'Selling Old Records' and 'Finding New Favourites'

Sounds Good!

Hey, guess what? This weekend, for the first time in my life, I’m going to be a record seller at a record fair. I’ve been to a few record fairs – but usually as a buyer. (Sometimes as one of the DJs, propelling the soundtrack). But this time I’m going to be selling some of my records. And not just any old junk. I’m selling a lot of the good stuff. Great albums by great musicians. I have great memories that I probably feel were shaped by these very records – or at least the music on them. But I can retain those memories. And I can let the records have a second (or in many cases, third) life since I’m not playing them as much as I used to. Or at all.

I know. So many people with collections can’t bear even the thought of parting with their books or records or vintage toys or sneakers or whatever it is that makes up their fixation…

But sometimes it’s a necessity.

I trade records all the time. I’ve done swaps, I’ve taken crates of records to the secondhand stores and swapped them for a big old credit-note in order to ‘buy’ new albums. I’ve exchanged the music I no longer listen to or need for cold hard cash. Because we always need that.

But this time I’m parting with more of ‘my’ music than I ever have previously. Hoping to part with it at least. I need the money. And I’m telling myself I no longer need the music – at least not in and on that particular format. And I mean it. I’m not working hard to convince myself of that fact. I haven’t sabotaged today’s newsletter just to convince myself that it’s all okay to be doing this. Really, I haven’t. Honestly. Promise. Trust me.

Look, the opening poem in my book (The Death of Music Journalism– released in October last year)was about this very thing. When I first sold a few CDs – to help pay the power bill, or phone bill, or both – I was a nervous wreck. I panicked. I was sweating. I stopped to smoke a cigarette. And then I returned to the room and started adding things to the pile with far less of a delay. Something clicked. I no longer needed this music. And/or I needed the other things (including, ironically, power, to um play music…)

This has been an ongoing thing ever since. Here’s another poem about that exact subject (this one didn’t make the book – and fair enough eh).

Music has defined me – I’ve allowed myself to be defined by it, wanted to be defined by it, for my entire adult life. And for most of my teenage years. (Though I was once very nearly a sports star. True. Just a sports-star-in-the-making that travelled everywhere with a Walkman and a collection of tapes).

I’m telling people about tomorrow’s record fair in Wellington (10am-3pm at Bedlam and Squalor, 18 Garrett St, free entry, Saturday, April 10) because it’s time for me to part with some of the burden of my collection, the burden of being a collector. Plus: you – or someone you know – might get a bargain.

I’ve got a lot of records to sell. I’m not quite giving them away. But I’m offering fair prices and some of them are very cheap. A few of them are rather rare.

---

But look, that’s just the first part of today’s newsletter. And it’s no cry for help – I have my newsletter subscribers, and I’m so grateful for them. That’s you. Thank you! I have some other work from time to time – and I will find some other work again. At least I sure hope to.

And music – these days – is free as the breeze. We don’t need the double vinyl gatefold to enjoy the latest and greatest. We can find more of the old-old stuff online now than was ever the case digging in stores. And I’ve always been across as many of the formats as I can be. A part of my soul was given away years ago when I started writing about music. A big part of it corrupted by receiving ‘free’ music when it was some sort of currency. Now I trade in it still by offering recommendations.

So I want to tell you about my new favourite. Actually, José James has been on my radar for a few years now – and he’s pretty much knocked it out of the park with every album he’s released. But his new one is something else!

This is a double live album – you can buy the CD or the LP, you can stream it here, there and pretty much everywhere…

And you can watch some clips of the performances. What a singer. And what a band. This, to me, is heart-and-soul music. At one point he starts singing about “winter in America” and he’s already evoked Gil Scott-Heron long before he takes that line and makes it both his own and a clever reference.

James was a jazz singer. That’s how I first knew him. He first really lit my world up with a tribute to Billie Holiday. You’ll probably know already that I’m such a fan of Ms. Lady Day. And though I don’t seek out tribute albums generally, nor any cover versions of Billie particularly, there was just something hypnotic about this – James’ rich voice and wise decisions, his song instincts, his way of communicating a tune. I went back to his earlier albums almost immediately. I found good things by James as a writer too. His original songs felt, in some cases, like modern classics – new soul gems.

But actually covers are most definitely a thing for James. He’s very good at them. My very first time hearing him – in fact – was on a really great record called Rising Son by Takayu Kuroda. And on that James is a guest vocalist for a rendition of Roy Ayers’ warm and wonderful Everybody Loves The Sunshine.

And a couple of years ago he released a Bill Withers tribute album. I reckon the world needed that too – Bill wasn’t ever going to do his act again, hadn’t for years. Now we don’t even have Withers (R.I.P). As with the Holiday tribute, the thing I love most about a José James cover (or set of covers) is that he’s not trying to replace the original, he’s not trying to compete with it, he’s offering his love of and for that original take in his version. You feel that. It’s impossible for me not to hear that.

So, look, I’m not rushing out the door to buy New York Live (2020) on fancy-pants vinyl. I don’t own any of James’ albums on vinyl. I probably never will. And I’ll resist any urge because I’m trying to break the cycle of absurd record collector speak when the alleged ‘ultimate’ thing one can say to prove fandom is, “I’ve got that…ON VINYL” I have no José James albums on viny! Or CD. I’m not waiting for a hipster cassette version either. I find his music on Spotify and YouTube. (I’ve been sent reviewer’s promo links too – for at least a couple of his albums). The fact that I don’t ‘own’ his music doesn’t mean he’s not as important to me as D’Angelo (more so, actually) or very nearly Prince or James Brown or, well, Bill and Billie…

Well, it’s never a competition of course.

But I wanted to share his new album with you. And my belief in his career to date. My fandom too. (I’ve also reviewed recent/ish record, No Beginning No End 2, so might as well share that link in here as well eh). And look, if you ever needed anymore proof that this man can make almost anything work in a cover version he won me over with not just a Billie Joel cover (I hate Billy Joel!) but perhaps the most fucking naff Billy Joel song ever. Don’t believe me. Listen!

So, it’s Friday – as I write this and probably as you read it – so you know I like to share some playlists. Below is a bunch of the José James songs that I’ve dug over the years, a starter kit if you will. Highlights.

And then, of course, volume seven of A Little Something For The Weekend. The latest edition of the weekly playlist to get your weekend started.

I hope you’ve had a great week – a short week back after Easter. Wish me luck with the sales tomorrow. Come and grab a bargain, or say hi – or both – if you’re in Wellington. I’m such a cheeseball I’m even going to have copies of The Death of Music Journalism with me if you want to buy one and get me to sign it.

---

Once again here’s all the details for the record fair. Pass them on to your record-loving friends in Wellington if you’re reading this in a town or city that is not New Zealand’s capital.

Let me know what you think of José James if you check his stuff out. Or maybe you’re already a fan? And have you struggled to part with parts of your collection? Or are you a regular trader?