Down Beat Record Reviews

[colllin]

Hi. I have bought a few vintage Down Beat magazines and I really enjoy reading the vintage reviews. Are there ways to view reviews compiled into convenient sources? If so, any suggestions for acquiring them? Thanks, Colin

[Fer Urbina]

For a while (c. 1956-1961, as far as I can remember) Down Beat published yearly books with all the previous year's reviews. Paperback, although I know there's at least one hardback (1961?).

Don't know when they stopped doing that. To get them, I'd try eBay or other used books outlets.

And yes, very interesting reading.

F

Edited June 8, 2011 by Fer Urbina

[Chuck Nessa]

Down Beat published record review annuals from 1956-63. I have a set - the first 3 are softcover and the rest are hardbacks.

[Big Beat Steve]

For a while the softcovers and hardcovers coexisted. I have the first four as softcovers and the fifth one as a hardcover. Fine works! Unfortunately rare and fairly pricey on eb.. and elsewhere.

Wish they had started doing that series a bit earlier ...

Just so you know what to look for, Colin:

Edited June 8, 2011 by Big Beat Steve

[readyrudy30315]

What are Down Beats soft covers going for on e-bay and elshwere thes days.I have a few I might let go !

[Enterprise Server]

Hi. I have bought a few vintage Down Beat magazines and I really enjoy reading the vintage reviews. Are there ways to view reviews compiled into convenient sources? If so, any suggestions for acquiring them? Thanks, Colin

Funny you should ask that. I was just looking at some vintage Down Beats I have from the middle 1960's. I suggest you look on line for different magazine sellers. I bought mine from Gary Alderman about twenty years ago. I'm sure he has more to sell. Check it out for yourself.....

gary alderman jazz

[Hot Ptah]

I wish that Down Beat would put out one of those Cover to Cover CD sets, with all of the content from all of the issues in digital form, like the ones for The New Yorker and Rolling Stone magazines. Then I could get rid of the 35 years of old issues I have in my basement.

Jazz Times, the same thing.

[Leeway]

There was a time when a Downbeat review meant something; that was a long time ago. I do enjoy the old issues.

The current generation of jazz mags are so corrupted with PR flackery and timid musical tastes that, aft many years, I finally dropped my subscriptions in frustration. Jazz Times was/is simply dreadful. I don't miss either magazine at all. And there is less to take to the recycle bin

[jazzcorner]

On 8.6.2011 at 5:26 PM, Big Beat Steve said:

For a while the softcovers and hardcovers coexisted. I have the first four as softcovers and the fifth one as a hardcover. Fine works! Unfortunately rare and fairly pricey on eb.. and elsewhere.

 Missing Volume VII

Here is the rest

Edited March 5, 2020 by jazzcorner

[gvopedz]

Hard to forget the rating that a Down Beat (15 June 1967) review gave to Coltrane’s Kulu Se Mama.  The review began with “Rating: see below” and ended with “Rating: None. All.”

[Gheorghe]

Once I heard that Arnold Jay Smith did one or two interviews with Mingus quite towards the end of Mingus´ live. I would have liked to read them or to know what they talked About.