Stopped in very quickly before grabbing some 'za at Piece around the corner. Couldn't find anything worthwhile, then found the record you see glaring at you above as the last item in the 'new arrivals' for jazz/blues.
Q is the only artist in the CTI repertoire with a record in the 3000 series (two releases actually) that do NOT use the layout seen otherwise. As such, this was not necessarily on my legit want list, but it was in the back of my mind. The musicians that played on it is a sickening array of talent: Toots (on harmonica AND guitar!), Pretty Purdie, Hubert Laws, JJ and K...they weren't messing around! Not to mention Bob James first gig arranging for Creed Tayor. A nice score for a quick little hunt in a store long since familiar.
I received a $30 gift certificate (shown in previous post) for Christmas from my brother's girlfriend who knew I was a vinyl addict. I took a Saturday afternoon jaunt up to Lakeview to spend it at the final of three Reckless locations.
This location is on par with the Wicker Park location or slightly bigger. There were a handful of people in there but not critically packed levels and no one was in the jazz section. Having $30 to burn was a large budget for me, initially I thought about volume since generally my purchases are modestly priced. I started logically in the 'A' section hoping to find another release or two from Azymuth - nada. While in that same letter, I thought of all the Dorothy Ashby records I had passed up before due to cost - now is the time! Of course, I struck out there as well; nothing in stock. Damn!
I did not make it far before I determined that I was not going to find anything costly enough - or even more than $10 - to spend this gift certificate quickly. I started to become annoyed with myself, and this stupid blog and blamed the location. I knew I could not get 'change' or spend it in more than one trip and I was half tempted to leave and go to Wicker Park or the Loop. I came across an old copy of 'Giant Steps' for $15...I used to consider purchasing these all the time until I got the box set but part of me still wants an old (even if beat up) Atlantic copy. I put it back then returned to it when pickings were growing slim - when I realized it was an 80s reissue. No thanks.
I was pretty disappointed with the jazz section and came up with a handful of records that still left me far from my $30 deadline:
1) Wes Montgomery Greatest Hits. As far as I can tell, this is one of four Greatest Hits albums A&M put out with the same cover format. I already have the Tijuana Brass and Baja Marimba band - the fourth is The Sandpipers. I've held Wes's release in my hand many times but always put it back as it is a bit superfluous.
2) Stan Getz - Big Band Bossa Nova. I still want to add Getz/Gilberto to my collection - I held a pretty beat copy in my hand not too long ago but returned it to the crate over condition issues - this was in good shape and at $8 would take a nice bite out of my budget. I do regret not being able to pick this up but as I changed my strategy (described below), I'll have to come back for it someday.
3 and 4) The last two Tijuana Brass albums I need to complete my limited discography (minus compilations and miscellaneous releases and anything after 1969) are 'Warm' and 'Ninth'. Found these both for about $4 combined.
However this still put me way under my $30 limit and I wasn't too excited about some of these, even if I did need them. I held 'Road Song' in my hand for a moment before I realized that it was 'A Day in the Life' I needed (already have 'Road Song', purchased at Wicker Park Reckless, ironically). And this got me thinking about another release from Wes I had come across and passed up....
Original 1960 copy - Wes's first release 100% credited to him as band leader and not a side man or member of a group - 'Movin Along' At $30 I wouldn't even consider it normally (not THAT much of a Wes fan either) but I figured that spending free money in nickels and dimes on budget vinyl was silly - be frivolous! It is a great record too, interesting to listen to Wes material where the guitar isn't totally at the forefront of the arrangements. A very different recording from a very different era, in comparison to the other release I already have (and mentioned above). Victor Feldman's credit on the cover also caught my eye. I knew he played the electric piano solo on 'Black Cow' and the vibraphone on 'Aja' but I did not know he played on every track of (one of my favorite) albums - albeit 17 years later!
So I paid the tax (minus one cent!) and moved on. A cold, horrible day with mushy terrain underfoot I started moving back towards the red line when I realized that I was near another shop I had never before visited......
I set out to head down to the Electric Line and visit Hyde Park Records this morning when I determined that my walk from Union Station Canal St. could lead me past Reckless if I diverted about .25 miles. That's reasonable!
Smaller than the Wicker Park location and nearly as good - I came across a copy of the Hitmen s/t 7" (did not check vinyl color) - a few weeks ago I would have been all over that. Found a few decent local punk 7"s....but not my holy grail. One day......
A friend and #1 vinyl junkie cohort asked me to take a look for a decent copy of Elton John's 'Captain Fantastic...' I quickly found what appeared to be an excellent copy for $7.99 but one problem - I could not find anything for myself! I selfishly decided there was no way I was going to walk out with a record for something else and nothing for myself!
I finally found their small 'easy listening' section (poor Herb is always sequestered in the oddest places) and grabbed a 1.99 (but 'very good') copy of 'Volume 2' leaving me with only 3 more Tijuana Brass records left until I accrue the entire discography through 1969. They did have 'Herb Alpert's Ninth' but I opted not to grab it. Why? Because before long I'll be in another store with a limited selection of what appeals to me, but everyone has Herb Alpert. I did actually carry around a copy of 'Getz/Gilberto' for a while before I returned it to 'Misc Jazz G' on the grounds of poor condition. (I was shocked not to find a copy at Hyde Park later that day).
Finally happy with my decision I decided to move on and finish my journey to Michigan/Van Buren and the warm train station where I could eat my egg salad sandwich and await the south leg of my trip. I carried my finds to the checkout and the fella behind the counter fetched the platters and offered them up for my inspection: both passed with flying colors.
But as I picked up the Elton John LP I noticed there were some kind of insert(s) inside the dust cover. "Promotional garbage" I silently said to myself as I paid and moved on out.
When I got to Van Buren I pulled my scores out for a closer inspection to pass the time. It was here that I was shocked to find that this record had some serious extras included. How I walked out with a truly 'complete' version of the album for 8 bucks - and in this condition, vinyl/jacket/extras - is beyond me. I promptly put this stuff in some extra magazine sleeves I had laying around when I got home. Not pictured here is a poster, creased as though it was never once unfolded during its lifespan which is even longer than my own. My friend will be thrilled!
On a related note the same friend got me into this artist - I was shocked to find that they had their own tab in the crates. But nothing lurked within. Still, Mr. Richman is worthy of a listen. (it was a very tough call between the video above and this).
My Chicago record store visit checklist got off to a start back on March 24th 2012. My brother and I went down to Logan Square for my birthday (Longman and Eagle) and when we were done making gluttons of ourselves we headed to Wicker Park to go to Piece.
Aside from all the eating and drinking, I made my first ever stop at Reckless Records in Milwaukee, just around the corner from Piece. I picked up Ripping Rhythms as well as the first Mahavishnu Orchestra album. The Shep Fields ended up being some rather tame big band type jazz with limited use of the instrumentation displayed on the cover but the Mahavishnu is one of my all time fave fusion records so I was glad to score that. I came across the second album this summer at a flea market but it was beat to shit and had to walk away.
I was in the neighborhood on September 23rd 2013 for a visit to Piece and had some time to kill before friends arrived so I wandered back in and picked up a couple new vinyls:
1) Joe Jackson - 'Look Sharp' 2x10". The collectible pin was missing and the jacket and records are beat but they play great, and its just one of my favorite albums ever. Would have passed if it was the simple 12". Paid a staggering $1.99.
2) Added to my Sergio Mendes discography with 'Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars' by Cannonball Adderley featuring everyone's favorite Brazilian pianist. Also out the door for $1.99 but this is far better condition.
Just like everyone else, I have a 'want list' and things I look for but the best record stores to me give me some unorganized crates to dig through without having so much junk that its overwhelming. And while I don't want useless, ruined vinyl (the records above as as low as I'll stoop) I don't need $30 mint conditions either. This is why Reckless Wicker Park remains one of my favorite stores - they have plenty to dig through and a great mix of obscure stuff to my own tastes (and beyond, but without being ridicolous) and lots of 'regular' old records to spend an hour or more sorting through. I must visit whenever I find myself in the area.
