Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com/
Used with permission by Marc Myers
Waxing & musings.
As jazz fans, we live in amazing times. Whatever period you enjoy, most of what you want is available online someplace as a download. Or it's easy to order. No matter how obscure, a quick Google search usually unearths the album or tracks.
Back in the 1970s, you had to walk the streets looking for the LPs you wanted. Many times what you were seeking wasn't in print. Or it was out of stock. Or if it was in stock, there was a high risk there was a defect. The most common flaw was that an album would be "warped." Meaning that when you put the record on, there was a wave in the vinyl that caused the needle to ride up and down when the imperfection came around. If the needle didn't leave the surface, you had distortion. If it did, you had a skip.
One double album that I bought in 1973 that suffered from this problem was Sonny Stitt's I Cover the Waterfront, a compilation of the saxophonist's Argo/Cadet material. The cover was absolutely gorgeous. It featured a photo of what appeared to be a commercial fishing vessel slipping silently through the water as viewed from between two large rocks. What made the photo by P.B. Kaplan so appealing was that it was taken with a red filter (or a red wash was applied afterward). The album was blood red, with yellow type. Genius art direction by Neil Terk.
The problem with the double LP was that the first of the two records had a skip halfway into How High the Moon. No matter how many times I exchanged the warped version for a new one, the same skip would be in the exact same place. So within the LP hunt process was another hunt—for a flawless version. I must have exchanged the album 10 times. At which point the Sam Goody store was wiped out of copies.
When I finally was confronted with the choice of exchanging it for something else, I hesitated. Looking longingly at the double album on the counter and listening to the clerk's fingers drum impatiently, I decided to give up and keep it, flaw and all. I loved the cover too much.
Point being that today it's so easy to get perfect recordings of whatever we want without ever getting up from the computer. Some people look back nostalgically at those days of the Great Vinyl Hunt. Not me. LPs were fine then but they were painfully inconvenient, since you had to get up from your chair to turn them over or take them off. They also had to be cleaned delicately with a solution and filed carefully on a shelf so you could find it again later. I'm one of those listeners who happen to love today's digital technology. I can write and listen without worrying about tending to the medium. But as I hold my 36-year-old copy of I Cover the Waterfront, I'm reminded how much I miss big colorful album covers and large-size liner notes.
Paul Desmond.
Doug Ramsey at Rifftides has a terrific post on alto saxophonist Paul Desmond's decision in 1974 to resume playing in a club setting. Doug includes a wonderful YouTube clip featuring a rare TV interview of Desmond on Canadian TV in 1976. Desmond's body language speaks volumes about his discomfort with television. Unfortunately, the interviewer didn't sufficiently warm him up and went too personal too fast, causing Desmond to nearly close down. It's fascinating stuff, especially if you've never heard Desmond speak. Go here > http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2010/02/weekend_extra_desmond_speaks.html.
Bobby Shew.
After my interview series last week with trumpeter Bobby Shew, he sent along the following email. What a nice guy! "Thanks again. You can't believe how many people are emailing me about having read these installments. It looks as if my career is getting a re-start, thanks to you! I guess I'd better keep practicing!!" Bobby also sent along the following clip featuring a whimsical perspective on today's use of the English language.
Wall Street Journal jazz writer Will Friedwald will conduct a conversation with legendary producer George Avakian [pictured] on Wednesday March 17th in New York. The event will take place at St. Peter's Church (619 Lexington Ave. at 54th St.) and start at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
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