Re: [ARSCLIST] obituary - Franz Jolowicz, Discophile NYC

[Peter Hirsch <punto@xxxxxxxx>]

I saw the obit for Franz (I never knew he had a last name, he was always 
simply Franz and all my record hound buddies 30 some years ago knew who 
you were referring to when you said "Franz") online and it had quite an 
impact on me. First of all, the owner of an independent record store 
specializing in imports and obscure domestic label getting a NY Times 
obit is worth remarking on. But, more than that, I was brought back to 
an era when my universe included the Record Hunter, unnamed second hand 
stores on 4th Avenue where you could graze endlessly through 25¢ bins of 
78s, that place on 43rd Street near 5th Ave. (name eludes me for the 
moment). the record section at the rear of Patelson's Music House, Max 
Draisner cursing a blue streak at everyone and improvising his prices as 
the mood suited him while playing open reel tapes of Met broadcasts at 
his unnamed shop on 8th Avenue and 18th. Even the little village of 
Hempstead where I graduated from HS in 68 had its Radio City Records, 
presided over by "Swede" and I still have some of the (mostly mono - we 
only owned one speaker and my parents remained skeptical on the stereo 
issue well into the 80s and beyond) albums bearing its rubber-stamped 
name, address and phone number on  them. On the road in the 1970s, I 
learned to drop in on local emporia like Rose Records in Chicago, when 
passing through. Even Tower was an exciting source of cutouts if you 
happened to be passing through San Francisco 25 or so years ago. Later, 
(in the early 90s, I think) after Discophile had closed, I found Franz 
presiding over the remaining vinyl at Bremen House up on 86th Street, 
still very much in his element, but at some point, while I wasn't paying 
attention, it came quietly to an end. I know that you can still dig 
around in second hand bins here and there (and I do) but it just is not 
the same.

I never really had a conversation with him. Just a question now and then 
on whether he could get something I saw listed in Bielefelder or 
Gramophone or if he would be willing to set something aside for me when 
I was short on funds, so I didn't get to really know him, but somehow he 
found his way to a place in my consciousness that he was rudely summoned 
from by the sighting of his photo a few days ago. I guess the fact  the 
medium of delivery has much improved and the means of discovery (mostly 
online) has also been upgraded is hard to ignore, but nowadays I am 
always dying to make my purchase and get home as soon as possible - the 
sense of browsing for the pleasure of it has become mightily diluted and 
I don't think it is all due to my doddering into fogeyhood in my sixth 
decade. Anyhow, it is bittersweet to read the Franz is no more and feel 
the wash of memory that his obit dredged up.

Peter Hirsch

Steven Smolian wrote:

> The store was originally owned by Joe Greenspan.  The two record 
> clerks who first worked for him were Paul Rothschild, who went on to 
> produce many records for Elektra and Ms Joplin's last, "Pearl,"  and 
> myself.  We both went on to other things before Joe died and Franz 
> took over.
>
> Steve Smolian
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Stern" <sternth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 1:35 PM
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] obituary - Franz Jolowicz, Discophile NYC
>
>
> >  This may be of interest.  I remember many happy hours spent at the 
> > Discophile store, and many great recordings
> > I was introduced to by Franz Jolowicz.  It is sad to note his death.
> >
> > http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/arts/music/04jolowicz.html