Comments on: A Convention of Jazz Record Collectors. Really.

By: Mike F

Mike F — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:54:07 +0000

Also, for everyone’s info, there were some nice records at the convention but I didn’t notice too many premium records fetching $100+ prices. I bought about 10 records at $3-$5 each. I did get Riverside 231 “Gin Bottle Jazz” in VG++/VG++ condition. I haven’t heard it yet, will probably listen once and it will go on the shelf, but grabbing a white label original Riverside for $4 was hard to pass up for me. I also found a very strange Andrew Hill/Johnny Hartman live album from 1961 on the VGM label. I had never seen it before, and the sound quality is not great, but I couldn’t pass it up at $2.

By: Mike F

Mike F — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:48:07 +0000

I attended the convention this year and had a great time. I’ve been a member for a while and since the convention was close to home I wanted to check it out. The group seems to focus more heavily on the prewar music but there were plenty of people there with interest in postwar music as well. There was a nice focus on New Orleans which I enjoyed and a few presentations stuck out for me. One was made by Charles Suhor and was about modern jazz in postwar New Orleans. I was so fascinated I purchased his book and plan to check it out this week. There was a very touching presentation with Eva Taylor’s grandson and a Danish man who brought her over to tour Scandanavia in the 70s, many years after her career was over in the 30/40s.

Mostly, i enjoyed meeting people and chatting. I sat with a very nice table at the banquet and talked with some interesting people.

Al, I’m not sure whether it’s worthwhile hauling your records down or not but I would think you would enjoy the convention at least. There are plenty of attendees very knowledgeable about the era of jazz that you focus on here(our interest are very similar, and I had plenty of great conversations).

I don’t know if I will be attending next year, it depends on many factors. But I will attend again in the future.

By: bill

bill — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 17:22:07 +0000

Oops. In my previous post I was referring to the IAJRC Journal. I forgot to mention that besides their annual meetings, the IAJRC publish a quarterly journal. Since most members don’t make it to the conventions, the journal is the most tangible part of membership, although they also produce cds and(now oop) records including the 1st release of the Stars Of Modern Jazz concert from Carnegie Hall on Christmas day 1949 with tracks from Bud Powell, Miles, Getz, Tristano, and Sarah Vaughn.

By: Al

Al — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 15:30:06 +0000

A few Blue Notes, a ton of Prestiges. Years a go — probably 20 years — the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago, then on Grand Street, had rows and rows of Prestige 78s in unplayed mint condition. They must have purchased them directly from a warehouse. I was in Chicago on business, snuck off to the record store and pulled out piles and piles of 78s. The question was: What to do with them? I lived in New York. I went out and purchased a small carry-on piece of luggage. loaded it with 78s and hauled it on the plane with me back to NY. The hardest part was actually lifting it up and putting it into the overhead rack. The thing must have weighed at least 100 pounds. When I got back to New York I shared the score with my friend Dan. He made me promise — next time I was in Chicago I’d have to get him a batch as well. So, next time I was in Chicago a few weeks later, I brought an extra carry-on bag with me, loaded it up with Prestige 78s, and did the same thing all over again. It was worth it for sure and I still have all of those 78s still here in my collection.

By: Terry

Terry — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:20:28 +0000

Al,

Would those be Blue Note and/or Prestige 78’s!?!

By: bill

bill — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 05:07:35 +0000

I’ve been a member or the IAJRC for many years. I consider my dues a charitable contribution. I can’t remember an issue without an article about Bix or Bunny. It gets a bit frustrating, but some of us are trying to change all that. I write a column about recent jazz vinyl (my review of Fred Cohen’s Blue Note book was reprinted here). My friend Stu Kremsky writes reviews of all kinds of contemporary cds including avant, post-bop, fusion, and hard-bop including reissues of note (Mosaic, Blue Note etc.). Some excellent writers such as Doug Norwood contribute as well. It is an almost moribund institution that needs a shot of new blood. I hope some readers here will consider joining and perhaps writing for the journal. Any member can contribute and I’m sure most of you could learn and also contribute something interesting.

By: Al

Al — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:11:12 +0000

You know, I do have about 1,000 78s. But I like them and even listen to ’em once in a while.

By: DaveS

DaveS — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:53:53 +0000

Agree with Terry after having reviewed their program a couple of years ago. So maybe there is a market Al for all those wax cylinder recordings you have been hoarding all these years 😉

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:20:49 +0000

I am an inactive member of the IAJRC. My late freind and fellow discographer Charlie Garrod was a founding member and his son Curt is also an inactive member. The original main direction of the group was 40’s & 50’s recordings, but it has become a collection of very old men collecting pre-war 78’s. Probably not of much interest to members of this group.

By: Neal

Neal — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:43:00 +0000

What kind of sleeves do you guys use? Heard horrific stories about ruined records and PVC

http://recordcollectormag.com/letters/ruined-vinyl-the-sequels

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue38/lp_sleaves.htm