Jazz
I've once again fallen down the Jazz rabbit-hole. Fallen down hard. This latest binge started around RSD a few weeks ago. I don't go anymore like I used to, I don't like braving the crowds and standing in line and all that. Plus, you've got what I call "flippers" out there. Much like a house flipper, they buy something and flip it for cash. They could give a fuck about the record, only driving up the price. So, something that should be $30 can end up being literally in the thousands, but, more on that later.
Let me stop here and get a few things straight. I love Jazz. For me it started with Coltrane in college. I heard jazz before that, but...I didn't hear it. I asked a punk friend at the time to recommend some records and apart from all the usual punk or punk influenced records, he mentioned Coltrane. I was surprised. Then I heard My Favorite Things. I was done. After that it's all Long Tail theory. Who was that playing with Coltrane on Piano? McCoy Tyner? Then I'm looking for everything Tyner did. And that takes me to this other record where...and it keeps going like that, link after link, until I look at my record collection and I've got I don't know how many.
(Music is part of my work in a small way and we'll play some jazz and when the job is over we'll ask for feedback. Every once and a while someone will say "Never play Jazz again. I hate Jazz!" And I think...you poor soulless motherfucker...)
I love vinyl. I love records. Could I just go to YouTube and get it all for free? Yep. And a lot of times I do. CDs? Got a bunch of those. But I love the ritual of things, especially records. The jacket art and notes, the way they need to be handled, the gear you need to get to play them, I love it all. There's some theory that goes with a little money and time you can get to about 90% "perfect." Then you start chasing that last 10%. And each tiny bit you try for that little bit closer to 100%, the more it costs. A $65 record needle? Yeah, that's ok, but is the $165 a one better? Better speakers, with better speaker wire, with a better needle will give you an exponentially better sound and/or experience. (Least, in theory.) Which is totally subjective and down to the specific listener. Some love the bass, some (like me) want a "pure" sound, as it was recorded. You start noticing who recorded or engineered a record. (Rudy Van Gelder having been a GOD among men.) Little things start making a big difference.
Along with RSD, what really got me going again this time was this Instagram account I've been following (...stalking...). First off, his set-up is AMAZING! Everything about it. Then I started reading his column.
So, a few weeks ago, before RSD I went with a friend to one of my favorite record stores, Dave's. That was the first big "drop" I did. I picked up the following:
Another thing I love about collecting records is the hunt. Having a list and trying to find that Moby Dick. I have a list, and every time I'm in a record store I'll start looking for the rare stuff, then the not so rare, etc.
(A digression: Eric Pye has a story about a visit to Japan and a Jazz Kissa there. The amazing finds he found. I had a similar experience when I was in Japan. That Bird & Diz record is one I first heard there. And that's another thing I love about all this, the stories.)
Then, just after RSD I went out to see what I could find, see what was left:
One part of collecting for me are the various, and often crazy, editions there are. From the original pressing from the 60's to a RSD reissue they only made 200 copies of. They only made 4400 copies of that Monk record, and it's a special mix of the concert, all of which makes that a fun, unique, kinda rare record to have. As for the Tyner, I'm on a mission to collect as many records he's been on as I can. Might be my favorite piano player. It's one of those deals where, if I see he's on the record it's almost an automatic buy. It's going to be good if only cuz he's on it!
Speaking of rare, that brings me back again to Eric Pye. He mentioned two titles lately that interested me:
Both of these are way, way out of print, so I had to go to YouTube for digital copies. Both I heard about from Eric Pye's Instagram. I guess the Kenny Dorham is a holy grail unicorn record. They only printed 2000 worldwide or something crazy for RSD. Obviously, I didn't get one, but I'd sure like one! (And to double back on something I said at the start, I agree with Pye, "Maybe set a limit for how “limited” a release can be, and ensure that distribution is a bit fairer so customers everywhere feel they have a fair shot at getting what they want." He's talking about the Dorham record there, but the case can be made for others.) The Sardaby record he called a "Top 5 desert island disk." All I need to know to check it out. And he was right, it's really good!
The fourth and final drop I've done recently, three Blue Note reissues:
So, as previously mentioned, you're chasing that 10%, right? Well, when a really good reissue comes out, it's worth searching it out before it's gone. Blue Note is currently reissuing most or all of their catalog in really, really nice editions. And once I start looking at records a few weeks ago, I started seeing these pop up. Soul Station was one that really interested me. Kinda rare, and it's got Wynton Kelly (second only to Tyner on piano for me), Paul Chambers, and the great Art Blakey on drums. BUT, in reading reviews I found the pressing might be bad. But if you could find a good copy someplace it was worth getting. I found another of my favorite record stores nearby had a copy so I rolled the dice and YES, it turned out to be a great copy and well worth picking up. While I was there I got the Joe Henderson. I mean, Tyner is on it, as is Kenny Dorham! See? See how it works? Right down that rabbit-hole... Now, you can go right off the deep end. I usually stay to the $20 price point. But there are labels that cater to the reissue fanatic. The insane audiophile out there. A label like Music Matters, selling reissues for $100 or more new. My gear and ear aren't that sophisticated. Not to mention my wallet being that big! ...But I wish they were!!! LOL Oh, that chase for the 10%...
The Pete La Roca came via Amazon. (Always a risk as they don't always ship in a sturdy cardboard box and it's been known to arrive all fucked up. But again, this is something that I love about records, you just don't know what you're going to get until you drop the needle, but when you do, and it's good, it's...bliss...) Interesting story about that La Roca record, from the Wikipedia entry about the record: "Bassist Steve Swallow recounted that he and La Roca had taken LSD prior to traveling to recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio for the session. He also said that Van Gelder threatened to end the session after pianist Steve Kuhn started manually plucking the piano strings." LOL Yeah, I want that record! Apart from that, "Lazy Afternoon" is just...
...Yeah!
Another thing from Pye, something he likes to do, he'll drop the needle on a record, on his main set-up, turn the lights low, and have a listening session. Give the record his full attention. I've started doing this too. It's meditative and I'm hearing things that a causal play in the background while I'm working just doesn't give me. I start to hear a solo I never heard, a phrase or a part that got lost before. So, that's what I'm going to do now. I'm going to fix a drink, put the Pete La Roca record on, take a seat across from my AE speakers and let my REGA play some Jazz the way it was meant to be heard...
P.S. For the record (pun intended) the greatest record ever made, period, is Kind of Blue. It is a perfect work of art that will last for all of time. If you were only going to own one Jazz record, it should be this one.
P.P.S. I'm also like this with movies.
Let me stop here and get a few things straight. I love Jazz. For me it started with Coltrane in college. I heard jazz before that, but...I didn't hear it. I asked a punk friend at the time to recommend some records and apart from all the usual punk or punk influenced records, he mentioned Coltrane. I was surprised. Then I heard My Favorite Things. I was done. After that it's all Long Tail theory. Who was that playing with Coltrane on Piano? McCoy Tyner? Then I'm looking for everything Tyner did. And that takes me to this other record where...and it keeps going like that, link after link, until I look at my record collection and I've got I don't know how many.
(Music is part of my work in a small way and we'll play some jazz and when the job is over we'll ask for feedback. Every once and a while someone will say "Never play Jazz again. I hate Jazz!" And I think...you poor soulless motherfucker...)
I love vinyl. I love records. Could I just go to YouTube and get it all for free? Yep. And a lot of times I do. CDs? Got a bunch of those. But I love the ritual of things, especially records. The jacket art and notes, the way they need to be handled, the gear you need to get to play them, I love it all. There's some theory that goes with a little money and time you can get to about 90% "perfect." Then you start chasing that last 10%. And each tiny bit you try for that little bit closer to 100%, the more it costs. A $65 record needle? Yeah, that's ok, but is the $165 a one better? Better speakers, with better speaker wire, with a better needle will give you an exponentially better sound and/or experience. (Least, in theory.) Which is totally subjective and down to the specific listener. Some love the bass, some (like me) want a "pure" sound, as it was recorded. You start noticing who recorded or engineered a record. (Rudy Van Gelder having been a GOD among men.) Little things start making a big difference.
Along with RSD, what really got me going again this time was this Instagram account I've been following (...stalking...). First off, his set-up is AMAZING! Everything about it. Then I started reading his column.
So, a few weeks ago, before RSD I went with a friend to one of my favorite record stores, Dave's. That was the first big "drop" I did. I picked up the following:
Another thing I love about collecting records is the hunt. Having a list and trying to find that Moby Dick. I have a list, and every time I'm in a record store I'll start looking for the rare stuff, then the not so rare, etc.
(A digression: Eric Pye has a story about a visit to Japan and a Jazz Kissa there. The amazing finds he found. I had a similar experience when I was in Japan. That Bird & Diz record is one I first heard there. And that's another thing I love about all this, the stories.)
Then, just after RSD I went out to see what I could find, see what was left:
One part of collecting for me are the various, and often crazy, editions there are. From the original pressing from the 60's to a RSD reissue they only made 200 copies of. They only made 4400 copies of that Monk record, and it's a special mix of the concert, all of which makes that a fun, unique, kinda rare record to have. As for the Tyner, I'm on a mission to collect as many records he's been on as I can. Might be my favorite piano player. It's one of those deals where, if I see he's on the record it's almost an automatic buy. It's going to be good if only cuz he's on it!
Speaking of rare, that brings me back again to Eric Pye. He mentioned two titles lately that interested me:
Both of these are way, way out of print, so I had to go to YouTube for digital copies. Both I heard about from Eric Pye's Instagram. I guess the Kenny Dorham is a holy grail unicorn record. They only printed 2000 worldwide or something crazy for RSD. Obviously, I didn't get one, but I'd sure like one! (And to double back on something I said at the start, I agree with Pye, "Maybe set a limit for how “limited” a release can be, and ensure that distribution is a bit fairer so customers everywhere feel they have a fair shot at getting what they want." He's talking about the Dorham record there, but the case can be made for others.) The Sardaby record he called a "Top 5 desert island disk." All I need to know to check it out. And he was right, it's really good!
The fourth and final drop I've done recently, three Blue Note reissues:
So, as previously mentioned, you're chasing that 10%, right? Well, when a really good reissue comes out, it's worth searching it out before it's gone. Blue Note is currently reissuing most or all of their catalog in really, really nice editions. And once I start looking at records a few weeks ago, I started seeing these pop up. Soul Station was one that really interested me. Kinda rare, and it's got Wynton Kelly (second only to Tyner on piano for me), Paul Chambers, and the great Art Blakey on drums. BUT, in reading reviews I found the pressing might be bad. But if you could find a good copy someplace it was worth getting. I found another of my favorite record stores nearby had a copy so I rolled the dice and YES, it turned out to be a great copy and well worth picking up. While I was there I got the Joe Henderson. I mean, Tyner is on it, as is Kenny Dorham! See? See how it works? Right down that rabbit-hole... Now, you can go right off the deep end. I usually stay to the $20 price point. But there are labels that cater to the reissue fanatic. The insane audiophile out there. A label like Music Matters, selling reissues for $100 or more new. My gear and ear aren't that sophisticated. Not to mention my wallet being that big! ...But I wish they were!!! LOL Oh, that chase for the 10%...
The Pete La Roca came via Amazon. (Always a risk as they don't always ship in a sturdy cardboard box and it's been known to arrive all fucked up. But again, this is something that I love about records, you just don't know what you're going to get until you drop the needle, but when you do, and it's good, it's...bliss...) Interesting story about that La Roca record, from the Wikipedia entry about the record: "Bassist Steve Swallow recounted that he and La Roca had taken LSD prior to traveling to recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio for the session. He also said that Van Gelder threatened to end the session after pianist Steve Kuhn started manually plucking the piano strings." LOL Yeah, I want that record! Apart from that, "Lazy Afternoon" is just...
Click to view...Yeah!
Another thing from Pye, something he likes to do, he'll drop the needle on a record, on his main set-up, turn the lights low, and have a listening session. Give the record his full attention. I've started doing this too. It's meditative and I'm hearing things that a causal play in the background while I'm working just doesn't give me. I start to hear a solo I never heard, a phrase or a part that got lost before. So, that's what I'm going to do now. I'm going to fix a drink, put the Pete La Roca record on, take a seat across from my AE speakers and let my REGA play some Jazz the way it was meant to be heard...
P.S. For the record (pun intended) the greatest record ever made, period, is Kind of Blue. It is a perfect work of art that will last for all of time. If you were only going to own one Jazz record, it should be this one.
P.P.S. I'm also like this with movies.