(Report by Russell)
Dealers of rare records congregated at this year's Bix Fest in Wisconsin. A weekend record fayre presented collectors with an amazing opportunity to acquire sought after items, many of them on 78. Shellac, ten and twelve-inch vinyl, cassette tape, new-fangled compact disc format, sheet music, this was a kid-in-a-sweet-shop dream come true!
The International Association of Jazz Record Collectors maintained its usual presence at the event although on this occasion it was tinged with sadness. The voluntary association's long-established magazine - fifty-plus volumes! - is soon to close. The online social media revolution and falling membership numbers has led to the decision to cease publication. IAJRC trustee Sally Fee informed Bebop Spoken Here that one more quarterly edition will be published - a collector's item in itself! - thereafter the association will maintain an online web presence for the foreseeable future.
Some back issues remain available for purchase (email editor@iajrc.org). Photo shows front cover of Vol. 49, No. 4 - Winter 2016 issue featuring Harold Arlen and Fletcher Henderson in Atlantic City, 1929.
Your correspondent chatted to Rivermont Records' Bryan Wright about his current activities. He's a busy man running a record label, recording, issuing and promoting top quality twenty-first century 78 format recordings. A copy (no. 000316 of 500) of Andy Schumm and His Flatland Gang (recorded Racine, Wisconsin, March 12, 2011) selling for a bargain $15 made its way back to Tyneside.
Russell.
1 comment :
My Mike used to be a member of the IAJRC - and his Classic Jazz Band played at the association's first UK meeting in Manchester in 2011. It's good that at least it will continue to have an online presence .....
Post a Comment