totally unexpected and being able to listen to it right now. I fear those days are numbered.

Edited March 17, 2004 by catesta

[patricia]

Exclusive Company is a Southern Wisconsin chain that sells at a pretty good discount.  A nearby store of theirs used to be managed by a guy named Eric Musial.  Eric was a jazz nut and enjoyed "free" jazz.  He stocked a great jazz selection.  Then one day I walked in and there was a new manager and help.  I could hear their comments amongest themselves ridiculing Eric's large inventory of jazz titles they felt would never sell.  Needless to say, the store has never been the same.  I used to get to B Side Records in Madison several times a year.  B Side had a small but "choice" selection of jazz.    Unfortunately, their small selection has gotten even smaller in the last year or so.  Not really worth stopping by anymore.  Oh well.

Peter, my little love, don't ever underestimate the power of one voice [yours].

You didn't say whether you, standing right there, listening to the heretics mock the jazz section, said anything.

If we don't speak up, we will be stuck with whatever the ifidel wants to stock. Oddly enough, retailers listen to their customers. Had you voiced your opposition to their intended stock-plans, it might have made a difference. Surely you're not the only jazz nut in town???

I weep for you. Really.

After all, what are the chances that any of us could have been "on the ground floor", as you were and possibly changed their minds, or at least made them realize that WE buy tons of music, IF IT'S THERE? They are in the business of selling music and we, as jazz-fans, have folding currency, just burning a hole in our pockets. Missed opportunity, my dear. Maybe not too late to do something, but if they are as ignorant as you say, maybe it is. Perhaps you could pitch the idea anyway, next time you're in the neighbourhood. Nothing to lose.

Edited March 17, 2004 by patricia

[J Larsen]

The cd stores here are great. But the rents are so high that walking into one is equivilent to financial suicide.

[patricia]

Exclusive Company is a Southern Wisconsin chain that sells at a pretty good discount.  A nearby store of theirs used to be managed by a guy named Eric Musial.  Eric was a jazz nut and enjoyed "free" jazz.  He stocked a great jazz selection.  Then one day I walked in and there was a new manager and help.  I could hear their comments amongest themselves ridiculing Eric's large inventory of jazz titles they felt would never sell.  Needless to say, the store has never been the same.   I used to get to B Side Records in Madison several times a year.  B Side had a small but "choice" selection of jazz.    Unfortunately, their small selection has gotten even smaller in the last year or so.  Not really worth stopping by anymore.  Oh well.

Peter, my little love, don't ever underestimate the power of one voice [yours].

You didn't say whether you, standing right there, listening to the heretics mock the jazz section, said anything.

If we don't speak up, we will be stuck with whatever the ifidel wants to stock. Oddly enough, retailers listen to their customers. Had you voiced your opposition to their intended stock-plans, it might have made a difference. Surely you're not the only jazz nut in town???

I weep for you. Really.

After all, what are the chances that any of us could have been "on the ground floor", as you were and possibly changed their minds, or at least made them realize that WE buy tons of music, IF IT'S THERE? They are in the business of selling music and we, as jazz-fans, have folding currency, just burning a hole in our pockets. Missed opportunity, my dear. Maybe not too late to do something, but if they are as ignorant as you say, maybe it is. Perhaps you could pitch the idea anyway, next time you're in the neighbourhood. Nothing to lose.

I never "up" my own posts, but this was on the bottom of the first page and I wanted to be sure that Peter saw it.

[Peter]

Good point Patricia. I didn't say anything. I have, however, voted with my wallet.

[patricia]

Good point Patricia.  I didn't say anything.  I have, however, voted with my wallet.

Well, Peter, it would have been an idea to actually try to talk to the musically illiterate new curators about their decision to pass on music that a large part of the community, with bulging wallets actually likes enough to buy........in quantity.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but I suspect that they don't listen to much jazz.

Much like a dealer in any other merchandise, in any other retail business, in order to be successful, they should know who their clientele are. Clearly, there were people who bought jazz from the previous people. So they are shutting out a whole chunk of customers who used to buy jazz, when they had jazz

.

Perhaps you should, next time you're in the neighbourhood, drop by and make a powerhouse pitch on behalf of all of those prospective customers.

Just not going there anymore is like not voting. He probably doesn't care if YOU come in, but when he realizes that there are many more like you, he could be swung our way.

Do it. You'll be our hero. You'll be worshipped, by us, much as a God would be worshipped.

Edited March 20, 2004 by patricia

[Out2Lunch]

When I lived in Milwaukee in my college days, I used to spend some time at a record store called Radio Doctors, wonder if they still are around.

[Peter]

Radio Doctors has been gone for many years now. It is missed.

Patricia: I've been told that the world hears too much of my opinions so I try to curb myself in such situations. The results are mixed. So it goes.

[patricia]

Radio Doctors has been gone for many years now.  It is missed.

Patricia: I've been told that the world hears too much of my opinions so I try to curb myself in such situations.  The results are mixed.  So it goes.

Peter, I understand what you're saying. But, sometimes you just have to speak up.

I, believe it or not, am quite shy and don't like to make waves. But, something as important as whether OUR music has bin-space in a music store would at least have merited a short conversation with those who are in the business of stocking what their present and prospective customers want to buy.

There are millions of dollars spent, forcasting what the buying public wants.

It's called marketing. Every retailer tries to buy what will sell. And every store judges by what is left in the store at the any of their fiscal year, what they shoud be buying next year.

If, at your, and other jazz aficianadoes' urging, they bought jazz and marketed it, and it didn't sell, that would be a valid reason for not stocking it. If, however, the reason that jazz doesn't sell in their store is that they don't have any, then, there's your opening. Just a simple, "Could you show me your jazz section?" might be the impetus for them to justify the omission. Then your enthusiastic pitch may prompt them to, once again, a give our music some bin space. Where I live, it's pointy boot, big-hat central and even the stores with tons of C&W, Rock, R&B and Rap have a small jazz section.

So, as I say, I understand your reasoning, but just asking wouldn't cost anything and, who knows?

Edited March 20, 2004 by patricia