Dusty Groove Review-itis

[sheldonm]

Having just arrived home from seeing the Junior Mance Trio in Chicago , I was in Dusty Groove, Reckless Records and the Jazz Record Mart all before 1:30 today. Picked up several cds and a few lps for myself as well as a DVD for one board memeber and a cd for another. Talked to Junior and Jim Neumann from Beehive Records for awhile and went to dinner with Jim, lots of fun! Great day overall!

Mark

[Bill Nelson]

RE: Dusty Groove Item Desciptions

Some tips --

1. Read their write-ups of items you already own (or used to). 'Suss' their hyperbole and over-the-top ravings -- are they accurate or justified? Be wary when you see "this album is pretty darn good" -- it's actually the kiss of death.

2. Sample any album you haven't heard before pulling the trigger -- hit Amazon and CD Universe for a taste of select tracks.

3. Also, research at AMG -- maybe there's a good reason the album you want only gets 2 stars.

4. Once you sized-up their writing/raves -- you can read between the lines and pick the meat from the shaft.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I run my browser when entering DGA with it's linux "de-adjectivolator" ON!

RE: Dusty Groove Item Desciptions

Some tips --

 

4. Once you sized-up their writing/raves -- you can read between the lines and pick the meat from the shaft.

...but i was inspired to buy a rare Isaac Hayes lp for just this reason.

Edited August 2, 2004 by Man with the Golden Arm

[Dave James]

I've always found DG's use of the word "spiritual" interesting. I don't believe I've ever purchased anything from them that was described as being spiritual, so I'm not in a position to assess exactly what this means. I've long believed that the person who writes Dusty Groove reviews also mans the "snow phone" for every ski area in the country. Point being, one must be able to read between the lines to determine the reality of the situation. When everything is uniformly great, you have to know you're being spun.

Note to Jim about the porno soundtrack. When "Big Swing Face" appeared in the movie, was there any particular type of activity underway? I can think of seveal scenarios that might lend themselves to its inclusion. Makes me wonder if the guy who did the soundtrack had a sense of humor in addition to a fair knowledge of music.

Up over and out.

[Dan Gould]

RE: Dusty Groove Item Desciptions

Some tips --

2. Sample any album you haven't heard before pulling the trigger -- hit Amazon and CD Universe for a taste of select tracks.

This hardly helps when considering a vinyl purchase of a never reissued, and probably never to be reissued recording.

[Bill Nelson]

Don't you really mean to say: "Never before issued" or "Previously unissued"?

In THAT case, Dusty's got us all by the 'grooves'. If so, my 'trigger' hinges on the recording conditions/circumstances/personnel and the equipment and engineer who recorded it. If it was 'home-recorded' at an after-hours party -- see you later.

RE: anything that's being "reissued", a first-pressing review can likely be found

in some print medium retrieval system -- even if you have to go to the local college library to find original copies of 'Jazz Review', which I've done. The research beats having stacks of half-assed CDs that you're not terribly thrilled to play.

[Dan Gould]

If I like the musicians, the era, or the recording label, I'm perfectly happy to risk it, so long as the price isn't ridiculous.

I've never known anyone to make such an effort to find and rely on reviews.

[Bill Nelson]

Since it ain't an Ebay auction that's about to end, I'm not in such a dang hurry to close the deal with the Dusties. If you take an enlightened attitude about The Search, there's 50-plus years of printed information out there somewhere when it comes to digging info on modern jazz releases. In the process of looking up, say, five titles which aren't online (AMG), you can spot a slew of others along the way -- and your search effort is rewarded even more.

[Dan Gould]

whatever works for ya.

[Clunky]

My only beef with DG is the grading of LPs. I have bought just 2 both graded as VG and VG-.

The latter one had plenty of visible deep scratches but was just playable but not "Very good" however it's defined. Perhaps that's how it works but it struck me as a little misleading.

[JSngry]

Yeah, I stay away from anything less than VG+ from them (unless I'm desperate and/or the thing is DIRT cheap), and even then it's kind of a crapshoot.

But VG+ from them is almost always acceptable enough from a "play copy" standpoint. Whether or not the particular VG+ is consistently in line with the price they get for it is another matter...

[David Ayers]

Mint++/Super Immaculate

This is one of Dan Gould's less well known threads - and we think it smokes! It's in a slightly different groove than some of his earlier work, with tasty solo contributions from Bill Nelson, Jim Sangrey and Clunky. Solos are inside rather than outside, and the whole thing has a soulful groove that just goes on and on! !! !!!

Some ringwear, 8" split to top and bottom seams, and clicks like it just invented morse code.

[JSngry]

You mean it's not spiritual?

[chris olivarez]

Those reviews make the music they sell hard to resist so you really have to work at not being totally taken in by them but it sure isn't easy. Only one time that I pulled the trigger with them did I regret it and that was Eddie Palmieri "Live at Sing Sing" Volume 2 but I didn't regret Volume One at all. The "VP Blues" really cooks.