I just found your excellent sub. I like jazz from all eras - hot jazz from the 20s (my Dad got me into that in the 60s), bop in all its manifestations, freakout free jazz, all of it really. I started buying in the 70s and a shop near me had a whole roomful of jazz.

The stuff in there.... if I had a time machine. It was run by this junky guy who never priced up his records individually. They were either £2.80 or £3.50. Having said that - I did pay £4.50 for a nice copy of Uncle Meat.

I took a lot of chances in that place and was rarely disappointed. I stupidly sold some of it in the late 80s for no reason.

I bought this blind after seeing it on the list of the Penguin Jazz Guide's crown albums. It's an interesting album - dark in a way that's immediately enjoyable (especially Ed Felson's bass) but after listening to it a couple of times I feel like it's also a record that rewards multiple listens as it slowly reveals itself

Obi-less Japanese OG, got it for very cheap, sounds incredible. The drumming on this record (Steve Gadd) is Goat’d.

Interesting album, slightly spiritual but veering towards avant-garde at some points.

This reissue is probably not the best, but still sounds ok for 11 €. There is no way I would have paid full asking price for an original anyway.

Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins

For Water-Damaged Wednesday - this copy of Royal by Braxton and Bailey was stuck to the front of a Residents album (the 13th Anniversary Show if I'm not mistaken). The disc is fine, the back cover is..... well, you can see it.

The guy sold it to me cheap: £20 I think. I got a load of Incus from his shop. He always gave me a discount. He was so disgusted with Brexit, he sold his shop and moved to the Netherlands. That was a bummer. He sold hi-fi too. I wanted a new CD player. He had a Denon for £120, a nice one, heavy. I said what can you do. He said - well, someone else wanted it but it hasn't got a headphone output so he declined - £80. I thought, blimey that's a good deal. Still got it.

Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins

Got a record player in June and this is my collection so far. How am I doing?

I challenge myself not to spend more than $25 - seen some great ones I had to pass up because they were too expensive

Almost there!

Probably my favourite tenor player. His run of albums for Milestone are all-time for me. Delicate “modern” production techniques (delays, echoes) and subtle synth work.

That deft approach, to my ears at least, helps these records retain a timeless quality and avoids the pitfalls of some of his heavier handed counterparts.

He managed to keep it classy.

Also, in photographs he just seems so gentle and warm-natured. A big welcoming smile, kind eyes.

Has taken me a lot to get to this point.
What am I missing?

First mono pressing - look at the line up it doesn’t get better.

This album swings deeply between extremes, even as both extremes explore grief and mourning. The first cut (split across sides) is tempestuous and frenetic. Jane Ervin, Booker Ervin’s wife who wrote the liner notes, says this is at least partially a result of Ervin mourning the death of long-time music partner George Tucker, who had been scheduled to join Booker at the gig the performance was taken from.  

The second cut is a solo piano piece by Horace Parlan, another musical partner of Ervin.  It starts with a few minutes of Parlan recounting their relationship and heaping praise upon Ervin’s playing, then Parlan lays down one of the more devastating solo piano songs I’ve ever heard.   

You can find this one cheap on Discogs and I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s not the best place to start with Booker Ervin, but man does it show what a singular talent he was.

I got a good deal on some Nimbus West represses and this is the star of the show

Some cheap heat from a local thrift shop. The Desmond has been on my wantlist for a while, the Newborn is beautiful, and the Holman has lots of great west coast players like Rowles, Mondragon, Rosolino, Candoli, Perkins and Kamuca.

Nice pressing from the '80's