By Peter Luce Internet newsgroups have been described as "the most exuberantly anarchic experiment in collective free speech in human history." At last count there were about 20,000 newsgroups floating around in cyberspace. Incongruously, only one of them, rec.music.bluenote, is completely devoted to jazz! Other newsgroups, with some jazz content or other content of interest to jazz fans, are listed below. The One and Only: rec.music.bluenote This is it! The mother-lode. An international forum for ongoing discussion of almost everything related to jazz. Seek and offer advice on the best Miles Davis record, ask for opinions on the latest Mosaic reissues, or join-in on a raging debate on whether Wynton Marsalis is good or bad for jazz. rec.music.bluenote is informative, educational, provocative and loaded with opinions, some brilliant and some not. If you want to talk jazz, this is the place to hang-out. Message volume: About 35 postings per day. "Hey Kid, Want Any Deep Groove Blue Notes?": Newsgroups on Collecting, Buying & Selling rec.music.collecting.vinyl rec.music.collecting.cd These newsgroups are for postings directly related to music collecting as a hobby. Some sample topics: Collection care, storage, and display Valuation, appraisals, and insurance Useful references (price guides, discography’s, etc.) Favorite retailers, real-world and online Reissues and specialty releases - quality and availability As you might guess, rec.music.collecting.vinyl is the more active group with an average of 20 messages per day vs. 7 postings to rec.music.collecting.cd. rec.music.marketplace.vinyl rec.music.marketplace.cd Sample topics for rec.music.marketplace groups: "Wanted / For Sale" postings Messages offering musical recordings and memorabilia for sale Messages seeking out musical recordings and memorabilia for purchase Vinyl collectors, in particular, will find rec.music.marketplace.vinyl extremely valuable. Used vinyl shops with good jazz stock aren’t exactly on every corner. rec.music.marketplace.vinyl offers collectors access to a worldwide market for selling/auctioning and buying records in all price categories. The group is not the exclusive domain of capital "C" collectors. The newsgroup is a source of great jazz records in the $3.00 to $10.00 range. "Is it OK to Play Jazz on a Bosendorfer?": Newsgroups on Specific Instruments rec.music.makers newsgroups are aimed at individuals who play or who have a strong interest in specific instruments. Jazz content is limited, but does vary from group to group. rec.music.makers.jazz rec.music.makers.bass rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz rec.music.makers.percussion rec.music.makers.piano rec.music.makers.saxophone rec.music.makers.trumpet