Moving . . . Moving . . . Moving . . . Moving . . .
Sorry I’ve been posting so irregularly. I’ve been in the throes of moving for the past few weeks and it’s been quite intense. I’ve actually been moving my records to three locations: My new apartment in the city, my new house in the country and my storage facility. Right now, the only records still in the house are those that are being sold at the estate sale, which begins tomorrow, and are being sold for $1 or $2 each. There may be some finds in there, but not too much. I had room for about 1,500 records in the city, so I went through my collection and pulled out a bunch of records that didn’t fit. Some are in storage, some are in the country. Also, I boxed up all of my 78s — I have at least 1,000, maybe more — as well as my 10-inch records and put those in storage as well, until a figure out where to put them. It’s been a process, to say the least. When you go through this, as many of you inevitably will, it does make you question the sanity of keeping so many records and figuring out what to do with them. I mean, it’s quite nice to have all of the Arnett Cobb records on Prestige because they are Prestige and they are original and they have that ’50s/’60s air about them, but when the time comes for me to listen to a tenor player, will Arnett Cobb ever again make it to my turntable?
Having moved, since 1997, from Chicago to Detroit, Detroit to Marion, Ma., and Marion to Jupiter, Fl., I have long ago slimmed down my collection.I know what it is like and what you are going through. Easiest thing was eliminating 4500 78’s. I mean, who needs a complete run of Prestige/new Jazz 78’s? Or all the Savoy bop 78’s. Once you make decisions and sell things off, all becomes easier. I now have what I like. Still buy from time to time, but 1000 lps is a lot better than 7500.
Good luck with the move and take it slow. Record boxes can play havoc on one’s back.
1000 or 10000, this is the problem.
and the winner is: 1000
I buy what I DO like and DO listen to my vinyl.
never bought a record for rarity, if not in my interest.
anyway, every new year I try to listen to all the records in my collection again.
I’ve never succeeded in reaching the end.
I don’t follow an alphabetical order: I pick them out here and there but despite a single listening a year, I can’t reach the end.
Al, wanna tenor playing ?
leave Arnett sleeping and choose Sonny or Trane or Bean or President.
if you have lost interest in an artist, don’t keep it in dust: simply sell him.
I gave up on Arnett but there must be 1 or 2 essential lps (?) Tenor playing you say …. I just lost a VG INTRODUCING JOHNNY GRIFFIN ’bout 20 minutes ago : (
Oh, good luck with the move Al!
Al, I have a slightly different view. Don’t exclude the more obscure jazz. For example, today for $1 I got the 1959 Bethlehem grab bag album. It has a sampler of 11 jazz artists, including Herbie Mann, Claude Williamson, Mel Torme, Sam Most and Pat Moran. It’s a wonderful album and typical of what I have been finding in the dollar bids of the larger San Francisco Bay area record stores lately. It’s wonderful to follow the greats, but I also appreciate the less knows as well…..Now, if I were you I would sell the 78’s, but keep the 10″ records. They have a unique history all unto themselves.
I didn’t mean to exclude obscure jazz at all.
the bethlehem sampler has well and less known artists.
how many out there keep a record of the following really obscure artists?
in alphabetical order:
byron allen
alessandro brugnolini
joe daley
lowell davidson
giuseppi logan
george redman
I keep and listen to them all, ’cause I dig them.
But if an artist doesn’t knock me out, well or less known is the same, I don’t give him a place in my collection.
Dottorjazz,
My Man!! Here I thought those on this list only were hung up on deep groove.
and here you are with the “out-cats!!”
I agree wholeheartedly on keeping only that what kicks your ears. Though I have some records that revoke a memory of the times, like some ESP and other free jazz cats that recall hot summer days of the late 60’s and the tensions and hopes in the air.
The older I get (clue, it starts with a six) the less confident I am that what I like and dislike today is a good guide to what I will like tomorrow.I have lost count of the times I have discarded my “opinions” as they have been proved wrong. I have rediscovered records I haven’t played in thirty years (with thirty years of learning in between), and found I weary of artists I thought I loved only a few years ago.
Jazz is an unpredictable mistress. I would be inclined to keep everything. Space problems can be solved, whilst relinquished ownership can not.
I totally agree with London Calling. The fun thing about jazz to me is rediscovery and growth in appreciation. By the way Al, don’t get rid of those 10″ records either. I do believe (sometimes) the sound quality is much better, and the historical significance can’t be beat. Why not display some of them?