Berkshire Music Outlet

[Ken Dryden]

I've shopped Berkshire Music Outlet sporadically over the years, because their website was a pain to search.

They have reformatted it and it's better. There are quite a few interesting titles available in jazz and classical,

most of them bargains.

https://www.broinc.com

[felser]

I agree they have some interesting stuff, and ordered from them in the past, but ultimately came to the conclusion several years ago that the reward wasn't worth the time/effort.  Will look at the new site format.

[T.D.]

I was a major customer in the late '90s through mid -00s. Have not shopped there for at least 2 years because the new website (esp. search engine) was absolute dogshit.

BRO supposedly fixed the search engine a month or two ago, and it does look better. I'm still on their weekly e-mail list, and my last few searches didn't find anything compelling, but I only looked for classical.

[Added] Even in recent years, until the website went to pot, I found Berkshire a great source for recordings of Renaissance polyphonic music; they always have a great inventory of Hyperion CDs (and some more exotic labels if the search engine is up to snuff). Also a few UA classical boxes, e.g.  Budapest '51-52 Beethoven quartets (OK, that was before the cheaper/better Sony box came out ).

Edited December 20, 2019 by T.D.

[carville]

I used to go there 4-5 times a year in the 80's and 90's when they had store hours. So many great finds. I did not know they were still in business.

[Rooster_Ties]

Gosh, I'm sure I used to order stuff from them years and years ago -- but it must have been 10-15 years ago, and I barely remember anything other than I have some familiarity with the name is all.  Will have to check out their new site then.

[Ken Dryden]

There are some ECM titles, jazz imports, DVDs that were of interest to me. If you want some laughs, pick up the 1997 Jazz Awards concert. I was talking to Marian McPartland about it prior to it taking place and she said, "When I learned that Michael Bolton was on the bill I though about not ----ing going..." The editing of the Basie tribute medley was an absolute mess. 

[JSngry]

On every order, I try to remember to search for "saxophone" and look at anything that's not jazz. And then pick one.

Seriously.

[T.D.]

I just found quite a bit of interesting classical and placed an order, breaking a long dry spell (at least 3 years, as best I can recall). The BRO website still sucks bad wind IMO, and required a considerable degree of patience to navigate.

Edited December 28, 2019 by T.D.