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Joined 10 years ago

This nationally known music store is to jazz and blues what the Library of Congress is to books.. The Scene
Jazz Record Mart owner Bob Koester (who also owns Delmark Recordings) approaches his store's inventory of CDs, tapes and records with the same encyclopedic love of music that his legendary label offerings exhibit. The sheer volume can be intimidating (several trips are required to truly grasp all that's here), but Koester and staff show their flair and knowledge with an extremely cool display of killer recordings for beginners.

The Goods
The inclusive inventory extends from jazz to a healthy catalog of world-beat offerings and an assortment of Jimi Hendrix, reflecting jazz's links with other musical forms. And yet, demonstrating the store's healthy amount of old-school attitude, a recent visit yielded just one of each Jonny Lang CD in the bins, but a staggering assortment of jazz vinyl accompanied by a turntable.