Re: [ARSCLIST] Tower Records

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm not sure Solomon owns anything Everest anymore. The Everest classical stuff seems to be owned by 
Universal, in fact I was told the 35mm mag films are in the vaults at Berliner Studios in Germany. 
As for the jazz/pop stuff, it's not clear who owns it but it is licensed and distributed by 
Universal. Here, for example is "Herman's Heat and Puente's Beat" CD:
http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=1133822

Note that the distributor is listed as Universal.

Here is the label that has been reissuing Everest jazz stuff recently:
http://www.empiremusicwerks.com/

The sound quality is awful on these CD's, at least the ones I made the mistake of buying! It sounds 
like the master tapes are long lost and they are transferred from scratchy LPs. I was lucky enough 
to borrow quarter-track commercial reels of the Woody Herman albums and they sound night and day 
better. My original LP of "Herman's Heat and Puente's Beat" is hopelessly scratched. Some little 
label in Europe put out most of the Herman/Puente, and two songs of Herman/Puente and Charlie Byrd 
which I don't even think was from an Everest album, on CD in the early 90's. That material actually 
sounded like it came from a tape -- maybe not the master tape but definitely not from a scratchy LP.

-- Tom Fine

PS -- As for Tower Records, I remember when they came to Manhattan. We used to make an annual 
pilgrimage, pockets full of saved cash and topped off with Christmas money, and drop many a dead 
president for records. My preferred mecca was J&R Music World, which had a separate jazz store and 
had a huge and deep imports section to feed my British rock and punk needs. Once CD's replaced LPs, 
Tower and J&R were equally stocked and Tower was closer to Grand Central and around the corner from 
where my brother lived at the time, so we'd be more likely to go there. Nowadays, Tower is closed 
and empty and J&R sells mostly electronics, computers and cellphones.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Smolian" <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 1:47 PM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Tower Records


I understand that the Rockville, MD Tower store is being reopened under new ownership.  The rumor I 
heard (from an employee) is that interests from Everest Records are behind it.

Bernie Solomon, who owns Everest Records, is related to the late Maynard and Seymore Solomon who 
owned Vanguard, et seq.

Russ Solomon founded Tower and recently expressed an interest in buying the chain post-bankrupcy.

Is Russ Solomon related to the Vanguard/Everest clan?

If this is a development, what is transpiring?

Steve Smolian