Jazz & Blues Music | Film & Music

Jazz and blues are arguably two of the most popular genres of music. They have been around for a long time and periodically enjoy a revival when a new generation of solo artists or even boy bands discover jazz or blues for the first time and re-release some of the most popular songs. So, whether you have been a jazz or blues fan for a long time or you have just recently become interested in these great styles of music, it is important that you know where to look and what to look for when buying your music.

Where can you buy jazz and blues music
Most High Street music shops will stock a good range of jazz and blues music. If you are looking for some of the popular tracks and artists then it is likely that you will be able to find what you want in a local music shop. You will probably be able to easily buy music from some of the jazz and blues greats such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington or Muddy Waters. However, if you are looking for older, rare or collectable music, a less well-known artist, or you want a vinyl 12" or 45 records instead of a CD, cassette or DVD you may have to look for other sources to locate what you want. You can try searching online for specialist suppliers of jazz and blues who will stock a wider range of artists and types of music that will interest you. Also, have a look at some of the online classified adverts websites where, not only will you be able to find music suppliers, you will also find adverts placed by individuals who are interested in jazz and blues and are willing to sell some of their collection privately. Other sources of jazz and blues music include music magazines, second-hand shops, charity shops and even car boot sales.

Buying second-hand music
If you are a real jazz or blues enthusiast and are looking for some rare, collectable, original classic New Orleans Jazz or traditional jazz or blues music as opposed to modern re-recordings or some of the very popular artists, you will probably not be able to buy the music you want new. Instead, you will most likely end up buying second-hand music. This is not a problem as long as you know what to ask the seller and what to check up on before you buy.

If you are buying in person from a second-hand shop or a car boot sale then make sure that you spend some time looking carefully at the record / CD / cassette to check for any visible damage. If you find some damage make sure that you negotiate the price down a bit so that you are not overcharged for something that may not sound great (or even play at all!) when you get it home.
If you are buying online, try your best to find out exactly what condition the music is in before you buy it. Look out for websites that provide a scoring system to indicate the condition as this means that you may have some comeback if, when you receive the music, it is not in the condition it was advertised as being in.
Check postage and packing charges when buying online because, even although the price being charged for the music seems reasonable, it may cost the same again -- or more -- for postage and packing.
Ask how the seller intends to package the music to make sure that you limit the chances of it being damaged in the post. This is particularly important when buying vinyl music.
Look out for websites that supply a photo of what you intend to buy and, if a photo isn't supplied, ask for one. Most people have a digital camera these days and should be able to email a picture to you.
Try your best to find out if everything you want is being supplied. For example, make sure that a vinyl record comes with the original sleeve or that a cassette comes with the original box.
It is now very easy to download music from the web so make sure that what you are buying is original and hasn't just been downloaded onto a CD, breaching copyright law and leaving you open to prosecution.
Make sure that the payment method is secure when buying over the web.
Find out if the supplier has a returns policy so that you can return the music and get a refund if you find out that it is not what you wanted or not exactly what was advertised when you receive it. Online purchases are covered to some extent by the Distance Selling Directive in the UK but there are notable exemptions from this which include music downloads.

Jazz and blues music are some of the most popular genres of music ever. They both have a long history and, over the years, many great artists have arisen from these timeless forms of music. If you are a fan, it is thus important that you know how to find and buy the music you know and love.