“Hot Jazz for Sale: Hollywood’s Jazz Man Record Shop” By Cary Ginell

“Hot Jazz for Sale: Hollywood’s Jazz Man Record Shop” By Cary Ginell (348 pp., softcover)

Plus “The Jazz Man Records Anthology” (OJL-3002) Book + CD (ISBN# 9-780739-075685)

For over 40 years (1939–1984), The Jazz Man Record Shop was Hollywood’s haven and hangout for collectors of jazz records. Through its portals passed many of show business’s greatest stars, from Louis Armstrong and the Rolling Stones to Mel Tormé and Orson Welles. Even Igor Stravinsky came in to play a few hot jazz 78s. In the 1940s, the Jazz Man record label launched a worldwide revival of traditional jazz.

Cary Ginell has written what is probably the first book ever written about a record store. The book comes at an opportune time, as independent record stores have been closing down as downloading, the Internet, and iTunes have made them obsolete. But most music lovers have fond memories of hanging out at their local record shop, meeting new friends, finding new music, and enjoying the unique atmosphere.

This loving tribute to the Jazz Man goes back to the beginning, when a silent screen actor named Dave Stuart opened a used record store on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. With over 150 illustrations, most of which have never been published, Ginell has documented the life of a remarkable institution and the people behind its success.

Also offered is a 25-track CD from Origin Jazz Library presenting recordings made for the Jazz Man record label between 1941 and 1954. Seminal recordings by Lu Watters, Kid Ory, Bunk Johnson, George Lewis, and many others are featured. A bonus track: “Fixin’ to Die” by Bukka White, a previously unissued informal recording made at the Jazz Man Record Shop in 1963.

About the Author

Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and discographer. He is a four-time winner of the ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) Award for Excellence and a winner of the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for music journalism. He has written dozens of album notes for LPs and CDs on a variety of musical genres, including folk, country, blues, Broadway, pop, and jazz. This is his fifth book. He currently works as a project manager/editor for Alfred Music Publishing. Cary is available for interviews. Contact him at

originjazz@aol.com or call (805) 495-3306.