Magic Flute record store

[Brian Nation]

John Doheny said

The big stores in Vancouver (Virgin, A&B Sound) will not stock your product unless you are handled by a recognized distributor.

The Magic Flute (2203 West 4th Avenue) has been doing a great job of stocking local and Canadian jazz CDs. Tim Keenliside (no, not Tom Keenlyside) whom some of you will remember from Black Swan Records years ago is the man on the case there.

[John Doheny]

Magic Flute stocks my CDs, as well as many other local folks. It's also the only place I've ever seen those CBC "Hot Air" compilations that always have so much cool local stuff on them. Independantly owned stores in Vancouver are generally quite supportive of local artists.

As anybody pushing an indie release will tell you though, the big chains are a tough sell. I should say though, in fairness to Virgin and A&B in Vancouver, Tower Records and Virgin Records in New Orleans don't stock local jazz artists out of the goodness of their hearts. They stock them because they sell. If people in Vancouver pestered those big stores to stock, say, Al Matheson's new CD, or Stu Loseby's, I'm sure they'd be in the bins right quick.

[Guy]

I've seen the CBC "Hot Air" cds at A&B Sound.

[John Doheny]

Good for them. Perhaps their policies on local stuff are improving.

My point was that, in general, independant stores in Vancouver are more supportive of local musicians. This is a longstanding problem in Vancouver. I remember Fraser Macpherson telling me about his attempts to place his first release "Live At The Planetarium" in chain and dept. store shelves. His line was "unless you're going through one of their rack jobbers, you can't GIVE em the product."

My guess is it's a combination of a lack of profitability and bookeeping headaches that keeps indy jazz releases out of major chains in Canada. I don't want to place the blame entirely at the feet of these companies because they are, after all, in business to make money. And yes it's true that there are now lots of alternative sales methods available to the independant jazz artist (internet sales, sales off the front of the stage etc.) But boy, there's something about being able to go down to the local record store and see your record in the rack there... for players of my generation and older, it really makes you feel like you've "arrived." I know it's irrational. But then, going down to Tower Records in New Orleans and sneaking a peek at the "John Doheny" section is irrational too. It's a cheap thrill, but I love it.:-)

I don't want to criticize jazz fans in Vancouver, because the folks who support jazz there REALLY support it. There are people that I've seen at virtually every gig I've ever played there as a leader, certainly every jazzfest gig (Hi Wooly. Good to see ya). That kind of support really means something. But there's just not enough of those folks.

[Brian Nation]

Hi Wooly. Good to see ya.

The followup to this was moved here.

I heard that the Magic Flute was sold last week. Is this true? Who is the new owner?

[Brian Nation]

Yes, the new owner (I don't know who) takes over this month. One of their staff reports that he is "even more committed to stocking jazz at the Flute".