SwingDJs

While reading the thread on digitizing music from 78rpm records, I became interested in the process. Today I visited some antique-shops in town to see what they had. One of them had a large collection of 78s, many of which contained songs and groups with which I was unfamiliar.

I began wondering about how much music we're missing because it hasn't been transferred to CDs. I'd imagine that most, if not all, of the jazz CDs don't sell nearly as well as do the pop hits, so I think there is probably quite a lot of old jazz that hasn't been salable enough to digitize.

How much of the older music has been digitized? Is there anything in particular that you'd like to see made available on CDs?

So many of the DJs in this scene won't touch original era material anyway so what does it matter?

I know that some might prefer later swing music, but I've yet to come across a DJ that won't touch original era jazz.

I live to see the day you let one of these comments go unsaid.

It's not just the 78's. There are tons of albums that have never been trasfered to CD and probablynever will.

Then of course there is Japan. The Japanese love Jazz. Every music store has a decent collection of Jazz over there, though the bigger stores are better. Their love for Jazz is also showed in the fact that you can get CD that have long been out of print in the West. The entire early Three Sounds on Blue Note, the first album by Junior Mance with Ray Brown on Verve, Basie and Ellinton albums and lots more.

Just recently several of the Johnny Hodges Orchestra LP's, after he left Ellington, have been reissued on CD. These, of couserse, have never been offered over here.

Hmm, that's really interesting, main_stem. I wonder -- does the advent of the digital era make improve the possibility of this 'niche' being catered for? Seems possible. There's no longer the problem of losses due to excess stock sitting around in warehouses.

Some of those japanese cds are starting to show up here. although they're usually more expensive.

Swifty wrote:I know that some might prefer later swing music, but I've yet to come across a DJ that won't touch original era jazz.

I live to see the day you let one of these comments go unsaid.

I don't think I've ever heard Ron play a song recorded before 1940.

Swifty wrote:I know that some might prefer later swing music, but I've yet to come across a DJ that won't touch original era jazz.

Okay, so maybe they touch them every once in a blue moon, but they sure do "wash their hands thoroughly" afterwards.

Zot wrote:Hmm, that's really interesting, main_stem. I wonder -- does the advent of the digital era make improve the possibility of this 'niche' being catered for? Seems possible. There's no longer the problem of losses due to excess stock sitting around in warehouses.

That was the whole idea behind "Muzip.com" that a partner and I conceived several years ago and tried to implement: offer out-of-print music digitally, Online, so as to avoid the costs of manufacturing CDs, delivery, stocking them in record stores that are too high to justify doing it. (Muzip dissolved as part of the dot-com fallout , but the concept is still viable.)

The record companies wouldn't let go of the vaults--even if we offered to do the digital transfer/remastering--at least not yet (or at the time). Part of the problem is that the music that IS available on CD already satisfies 95-98% of the demand for "Original Era" music. Indeed, some might argue that the existing supply has saturated the market, especially with all the residual budget "Swing Baby!" CDs still languishing in CD stores after the Swing fad. A few people on this list might be interested in cherry-picking a few extra, previously-unreleased songs off such a service, but that would not justify the expense of setting it up just yet.

It will happen, but the proven ability to generate profits is not there to justify it under the current Recording Industry paradigm. I'm not one to bash record companies and I find it far too trendy to join in the cliched "Why don't the record companies realize that the future is in digital transfer of music instead of fighting it?" We need to realize that there is a reason behind the Recording Industry's reluctance to recognize or adapt to the change. They have a profit model that works rather well and takes full advantage of current copyright laws, so why abandon it for a profit model that is speculative? (Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush).

Suffice to say that it will definitely happen someday, but only after the Recording Industry changes its profit model in other, more mainstream genres so as to establish some sort of model that they can follow for "our" music.

yedancer wrote:

Swifty wrote:I know that some might prefer later swing music, but I've yet to come across a DJ that won't touch original era jazz.

I live to see the day you let one of these comments go unsaid.

I don't think I've ever heard Ron play a song recorded before 1940.

Why pick on Ron? (Of course, local animosity always seems to be the most ardent). As I pointed out elsewhere, that doesn't mean he hasn't done it....

CafeSavoy wrote:Some of those japanese cds are starting to show up here. although they're usually more expensive.

Yes but they come in as imports and usually cost $30.00 US. While in Japan they're around 1800 yen, ruffly $13 US.

In terms of people not touching original era music, I was actually counting at the austin exchange before last, and I think the total on pre-'45 tunes played all weekend was about 6, and 3 of them were a mixed CD that got put on before a band played.. (Matt Jones played 'em for the comps, but we didn't get to dance to those)

It's ok, there's also DJs who's only post-swing-era material is rock'n'roll, which is probably worse..

anyway, regarding the topic - I think a lot of stuff has been reissued at some point, somewhere - like International Sweethearts of Rhythm, it's a bitch to find their music, but you can find LP reissues, you don't hafta go all the way back to the 78.

KevinSchaper wrote: anyway, regarding the topic - I think a lot of stuff has been reissued at some point, somewhere - like International Sweethearts of Rhythm, it's a bitch to find their music, but you can find LP reissues, you don't hafta go all the way back to the 78.

There's a couple tunes on this collection:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... ojaa#TRACK

I love this one cuz it has some great Mary Lou Williams tunes.

GuruReuben wrote:Okay, so maybe they touch them every once in a blue moon, but they sure do "wash their hands thoroughly" afterwards.

Still waiting for you to pass on an opportunity to point out that people don't play what you want them to. I won't hold my breath.

Actually if you look around on this forum you'll see MANY times when I don't bother to do so.