Mole Jazz
My fathers favourite place for jazz records. I recall an incident on a freezing cold February in 1977 when a guy came in with a box of LPs and placed them under the counter whilst he browsed...they had electric heaters placed under the counter and you can guess what happened. I think the shop eventually was connected to "'Rays Jazz". Comment: Peter Le Faucheur.
(June 21, 2014) najponk said:Art Pepper - Milcho Leviev recordings from Ronnie Scott´s 1980!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Nov 14, 2013) Anonymous said:The shop ceased to trade in 2004 when lease renewal was deemed uneconomic. It's stock was transferred to Harold Moores in Great Marlborough Street W1 (near junction with Poland Street) which still sells Jazz records under the care of Andy Wiersma who also transferred from Mole.
Name Matthew Wright Comment: The shop was set up by Graham Griffiths, Ed Dipple and Pete Fincham - see the clipping written by Jim Godbolt in a copy of Jazz at Ronnie Scott's magazine. It was never connected to Ray's Jazz but it did take over Asman's in New Row for a short time, following the death of James Asman. (May 31, 2017)
Comment
Dread to think how much i spent in there over the years. Caught the habit of listening to the cricket commentary while also playing jazz from my time in there.
Name
Simon Hardy
(2021)
Comment
So many memories c.1987-2004.Phenomenal jazz record shop,I remember the adverts in Jazz Journal magazine saying 'over 100 Japanese lps always in stock!' Then there was 'The Dutch Collection',22,000 lps purchased from Holland,it filled the collectors items bins to overflowing.So many lps they had to be stored in storage space under the railway arches at Kings Cross! Still got many Blue Note Liberty lps bought there for around £20 each.The auction lists were unbelievable,where did they find all those records?
You could play the secondhand lps upstairs (staffed for a while by Maureen Vernon,ex Asman's)until the cartridge was stolen off the player!
Ben Cree ran auction on top floor,Martin Allerton used to sit in the shop facing black and white tv monitors to deter shoplifters.it was first port of call on my buying excursions, sometimes after Honest Jon's in Portobello Rd,but that's another story.Some stock went to Harold Moores but it was never the same.I miss the smell of the shop,the general 'run down' nature of the area,and the chance to find real rarities before they went to the auction lists.They don't make them like that anymore.....
Name
Wayne Wheeler
(2020)
Comment
Bought my first Red Nichols albums (brilliant series compiled by Stan and Steve Hester) there in late 1978 when I was working in the Caledonian Road. The shop was pretty new then (opened in the June) and I remember the record racks still smelt of sawdust. Fabulous.
Name
Jeremy Isaac
(2022)
