Bob Weinstock and Me

[Dan Gould]

B)

Well, I just got a phone message from Bob Weinstock-he's happy to do an interview with me!

So, in addition to the usual congrats, I'm hoping to collect many fascinating questions for the interview, plus any suggestions for research sources into Prestige and other eras of his career. (I plan to tell him that I'll need some time for research and with the holidays fast approaching, I'd like to get in touch with him right after the New Year.)

Don't hesitate to shout 'em out! That includes you, Chuck! (It was you and Chris who really pushed me, so ...)

[Dan Gould]

By the way, the questions I've got off the top of my head include:

The missing trumpet from the Mating Call session.

The statement that "the difference between Blue Note and Prestige was two days rehearsal"-an unfair assertion? How well did he know Alfred and Frank? Was there a strong sense of competition? Blue Note and Prestige were two major independent labels in New York, but one became the epitome of cool and fetches top collector dollars ... any resentment over the way history has treated his records vs. BNs?

Differences in approach-the Blue Note "repertory" system where new artists guested and then got opportunities to record as leaders.

Records supposedly got lifted from Riverside's warehouse to get sold on the street to cover drug needs (isn't that the story you mentioned, Chris?), was that a problem for Prestige?

As you can see, I need a lot more questions!

[Adam]

Most of this I'm sure you know, but:

Ask him all the basic stuff about him - how did he get into it? How did he learn about producing? What does he remember about the recording studios? Why did he pick those recording studios? Did he have any good luck charms?

What personal idiosyncracies does he think he brought to his records?

What records were most successful for him at the time?

The stories behind a few noteworthy sessions. (you pick some, let him pick some)

What did one have to do to succeed in the business in the 1950s and 60s?

His favorite sessions and players? Why?

Would he have done anything differently?

Anything he wishes that you had asked him but you forgot?

[Rooster_Ties]

Anything he wishes that you had asked him but you forgot?  [or just "didn't ask", as opposed to "forgot to ask". - RT]

Definitely ask this. Could end up with a couple great stories that you might otherwise have never gotten.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Christiern]

Records supposedly got lifted from Riverside's warehouse to get sold on the street to cover drug needs (isn't that the story you mentioned, Chris?), was that a problem for Prestige?

Dan, I'm so glad you contacted Bob!

One reason why Bob moved Prestige to Bergenfield NJ from NYC was to make it inconvenient for musicians to hang out at the office in search of an advance. That was almost a daily thing at Riverside. Anyway, I don't think disappearing LPs was a problem for Prestige--it was easy to rip Riverside off because musicians worked in the storage across the street.

• Ask Bob why he stopped producing sessions.
  
• Ask him about experimenting with 16 rpm releases
  
• Have him do his Miles Davis imitation for you
  
• Ask him about his novel
  
• Ask him about Pop Weinstock, his father, who used to drill holes through the labels of discounted (dumped) albums.
  

I'll come up with better questions as I think about my days at Prestige.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Christiern

[mikeweil]

Great! Please announce where it will be printed!

Questions that come to my mind:

Why didn't Coltrane record any original material like with his single Blue Note LP? Publishing modalities? Was that a problem for anybody else?

What was the relationship with Savoy? It was Yusef Lateef who recorded for Blue Note and Savoy on one weekend with the same band at RVG's.

What was the most curious way he contracted an artist?

Why didn't he record more Kenny Dorham? That Quiet Kenny is one of his most beautiful albums!

What is the session he most vividly remembers?

Besides the most successful: What were the greatest flops, and were they unexpected?

[Dan Gould]

Thanks everyone, and keep the questions coming! Especially you, Chris!

(One question I forgot to mention is about the "Blue Note Sound" vs the "Prestige Sound"-what were his instructions to Rudy to get the sound he wanted?

[Chuck Nessa]

My impression was "stronger drums" on the BN sides.

Dan, give me some time to think - if you are getting nervious, get in touch to remind me. This is a great opportunity.

[Dan Gould]

Plenty of time, Chuck, if I sit down with Bob in January. Thanks.

[kenny weir]

Dan: Don't have much to add to the questions already submitted, but ...

How about asking him how much time and effort went into hustling up some pop/chart action a la Sidewinder (yeah, yeah it's Blue Note, I know, but you get my drift I'm sure). And when Prestige did end up with a "hit", how much was it either canny planning or plain dumb ol' luck.

Good luck!

[Jim Alfredson]

Thank him for all those great organ records that came out on Prestige!! Stuff that Blue Note wouldn't have touched with a 10 foot pole... the really really greasy stuff!

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Bob Weinstock did a nice interview for the Gryce book. He talked quite a bit about his own history, the history of the label, who his favorite players for sessions were, etc. We put what we could of this into the book. Prestige actually had a hit way earlier than one might think - Moody's Mood for Love. That did a lot of good things for the label.

Mike

[BruceH]

Blue Note and Prestige were two major independent labels in New York, but one became the epitome of cool and fetches top collector dollars ... any resentment over the way history has treated his records vs. BNs?

I bet he'll love that one!

[Christiern]

Apropos resale value, I think Prestige albums bearing the NYC address on the label are up there with BNs. I base this on a California collector who used to pay me annual visits in search of early LPs.

BTW - Dan be sure to ask Bob about Esmond Edwards. The circumstances under which he went from van driver to session producer.

When I was with Prestige--on the payroll, that is--I regularly found a memo from Bob on my desk when I came in, informing me that I was now something other than what I had been when I left the office the day before! I was always having to print new business cards. Once I was the head of promotion, but I think I became something else before I had an opportunity to function as such.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Christiern

[GA Russell]

Congratulations Dan!

1) Prestige issued a single by Manfred Mann before Do Wah Diddy was a hit. How did this come about? Had The Beatles already appeared on Ed Sullivan?

2) How did Prestige land Groove Holmes?

3) Fantasy is releasing this month previously unreleased Prestige live tapes by Jaki Byard and Groove Holmes. Can he recall anything he didn't issue that in retrospect he wishes he had?

4) What were the circumstances of Prestige acquiring the rights to MPS Saba recordings about 1969, giving Prestige Jean Luc Ponty and Oscar Peterson?

5) How successful was the "The Giants are still on Prestige!" advertising campaign? Did the monthly ads in Downbeat pay for themselves?

6) Who does he consider to be Prestige's greatest finds? Who was the label's last find?

[Guest ariceffron]

Records supposedly got lifted from Riverside's warehouse to get sold on the street to cover drug needs (isn't that the story you mentioned, Chris?), was that a problem for Prestige?

Can someone elabrate on this, what is this all about?

[Dmitry]

1.Please ask him about his view of the race relations from the stand-point of the record label owner in 50s-60s.

2.Please ask him about the way different jazz label owners behaved towards each other, what were the infamous dealings, contract swaps, etc and on the opposite, friendships, even though the latter sounds unlikely.

Thank you.

[Philip]

SFAIK, no one has asked him about his apparent resistance to allowing Coltrane to record with Monk on other labels.

[Christiern]

Please ask him about the way different jazz label owners behaved towards each other, what were the infamous dealings, contract swaps, etc and on the opposite, friendships, even though the latter sounds unlikely.

Friendship did exist between allegedly competing label owners. Many of them were friends long before they established their companies--they were record collectors who swapped 78s and attended the same meetings. Having been in the collected company of several of these men, I have never seen any sign of animosity among them--on the contrary.

When I had had enough of working for a racist radio station owner in Philadelphia (Dolly Banks of WHAT-AM, FM, who thought I was too friendly with the black staff of her AM side), I quit my job. Having not called the shots herself, she was enraged by my decision and issued a rule that no albums bearing my name could be played on her station. Bob Weinstock and Bill Grauer (who owned and ran Riverside) sent her a joint letter stating that WHAT would not be serviced by them as long as that rule was in effect. The rule was rescinded. BTW, WHAT was a round-the-clock jazz station (I think the only one at that time--1959/60--so it was important to jazz labels; Prestige and Riverside had the same distributor in Philadelphia (Ed Cohen), and probably also in other cities. I never sensed that these companies regarded each other as competitors--for one thing, the jazz record industry was relatively small and the average jazz record consumer put music before label. The Blue Note cult (well, it at least borders on that sometimes) was not in evidence, but there was respect for that label because of its consistent quality and its longevity. Secondly, as stated, these were old friends with an abiding common interest.

Edited November 19, 2003 by Christiern

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for that, Chris ... I don't doubt that your perceptions are correct, but I think its still a worthy question, even if we know what the answer is likely to be. Might get some good stories out of it, too.

[JSngry]

Let me publicly offer you the heartiest congratulations, Dan. I know that this will be a fascinating interview and that you'll end up with a gem of a piece!

[Christiern]

Thanks for that, Chris ... I don't doubt that your perceptions are correct, but I think its still a worthy question, even if we know what the answer is likely to be. Might get some good stories out of it, too.

Definitely a good question, Dan, I just wanted to give you a bit of background.

[PFunkJazz]

CHRIS - the glimpse we're getting into what I guess is a massive treasure trove of jazz label insider history is tantalising in the extreme.

Have you ever considered writing a book (or two?) about your experiences? I can think of a couple of publishers in London who'd definitely be interested.

[Christiern]

CHRIS - the glimpse we're getting into what I guess is a massive treasure trove of jazz label insider history is tantalising in the extreme.

Have you ever considered writing a book (or two?) about your experiences? I can think of a couple of publishers in London who'd definitely be interested.

Thanks, P-funk, actually some of my more interesting experiences are going into a book that I have been working on--on and off--for a few years.

[Dan Gould]

Do you mean you won't consent to an interview with me, Chris, you're saving all of your stories for your own book?