By Chris White
You've just heard a cool track on your favorite jazz radio station. You can't wait to order the CD. Where can you get it right away? Chances are you'd be able to head right to the Jazz Record Mart and find it.
Walk through the doors of this large haven for jazz fans and you'll see hundreds of CDs, LPs, cassettes, DVDs, 45s, 78s, t-shirts, magazines, posters, out of print pieces, everything you'd hope for. The store, claiming to be the largest of its kind in the world, has probably over a quarter of a million pieces, estimates Bob Koester, owner and founder. 8,500 square feet of jazz and blues merchandise!
The Jazz Record Mart is 50 years old. Its humble roots began in St. Louis in 1952 when Koesler sold jazz and blues records out of his dorm room to eager collectors. In 1958, with his collection ever expanding, he moved to Chicago to the Auditorium Theater. It was then known as Seymour's Jazz Mart. Famed owner of the Jazz Showcase Joe Segal once worked here. For four years it thrived until the demand for a larger space required Bob to move his store to a spot on Grand Ave, where a 3,000 square foot area gave him much needed breathing room. For the last six years it's been at its current location at Wabash and Illinois.
The store layout makes it easy to find what you want. For example, how many jazz record stores have a vocalist section as well as individual artists subdivided into their various labels? I was surprised and delighted to find Oscar Peterson's CD section divided into his recordings on Verve, Pablo and Telarc!
After much perusing of the bins and finding items I'd hope would be there, I picked up a free catalog at the store entrance. This saved me from spending at least another hour looking around. In the catalogue I found CD specials, an out of print LP list, a new vinyl list, cassette specials and forty 99 cent LPs (I'm going to have to go back to pick a few of these up). A very useful 40-page booklet. This is available for free, sent to your door four times a year (e-mail the address below).
LP aficionados will want to spend some extra time looking around. Koester has taken advantage of the industry's tendency to dump its inventory by buying deleted items and older stock from various labels. He's learned that jazz fans don't necessarily need the latest format to be satisfied, so LPs and cassettes are certainly desirable to have on the shelves. Currently there is a bargain bin of out of print Delmark label cassettes of local Chicago artists for 99 cents worth checking out. John Young, Brad Goode, Jodie Christian, Ira Sullivan, Ed Peterson, all for under a buck.
The store also features various live shows throughout the year. In addition to local artist performances, the JRM has an annual performance that coincides with the Chicago Jazz and Blues festivals. Here you can enjoy a complimentary buffet to go along with the music. Check their website listed below for further details.
Koester estimates there are roughly 25,000 CDs and 10,000 LPs on the shelves and in the bins. There is hardly a need to special order items with this kind of stock. And you can always check the website after hours or if you're out of town to take a peek at what's in. If you're a jazz fan and you're coming to Chicago for a visit, the JRM is absolutely a must. You'll probably find that hard-to-find CD your local store didn't have.
The Jazz Record Mart
444 North Wabash
Chicago, Illinois 60611-3480
1-800-684-3480
Hrs: Mon-Sat 10am to 8pm
Sun. Noon to 5pm
Best Times to Call: Mon-Wed 10am –1pm
Sun. Noon-5pm
http://www.jazzmart.com (website)
jazzmart@delmark.com (email)
