Question for English jazz fans

[jazzman4133]

A English friend of mine, now living in the US, is going to visit his relatives in West Sussex (Horsham) (he has no computer) asked me if I could find out if there are any Jazz LP/CD shops within a 40 mile radius of West Susex (including Brighton)? Anyone live within that area? Responses would be appreciated.

[A Lark Ascending]

Good jazz shops outside of London are few and far between.

I don't know the Sussex area but it is on a main rail route into London. See here:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/info/maps/lse.pdf

Once in London there are two big HMVs with good jazz sections, Rays Jazz on Charing Cross Road, two big Virgins with large jazz sections, all within about a mile of one another. Mole jazz has also recently moved to just off Oxford Street though I've not been there.

At a guess I'd imagine Brighton, Guilford etc will have the usual HMV, Virgin etc small shops with poor jazz sections. I could be wrong!

[JohnS]

He could do worse than visiting The Woods at 6 The Arcade, Bognor Regis, W Sussex. Always a nice selection of new and secondhand cds (no lps though). Not at all bad for a provincial shop, certainly far better than the megastores. There's probably a direct train from Horsham (my birthplace incidentally). And it's by the sea, so would make a pleasant day out.

[A Lark Ascending]

I never knew they had a shop! Thought they were mail order only!

Well, there you go!

[JohnS]

It's almost my local record shop.

[David Ayers]

John

Do you know Brighton at all?

There is one down the road near the station - I can't remember what it is called maybe you can - and there is another a little further on, also good for LPs. I haven't been for a few years and can't remember what they are called. Do you know them and can you give any detail?

The road in question is, I think, Trafalgar Street - down from the station in a weird going down into hell type way.

Look here for some addresses and maps - there are other shops than those listed - he could always phone around these shops once he gets here and ask about others they may know of - Brighton is just about worth scouring for LPs, I'd say.

PS More info here and here and here. With the tel. nos. he can phone around a bit in advance and confirm what kind of stock places hold (it will have changed since I last went.) Brighton is fun for shopping!

PPS Here is a list of numbers:

Across the Tracks, 110 Gloucester Road, 677906

BPM Music, 4 Bartholomews, 747400, web

Classical Longplayer, 31 Duke Street, 329534

Classics, 28a Tidy Street, 694229

Covert Records, 39a Sydney Street, BN1 4EP, Shop 624774, Office 624664, Fax 0207 6919650, email, web

Dance 2, 129 Western Road, 329459

Different Music, 12 Brighton Square, 202895

Edgeworld Records, 6 Kensington Gardens, 628262

Electrodisc, 111 Gloucester Road, 676509

Fine Records, 32 George Street, Hove, 723345

Happy Vibes, 52 Gardener Street, 699904

HMV, 61-62 Western Road, 747221

Music Meltdown, 10 Sydney Street, 608806

Music & Video Club, 97 George Street, Hove, 730748

MVC, 8 Air Street, 727414

Record Album, 8 Terminus Road, 323853

Recordland, 40 Trafalgar Street, 672512

Riks Records, 422 Portland Road, Hove, 430739

Roughman Connection, 42 Lewes Road, 706333

Rounder, 19 Brighton Square, 325440

Scarlatti's, 88 Western Road, Hove, 770518

Virgin, Churchill Square, 737712

Wax Factor, 24 Trafalgar Street, 673744

Wizard, 48 Baker Street, 672658

Woolworths, 183-185 Western Road, 329262

Hove is continuous with Brighton and can easily be visited as part of the same outing - even on foot.

Edited September 6, 2004 by David Ayers

[JohnS]

David, I keep meaning to have a trip to Brighton, I've not ben there for ages. Looks like there are enough record shops there to keep me going for a day. Thanks for the info.

It's worth remembering that the Chico Hamilton "Ellington Suite" test pressing was found there.

Edited September 6, 2004 by JohnS

[jazzman4133]

Thank you for your input everyone. It's appreciated.

[mikeos]

He could do worse than take a trip to Guildford, Surrey, my nearest town, and find Ben's Collectors Records. This is not a specialist jazz store, but Ben is a real enthusiast, and a very nice guy, and always has an enormous used jazz selection, on CD and LP, and at very keen prices. He buys and sells, frequently buying complete jazz collections on LP.

To find it, walk up the old cobbled High Street to the big 17th Century clock, turn right under the arch into Tunsgate, walk up and Ben's is the last store on the right.

Search and you'll find his web site.

[sidewinder]

Another big thumbs up for Ben's Collectors Records. Ben is a real friendly guy and really knows and appreciates his jazz (when I spoke with him he was planning a recital on 'The Life and Times of Shelly Manne' to the local jazz society, way cool B-) ). The shop has an excellent jazz selection at good prices and lots of crates of stuff to delve into. A veritable vinyl nerd's nirvana in fact.

Some good CDs in there too for those of a digital 'bent'.

Edited September 19, 2004 by sidewinder