Dmitry Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/sto...p-9467127c.html Quote
jazzbo Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Hmmm. . . . they are closing the Tower Austin in June. . . . Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Hmmm. . . . they are closing the Tower Austin in June. . . . Never thought all that much of the one in Austin. I was there a few times in 1995, and again in 1999, on business trips. That Austin Tower was less than half as big as the main Tower in Chicago, and while the jazz selection was certainly much better than anything here in Kansas City, it still wasn't anything to get all that excited about. I only remember seeing a handful of import titles, or smaller label CD's. Nothing I got all that excited about at the time, if I'm remembering right. Quote
jazzbo Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 How nice of you to denigrate the work of one of my best friends! Well, NO store in Austin can be as big as one in Chicago. I agree it's not the best store on the planet, but in my opinion it's the best jazz store in Austin (there are lots of fans of Waterloo, but I've never been that impressed jazzwise with Waterloo and I find it a pain to shop at and too many "hipper than thous" go there). Anyway, yeah, starting about the time you first visited there Tower began handcuffing the ordering capabilities for the buyers (especially re: imports) and began shrinking the jazz floor and isolating it "upstairs" which was good and bad). But I hate to see it go: it is right smack dab in the middle of my bus route to and from work, and it is one block from my wife's office at the University, and it employed one of my best friends for nearly fifteen years! Quote
JSngry Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 I was shopped at the Austin Tower before the cuffing began, and let me tell you - it was freakin' GREAT! Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Sorry, didn't mean to rag on it so badly. AND, I should also say that I was none too impressed with the Tower in Chicago either, last time I was there (around 1999 or 2000). It was still pretty big, but what that had that was actually "interesting" was not much. Nah, what I'm comparing things to are all the Towers I went in between 1988 and 1992 or 93. New Orleans, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, probably a couple more I'm forgetting. THEM were the days!!! Quote
BERIGAN Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 From the article.... Tower says 90 of its 93 stores make money. Sorry to see your store closing Lon....more fun to browse in a store than online... Quote
jazzbo Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Yeah, and having a friend there to show you one sheets and advances etc. sure is nice too! Quote
BERIGAN Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Sorry, didn't mean to rag on it so badly. AND, I should also say that I was none too impressed with the Tower in Chicago either, last time I was there (around 1999 or 2000). It was still pretty big, but what that had that was actually "interesting" was not much. Nah, what I'm comparing things to are all the Towers I went in between 1988 and 1992 or 93. New Orleans, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, probably a couple more I'm forgetting. THEM were the days!!! One of the best things about going to LA was to hit EVERY Tower....damn, the stuff I wouldl leave behind at the outlet store... Quote
catesta Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Sorry to see your store closing Lon....more fun to browse in a store than online... You got that right. I can spend hours at the Tower in north Scottsdale. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 It would be a damn shame to lose Tower. While the closest one here (Mountain View, California) may not have the most adventurous selection of jazz, it does have a lot. I can still find plenty there to spend my cash on, but admittedly my collection isn't as advanced as many here. And what really bothers me is this: If Tower disappears, where does the newbie jazz fan going to go? There's no way in hell I would have just started ordering blindly over the net to get to the point I'm at today. Tower was perfect back when I needed more Miles, Coltrane, etc., and was wondering who these Mobley and Morgan guys were. If Tower disappears, well, that's just another nail in the coffin as far as I see it... Quote
Tjazz Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 One of the best things about going to LA was to hit EVERY Tower....damn, the stuff I wouldl leave behind at the outlet store... That LA outlet store is long gone. I use to go there every week. Quote
garthsj Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Tower? Tower? You have a Tower? We only dream of having a Tower... (with apologies to Monty Python) Garth, Houston. Quote
Tjazz Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 I still have some Tower credit, so they better stay in business for awhile. (good place to exchange my New/sealed CDs too) Quote
jazzbo Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Yes, those were the days Brian, where you could live as a poor person in Austin. Now gone. . . . I used to love this town. I still like it. . . but the love is gone. Quote
Aggie87 Posted March 19, 2004 Report Posted March 19, 2004 Tower? Tower? You have a Tower? We only dream of having a Tower... (with apologies to Monty Python) Garth, Houston. Hey Garth - Can you point me towards some good jazz stores in Houston? I was there this past week, but the only place I checked out was one of the Soundwaves stores (the one on Montrose). Fairly good selection of new and used, I thought (though compared to Corpus Christi, your Wal-Marts probably have a better jazz selection). Thanks, Erik Quote
BERIGAN Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 One of the best things about going to LA was to hit EVERY Tower....damn, the stuff I wouldl leave behind at the outlet store... That LA outlet store is long gone. I use to go there every week. Damn! I guess it was 98-99 when I was last there....time flies.... Quote
chris olivarez Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 Moose when I was in San Francisco I used to go to a Tower that was fairly close to the Westin St. Francis-what about that one? Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 To be honest, I haven't been in San Francisco in about eight years; I'm turning into an old stick in the mud... Quote
JSngry Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 The Austin Tower was my first exposure to grey-market CDs, early 90s, immediately after shaking hands with Demon Digital. Talk about opening a Pandora's Box... Quote
chris olivarez Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 Now don't be a recluse Moose check it out sometime. I remember it as a pretty good Tower but it might have declined some like some of the others mentioned here. Quote
garthsj Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 Tower? Tower? You have a Tower? We only dream of having a Tower... (with apologies to Monty Python) Garth, Houston. Hey Garth - Can you point me towards some good jazz stores in Houston? I was there this past week, but the only place I checked out was one of the Soundwaves stores (the one on Montrose). Fairly good selection of new and used, I thought (though compared to Corpus Christi, your Wal-Marts probably have a better jazz selection). Thanks, Erik Erik, First let me confess that I buy ALL of my CDs from stores on the internet .. that should tell you something about the state of record shops in Houston. But, if browsing is your thing (and we all need to do that on occasion) then you should try the two Border's stores; one is on the 610 Loop south, the other is at Westheimer and Gessner. They usually have a very good selection, and bins of cut-outs. The Sound Exchange on Alabama in Montrose sometimes has some interesting used items. You have already discovered the Soundwave store, which also has good used items. A really good place is Alrecords on West Gray just east of Shepherd; Fred Alred who owns the store is a good man, however, being in River Oaks area he gets full price for his stuff, but he has an excellent selection. However, I have found over the years it is just easier to find what I want by going online. I hope that helps ... we need a Tower, which for years was rumored to be coming to Houston ... but there is no chance now. Garth. Quote
JSngry Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 FWIW, every time I visit Houston, I go to this used vinyl place that's upstairs in a kinda rickety house (the name & location escape me at the moment), and never, ever, leave empty-handed. Quote
garthsj Posted March 20, 2004 Report Posted March 20, 2004 FWIW, every time I visit Houston, I go to this used vinyl place that's upstairs in a kinda rickety house (the name & location escape me at the moment), and never, ever, leave empty-handed. I wish that you could remember the name or location as I would like to visit it myself. Unless it is The Sound Exchange, which is in a rickety old house,on Alabama, but on the ground floor. You do have to climb steps to the porch, of course. Garth. Quote
BruceH Posted March 22, 2004 Report Posted March 22, 2004 Nah, what I'm comparing things to are all the Towers I went in between 1988 and 1992 or 93. New Orleans, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, probably a couple more I'm forgetting. THEM were the days!!! You got that right! Back then, the Boston Tower ruled. Between that and Stereo Jacks in Cambridge, jazz browsers pretty much had it made. Ah, the good ol' days. Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.