Double-bass player Mike Sage first opened a specialist jazz record shop at 11, Broad Street, Bath in 1991. Mike was not new to the recording world having worked previously for the UK marketing branch of Phillips. The Bath Compact Discs shop, also in Broad Street, had until then stocked both classical and jazz discs but in 1991 they suggested to Mike that he take over the jazz side of the business in part of their premises. Mike seized the opportunity, and over the next 15 years, built up a well-respected focus in the West Country for jazz music.
In August 1996, Mike retired. Fortunately, drummer Jonathan Turner had been working in Bath Compact Discs, knew Mike, and agreed to take over the shop.
There is a passageway off Broad Street between Bath Compact Discs and Broad Street Jazz, but the two businesses still work closely together. The jazz shop is not large, but the range of stock is impressive, and there is an informal atmosphere where customers can take their time browsing undisturbed and are able to ask Jon or his assistant Tony if they have any queries.
Jon tries to meet the needs of a wide range of customers and his stock finds Jelly Roll Morton discs close to those of Brad Mehldau. In the eighteen months that he has run the shop, Jon has noticed a growing interest from younger customers and very recently, two fourteen-year old girls came in to ask for advice on which John Coltrane record they should buy. In a way, this is not surprising as Jon has noticed that jazz is increasingly being taught as part of music courses at schools and colleges, and young musicians are becoming interested in the range of jazz music available.
There is an argument that shops are being hit by more people buying discs online, or downloading their jazz, but this did not seem to be a particular problem for Jon’s business. It appears that there is not a wide range of jazz to download (something raised previously by Howard Gabe who wrote to us from Brazil), and although people do buy on line, many still like to visit a shop where they can look at the choice presented in one place, find out a little more information and take their time browsing through the stock. One of Jon’s customers said that whilst he also picks up bargains in second-hand shops he still visits Broad Street Jazz regularly.
During the time I was talking with Jon, five customers visited the shop. All of them browsed and went away with CDs. One woman bought two, including one of the discs by Brad Mehldau. The other four customers Jon knew by their first names, as he does with many of his regular visitors. He also knows their interests and was able to tell one of them, a trombone player, of a new Frank Rosolino CD that had arrived. The customer asked if he could listen to it ( not a problem), and then bought it.
Asking Jon about the competition offered by larger record shops like HMV and Zavvi, he said that HMV in Bath carried a reasonable range of jazz discs, but this was not always the case with the larger chains. Joining the discussion, a customer commented that the larger chains did not carry the range and choice of stock that they found in Broad Street Jazz and rather than Jon’s shop being more expensive, his discs were often a pound or two cheaper.
The regular customers all discussed different aspects of jazz with Jon, and this daily exchange of information must equip Jon well, both in knowing what is going on in the jazz world and in being able to advise his customers. This is an asset that is not so likely to be found in the larger shops or through on-line services.
There is a small selection of Blues CDs in the shop and a good selection of jazz DVDs, but it was a surprise to find a selection of new vinyl LPs, including Miles Davis’s ‘Kind Of Blue’. These are recent stock acquisitions in response to a renewed interest in customers for vinyl and a step taken by some record companies to start producing them again. Jon is also considering stocking a range of books on jazz.
Broad Street Jazz has a mailing list of about 2000 people. These customers will receive an occasional catalogue by post and from this month, a quarterly Newsletter giving details of ‘essential new releases, special offer promotions and great recordings from recent months that may have passed you by’. Let Jon know if you would like to be added to his mailing list.
There appear to be only a few specialist record shops in the UK. Apart from Broad Street Jazz in Bath we are aware of Ray’s Jazz above Foyles in London’s Charing Cross Road and Jazz ‘N’ Blues at 115 City Road in Norwich. If you know of others, please let us know. These shops are well worth a visit.
Broad Street Jazz is at 11, Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ.
Telephone 01225 427494.
email: jt at broadstreetjazz.com.
Ian Maund 2008