Comments on: Jazz Vinyl to Ring in 2019: Happy New Year

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:28:16 +0000

PeterA: yes, it was in The Hague. The shop was called v/h ‘Muziek-Smith’-den Haag. Adress Nieuwstraat 25. They had three affiliates, in the Nobelstraat, Denneweg and Laan van Meerdervoort. This is almost sixty years ago! Last time I went to the Nieuwstraat must have been late sixties. In the Nieuwstraat they had their jazz section. The backroom was there too. Ideal to spend a Saturday afternoon, without buying!

By: Peter A

Peter A — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 21:41:54 +0000

Great story, Rudolf, thank you for sharing!
Was the specialized record shop located in The Hague? Nowadays there are hardly any record shops left in The Hague (where I work). Amsterdam (where I live) still has many…

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 15:50:20 +0000

Peter A. The Riverside label in the ‘white’ period was not imported in Holland. I remember a small ad in a newspaper in the Hague around 1958, 1959, inviting people to get acquainted with the Riverside label during a presentation in a specialized record shop. All the hipsters were there, packed in a small backroom. Only two titles were available, ‘The Sound of Sonny’ 12-241 and Golson’s sextet album 12-256. Both blue labels of course. After this test, an official importer soon started national distribution of the label.

By: David J

David J — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 01:13:54 +0000

Quick note on the Monk: the first press has more of an orange hue on the lower left front photo, while the later press is more bright red.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 19:39:09 +0000

Good info on Riverside labels here: https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/record-labels-guide/6-riverside/riverside-labels-us/

By: Peter_A

Peter_A — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 18:21:40 +0000

Ah I see…and white label copies were perhaps not even for sale in Holland… or only for a limited period… or did you already buy your records abroad at the end of the fifties?

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 18:05:36 +0000

Peter, I don’t know if the early white labels came with custom made inners. When I started buying new Riversides, they were already in the blue label period.

By: Peter_A

Peter_A — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 14:29:21 +0000

Interesting, Mark, I didn’t realise there are different white label varieties. I just checked the (7) white label copies I recently added to my collection and I see now that 12-201 (Monk) and 12-203 (Randy Weston Trio) both have records with grey logo. The next one in line is 12–223 (Bill Evans – New Jazz Conceptions), which has blue logo. All the higher numbers have blue logo’s as well, so apparently grey logo copies are from earlier date…
Too bad though that the pressing quality of these early Riversides is a bit lousy… Rudolf, do you perhaps know if these early Riverside’s were sold without inner sleeve at the time?

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 08:39:27 +0000

I have not followed this discussion on Monk plays Ellington since its beginning as I have the U.K. London version of same, issued in 1956, but pressed in Germany. (I have seen a French London issue with a different cover design!)
Anyway, I knew that these early Riversides are non laminated, but the list of issues up to 12-227 on the rear is an obvious indication of a later issue, too obvious even not to note at first glance. The label colours grey vs blue lettering is interesting. Anyone who can advise whether grey or blue is more authentic?

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 21:49:35 +0000

Also an expensive lesson to be learned for sure; I also suspected that was not a true first pressing due to the catalog numbers advertised on rear and the different label colors. I did not know, however, that first cover should not be laminated…