What’s New?

ADDITIONS TO PERMANENT PAGES OF LONDONJAZZCOLLECTOR
LJC is not just a blog, its an educational resource website!   Over 800 topic posts, complemented by hundreds of permanent pages with  unique record labelographies, collecting tips, hi-fi advice, even philosophy.  Ten years in the making and still going strong. (“LJC, don’t you have anything better to do?” Umm…well no, really)

Come to “What’s New?” for an update on the latest additions to the permanent webpages of LJC, organised in pull-down menus below the topic headings across the front page LJC banner. As knowledge has a habit of growing, additions more often will include updates/ re-writes of older pages with corrections of previous errors and omissions.

I don’t just collect records, I collect something I think even more valuable: I collect knowledge. And share it.

ADDITIONS & UPDATES (most recent first)

November 2022

Blue Note Label Cheat Sheet updated November 7, 2022,

Updated to incorporate newly-discovered early 1980s Capitol-EMI “interim labels”, blue label white note design similar to United Artists, but text now states “MFD BY LIBERTY RECORDS INC”, and subsequently, “MFD BY CAPITOL RECORDS INC.” These labels were used for repressing popular titles prior to the major Capitol EMI reissue initiative, launched in the mid-80s under the banner “The Finest In Jazz Since 1939”

Columbia US labels Cheat Sheet – complete revision of labels and dates in line with authoritative Japanese collector’s labelography (November 1, 2022)

October 2022

Degmanetizing Moving Coil Cartridges added to “For Audiophiles” permanent pages (October 4, 2022)

August 2022

Strata East / Pure Pleasure shoot out  of Glass Bead Games by The Vinyl Press added to Guide to Strata East added August 28, 2022 (spoiler: original wins!)

New: Beginner’s Guide To Modern Jazz – Guide to the modern jazz genre for newbies, lots of controversy, feel free to add your own advice, what do I know?  Added 8/8/22

March 2022

New :  Guide to the Capitol Records label (selective) added March 15, 2022. Capitol was a sprawling giant with fingers in many music pies, and many label variations for different genres.  Hence I have picked just the main variations relevant to their very limited jazz artist roster

February 2022

Major additions to the Guide to the Riverside label, prompted by TokyoJazzCollector Hiromasa N. Early white label 210 – 243

January 2022

New Year, new valve power amplifier, reasons to be cheerful –  World Designs custom -build KT-88 (added January 12, 2022)

October 2021

Record label photography: Photo or Scan? How to further enhance photo sharness (added October 18, 2021)

September 2021

Update to Prestige Records label overview to include Fantasy/OJC (1982+) and George Horn mastering, to latest Prestige 70th Series (2019)  Added September 26th 2021

Major update to CD vs Vinyl (2017) about “Life Beyond 20kHz” Added September 13, 2021

August 2021

Riverside UK Interdisc “reissues” –  50’s early 60’s Decca UK   pressings – original US metal (added August 21, 2021)

May 2021

Kind Blue Columbia Case Study: first 1A /1D mono promo (with label error)  comes to light, extremely rare, courtesy of collector Michael C. (added May 30, 2021)

Collector’s Guides to the Prestige Label –  Reference Sets (one label per title):

NY 1st Yellow/Black Fireworks Mono Label Reference Set PR 7001 – 7142

Bergenfield 2nd Yellow/Black Fireworks Mono Label Reference Set  PR 7142 – 7325

Begenfield Black/Silver Fireworks Stereo Label Reference Set PRST 7139 – 7325

February 2021

Collector’s Guide to the Riverside label –  major update to the permanenet pages for Riverside. Now expanded to include a grid of the original pressing label of every title right through to the Orpheum years (1966), including the transition from deep groove to non-deep groove.(added February 10, 2021)

Collector’s Guide to the New Jazz label added to LJC permanent pages (February 9, 2021)

January 2021

Blue Note DBLP Premium Vinyl Reissue Series (2011-4) added to Blue Note in Japan . Includes full listing of 63 albums in the series  (added January 27, 2021)

December 2020

Major update of the Riverside label history, notably the transition to the small label design in 1958, which has now been updated with results of more research. Now includes a full photo set of Riverside labels for every title in its first edition format. (added December 15, 2020)

November 2020

Additions to pages have been minor over the Summer, and I have not updated the What’s New. Only matter of importance is an update to the Comments Policy, which I will repeat here:

This blog is read by people all around the world, some of whom have issues with Britain’s colonial history, and don’t always get my  British sense of humour. During the time of the British Empire, I was not even born, and at the very  tail end of it,  I was still a minor.  I accept no guilt for the “oppression” of anyone by “The British”.    It wasn’t me, guv’,  I never dun it. 

There, I’m glad that’s cleared up any misunderstanding. Now comment away.

April 2020

Blue Note promo stamps – topic not previously covered, includes examples found on original Blue Note and in the Liberty Blue Note years (added April 22, 2020)

Important new finding in Kind Of Blue Research Project – demystifying cover fabrication for Columbia, those numbers on the back bottom corner, and 1959 promos (added April 13, 2020)

Revision and update Guide to the Blue Note Inner Sleeves, now including specific list of catalogue numbers of first pressing (mono) associated with each design ( Revised April 7, 2020

November 2019

Examples of counterfeit Blue Note records, with Van Gelder stamp (and Plastylite ear), originating decades ago from South and East Asia. (added November 27, 2019)

July 2019

After eight years documenting every known detail of Blue Note, a cover address variation (47W63rd No INC. with “23 N.Y.” suffix) turns up that had been overlooked all this time, sent in by eagle-eyed sleuth Baard (Updated July 14, 2019)

June 2019

Mystery European Riverside issue, sent in by reader Dino (added June 23, 2019)

May 2019

WARNING: risk of and prevention of algae growth in ultrasonic record cleaning  machines – added May 21, 2019

April 2019

Re-written the Blue Note Inner Sleeves – (one of LJC most read pages) expanded and rewritten to improve clarity (April 22, 2019)

Update of the Blue Note “Guide to Audio Quality” Graphic    (added April 12, 2019)

Addition of new cost effective alternative for water used in record cleaning – Reverse Osmosis water with additional sterilisation treatment, added to home-brew recipes  Record Cleaning Guide (Second most read page at LJC after the Guide to Blue Note Record Labels) – added April 12, 2019.

March 2019

Republishing important article by Peter Qvortrup, High Fidelity, Decline of the Decades

Peter maps out how different parts of the music recording and reproduction chain have evolved, and in some cases deteriorated, over the decades is the technology. Well worth a read, packed with insight, republished for wider reach. Controversial!! Apparently.

December 2018

Updated LJC Hi-Fi System – equipment configuration graphic   (added December 17, 2018)

Record Cleaning :  added section for styrene records (December 1, 2018)

August 2018

Impulse label guide updates, missing and improved quality labels courtesy of Impulse collector/completist Maurizio

MONO 

STEREO

April 2018

US Record Pressing Plants – stamps, etchings and other identifiers (added April 18, 2018)

Prestige corporate inner sleeves come to light (added April 8, 2018)

February 2018

Comprehensive revaluation and re-write of the  Collectors Guide to  Blue Note: The Liberty Years , as a result of exhaustive (and exhausting!) new research. Last updated February 18, 2018.

December 2017

Jazzland Stereo label-ography kicks off at the end of the mono  sets, now on a dedicated page. JLP 916s through to JLP 970s for each title. Fiendishly hard to find label-shots, as sellers seem not to bother with low-ticket items, many didn’t sell well, and not many people  had a home stereo in 1961-2.  (added December 17, 2017)

Record cleaning – Ultrasonic dedicated page (added December 16, 2017)

November 2017

“Alone Together” Smackdown: Pepper Adams vs Hank Mobley vs Grant Green (2011 posting) – Incorrect rips completely replaced with correct ones at 320kbps to latest audio standard (November 26, 2017)

Finalised Guide To Savoy Records added to permanent pages under Guides to Record Labels (added November 26, 2017)

October 2017

Extensive re-write of Guide to Blue Note Stereo(added October 8, 2017)

September 2017

Impulse Promotional Pack, 1970 (added September 21, 2017)

Kind of Blue Update: significant revisions to the pressing plant history of Columbia, courtesy of W.B New York. (September 2017)

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/record-labels-guide/columbia-records/columbia-matrix-codes-case-study-kind-of-blue/

June 2017

Chamber of Horrors – when records go wrong, bad things can happen (added June 24, 2017)

Newly discovered label from the start of the EMI years, 1980-82, added to the Complete Guide to the Blue Note labels (added June 8, 2017) LJC most-read page updated.

May 2017

Updated United Artists record label guide (added May 20, 2017)

December 2016

Columbia Matrix Codes: case study – “Kind of Blue” added to permanent pages.  Brings together several earlier posts, adds new material, and new findings on a further case study, Columbia CL1193 Milestones  (added December 30, 2016)

Complete labelography of the Division of United Artists Blue Note monos, added to the Blue Note United Artists Years (1970-79) – previously selected titles, now complete with all thirty four titles known. (added December 12, 2016)

November 2016

Listing of Blue Note albums prepared for release, but not pressed, prior to the  company’s sale to Liberty in 1966.  The original first pressing of these thirty five albums was by Liberty, and consequently they lack the Plastylite ear found on all other original Blue Note pressings,though identical in other respects (NY label/Van Gelder etc) . Also added, a schedule of those albums whose mono release was pressed by Blue Note, but whose stereo edition was first pressed by Liberty, similarly without the “ear”(added November 27, 2016)

September 2016

Short note on Blue Note Vocal Albums (added September 25, 2016)

August 2016

Geoffrey Wheeler’s book Jazz By Mail added to the Essential Reading on Jazz and Vinyl page. Cover, forward and Contents pages scans courtesy of Brad S. (added August 12, 2016)

Many additional vintage jazz labels added to the “Other US Labels”  Guide to Record Labels (added August 2016)

July 2016

Cheat sheet for the Verve/Clef/Norgran jazz labels (added July 26, 2016)

First sighting of Abbey Mfg-pressed Blue Note  – only known example not pressed by Plastylite – scroll down to this text and picture:

“…These copies are  NY/47W63rd label, without “ear”,  but with all other etchings present. These are identifiable by a small circular depression around the spindle hole  on side two only – characteristic of pressing dies used by Abbey Mfg at that time.”

June 2016

Refresh and update  of Index Page to Blue Note Records collector guides (added June 27, 2016)

New Guide to the Blue Note EMI Years, 1979 up to the present day  ,  including the ’90s audiophile initiatives, niche markets, transition to CD,  from reissue to repackaging for mood music, themes, the DJ club and dancefloor, high resolution digital and full circle back to vinyl 75th anniversary. (Added June 27, 2016)

Impulse Inner Sleeves 1962-66 – addition of missing sleeves and appearance dates, contributed by collector Denis (added June 25, 2016)

April 2016:

• Dottorjazz First Pressing Fundamentalist’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Blue Note – years in the making, single volume download optimised Acrobat pdf (140mb) now hosted here at LJC on above page. LJC says: “To heck with The Force. May the Ear Be With You” (Uploaded April 25, 2016)

• Significant revision and expansion of the Blue Note Label Guide coverage of the EMI years from 1980 to the present day,  including ’90s Connoisseur and Rare Grooves editions, 75th anniversary editions, and the modern audiophile reissue market – Classic Records, Analogue Productions, and Music Matters. (Updated April 12, 2016)

March 2016:

• Rewrite and major revision of Blue Note in Japan. Makes good previous omissions, revaluates audio quality, makes good some historical errors, incorporates new pictures. (Revised March 21, 2016)

February 2016

• New wine blog commenced by LJC, on the wines of France, entitled Age Improves With Wine.  an artful palindrome. Nothing to do with jazz and everything to do with jazz: the complementary pleasure of music tasting and wine drinking, music drinking and wine tasting (commenced February 21, 2016)

Sample: Kind of Blue, Columbia 1959 : A full-bodied sextet session with blue notes, hints of cool and post-bop. A long finish, which pairs perfectly with  a mellow cabernet sauvignon, or a large single malt.

Post one starts with a French wine geography lesson, thereafter you can follow the occasional adventures of the  LondonWineDrinker. Visitors must be over age 18. Hipsters should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

• Contemporary Records: Further research into the Contemporary Records LK run-out stamps, and vinyl weight (added February 5, 2016)

January 2016

• Complete collectors guide to Contemporary Records, extensively revised, expanded and updated. (last updated January 27, 2016)

November 2015

• Major advance in the understanding of the 9M etching found on early Blue Note Records and similar codes on other labels, thanks to LJC reader Jim R (added November 17, 2015)

September 2015

• Blue Note 1500 series label collection –  helicopter view, original 1st pressing label illustrated guide  (added/ relocated September 6, 2015)

August 2015

• Audiophile Update :steps towards a good analog and digital Hi Fi system updated for the new Avid Acutus Reference SP upgrade (added August 17, 2015)
• Guide to Vee-Jay Record labels added to Record label Guide, (added August 1st, 2015)

July 2015

• Photos of Blue Note addresses  446 and 447 West 50th St. NYC s  as they look today, courtesy of LJC collaborator Diego S  – see footnote to article. (added July 19, 2015)

• It’s been a long time in the making, based on the private collections of 32 different Prestige collectors world wide and the bounty of the Internet, a unique resource The Complete Visual Reference Guide to the Prestige NY Label. Permanent page in the Guide to Record Labels/Prestige and New Jazz. (added July 6th, 2015)

Quick Reference Table for the above Guide to Prestige NY Label (added 6th July, 2015)

April 2015

Prestige GEM covers, (added April 20, 2015)

Columbia record cover manufacturer codes, the sort of information you can well live without, but here it is anyway (added April 17, 2015)

Two books reviews on jazz, vintage writing by Whitney Balliett, highly recommended (added April 13, 2015)

New section Vinyl-tech, on the manufacturing of vintage vinyl, including mothers and stamper numbers, stamper wear, and factors influencing manufacturing quality  (added April 11, 2015)

March 2015

Joy Records added to Other UK Record Labels Guide (added March 15, 2015)

January 2015

Another find in the Blue Note “9m controversy”, a new code is discovered, “14 i” , on a Riverside recording from 1956, bringing the number of these ’50s unique customer codes to six.(added January 26, 2015)

Addition of cover gallery and listing for rare ’50s British jazz label Tempo Records (added to Guides to record labels, January 4, 2015)

December 2014

Impulse! complete Stereo 1st pressing label reference set, all stereo releases A-1-S through to AS-9333 (released 1961-78) added to Guide to the Impulse Label (consolidating earlier individual posts)

Also as above but Mono 1st pressing label reference set, all mono releases A-1 through to  A-9165-A (released 1961-68) added to the Guide to the Impilse Label (consolidating earlier individual posts)  added December 6, 2014.

November 2014

LJC launches the LondonJazzCollector Forum, for people who want a vinyl jazz  topic discussion rather than just comment on my posts. Or lets face it, just like a good argument, and want to escape the drainpipe thread.  It’s hosted by ProBoards, who provide the most popularly used Forum product. (It is not linked to WordPress, who decline to support Forums. Shortsighted.).  You can comment on a topic as a guest or register to join the forum, choosing a screen name and avatar. I’m assuming anyone can start a topic. There’s already one on Sidney Bechet. I’m a member, as is DGmono, so there are people you can argue with (no change there then)  If it works, Steve Hoffman will be quaking in his boots.  I am just the owner. A couple of people have told me they had problems registering –  it’s an experiment for you. You might want to have a nose around, bookmark it,  see if it’s for you. I’m in two minds (and for me that’s two more than usual ). It will work if the opinionated find it fun, and not if they don’t.

Impulse “spine-tingle” – panoramic of two hundred spines. (added November 21, 2014)

Impulse First Pressing Guide – Labelology Part III – the second 100 Stereo  titles       AS-9101-A to AS-9200-A. Four more 5×5 tableaux identifying the US first original pressing. (added November 16, 2014)

Who pressed Prestige metal for UK Esquire? Strong similarities to Decca pressings of the same period emerge from a new “Labelology” of Esquire labels.(added November 16, 2014)

October 2014

Columbia US Labels updated, with Cheat sheet, for 1967 mono two-eye (added October 26, 2014)

DGmono guest post – updated second edition of Blue Note Transition from Mono to Stereo “How They Heard It” (added October 25, 2014)

Labelology: Guide to the first pressings of the Atlantic label, 1200 to 1500 Jazz Series

Part 1: Mono (Added October 2, 2014)

Part 2: Stereo  (Added October 18, 2014)

September 2014

Blue Note and the meaning of the 9M etching  (added to permanent pages September 27, 2014)

Blue Note Reference – 1500 and 4000 series titles – recording session date (most recent where several), month of actual commercial release for both mono, and where applicable, stereo. Transcribed from Cohen/Cuscuna research from Schwann Catalogues (added September 14, 2014)

DottorJazz Illustrated Guide to Blue Note First Pressings, Edition 2 – downloadable pdf in sections – links to Mega server for  Introduction, 1500 series and 4000- 4100 series – still more to be added. Go here (added September 12, 2014)

Blue Note inner sleeves “cheatsheet” added to the Blue Note Label Guide (Sept 9, 2014)

August 2014

The Complete Prestige- Esquire covers, back to back.  Part 1 – Prestige – an illustrated reference guide to the Esquire releases and their Prestige counterpart.  (added August 10, 2014)

Part 2 New Jazz Esquire covers concludes this visual odyssey. An experiment in combining permanent reference pages with transitory (but attention-getting) new topic posts. (added August 11, 2014).

July 2014

Dottor Jazz First Pressing Guide –  links to download from permanent page added; also added “running series” birdseye view of the 1500 Series labels, at 20 per page. (added July 28, 2014)

Latest Advanced Photoshop techniques in high-quality record cover photography for the web (added to LJC Photo School on July 8, 2014)

June 2014

LJC’s definitive guide to the Riverside labels – at last, an authoritative  guide through the mystic maze of Riverside. Memorise it all and amaze your fellow collectors (added June 20, 2014)

Riverside Stereo Catalogue mono equivalents lookup (June 21, 2014)

Unique? An Atlantic record bearing initials of the master engineer, Rudy van Gelder , photo courtesy of Dottor Jazz (added June 4, 2014)

May 2014

Major expansion and rewrite of LJC  Photo-techniques for shooting high quality  LP covers, labels and etchings (added May 21, 2014)

High resolution pictures of the Van Gelder initials and name as found on Blue Note and other labels (added May 4, 2014)

Blue Note Japanese reissues vinyl weight and sonic quality (added May 4, 2014)

April 2014

Blue Note guide to mono, stereo and pseudo stereo (added 6th April 2014)

March 2014

Italian Blue Note added March 31, 2014

The many faces of Decca added March 30, 2014

February 2014
Lots of stuff I didn’t get around to adding to the What’s New section.

January 2014

• US Riverside label Guide expanded to include a forensic view of different plants pressing Riverside (added January 30, 2014)
• Stylus cleaning (updated January 22, 2014)
• Major update of The LJC Blue Note Cheat Sheet to reflect all the recent discoveries about the United Artists years (added January 16, 2014)
• Total rewrite of the Blue Note United Artists Years after extensive further research (updated January 13, 2014 – thanks to Bob Djukic and DG Mono)
• Major expansion of the Guide to Blue Note Japanese Pressings

December 2013

• Division of United Artists: Covers and labels Gallery (added December 31, 2013)
• Major revision and expansion of Blue Note – The United Artists Years (added December 30th, 2013)
• Blue Note Audio Quality – originals pressings and re-issues revisited (added December 28, 2013)
• How LJC shoots records – major update covering newest techniques in record photography, suitable for photography nerds only (added December 25, 2013)
• Columbia Label Guide update, to include 1970 through to 1990 (added December 24, 2013)
• Record label Xanadu added to Guide to record labels (December 19, 2013)
• The Great Jazz Interviews – Downbeat 75th Anniversary  Anthology added to Books on Jazz (December 13, 2013)
• Impulse label timeline 1965-73: a helicopter view of changing design and music (added December 7, 2013)
• Who pressed Esquire records? – a promising new theory (added December 7, 2013)

November 2013

• Scans of original Prestige Catalogue, courtesy of Matty (added November 26, 2013)
• Total refresh of the LJC preferred method of record care and storage, with step by step photographic guide (added November 18, 2013)
• More Prestige madness, a definitive helicopter view of variation in the Fireworks label (uploaded November 11, 2013)
• Major refresh of the Prestige Label Guide ( updated November 10, 2013)
• All the Polls at LJC in one place – over a dozen, all still live, catch up on the final scores or if you haven’t voted, still time to have your say (added Nov. 6, 2013)
• Turntable isolation platforms – are they worth it? (added November 4, 2013)

October 2013

• Expansion of the US Riverside Label Guide to include samples of the small and large size label necessary determine first pressings (added October 26, 2013)
• Cataloging your collection – some hints and tips for keeping your collection in an Excel datasheet, and some useful formulas assuming spreadsheet savvy.(added October 17, 2013)
• Steeplechase Records catalogue listing added to Other European Labels Guide (added October 6, 2013)
• “The Law of Diminishing Returns – another unproven hi-fi maxim” (polemic added to the For Audiophiles pages, October 2, 2013)

September 2013

• Impulse  – update on label variations in the orange/ black ring classic Impulse label which indicate 1st/2nd pressing status ( added September 20th, 2013)
• Links to two excellent jazz blogs Jazz Research and Jerry Jazz Musician added to LJC blogroll (September 15, 2013)
• LJC visitor country of origin stats – updated to September 2013 (Sept 5, 2013)
• Guide to record labels, for completeness, added Decca (September 1, 2013)

August 2013

• Another hifi upgrade:interconnect high-end phono plugs (added August 29, 2013)
• Guide to Record Labels: Other US labels (added August 21, 2013)
• Guide to record labels: Other European labels (added August 21, 2013)
• Guide to Record Labels: Other UK labels (added August 20, 2013)
• Guide to record labels – Bethlehem added (August 20, 2013)
• Reflections on more cable improvements (revised and updated August 17, 2013)
• Guide to record labels – Fantasy (added August 7, 2013)

July 2013

• Blue Note – the United Artists Years (rewritten and updated July 30, 2013)
• The perfect eBay record listing (added July 25, 2013)
• 50s- 60’s UK pressing plants and their matrix code formats (added July 21, 20113)
• Blue Note – Mixed Labels. Welcome to my Blue Note Zoo (added July 10, 2013)

June 2013

• Impulse corporate inner sleeves (added June 23, 2013)
• 4th IKEA Expedit added as collection crosses the 1,000 mark (June 23, 2013)
• Article about LJC published in Connected magazine, Summer 2013, (uploaded scan 3 pages June 5, 2013)
• Candid Records added to the Guide to Record  Labels (June 1, 2013)

May 2013

• Major improvements to coverage of the Impulse label guide (May 31, 2013)

April 2013

• Coltrane Impulse releases on UK HMV – LJC collection (added April 19, 2013)
• Pacific Jazz added to the Guide to Record Labels (added April 6, 2013)

March 2013

• Untangling the story of the European distribution of Columbia records, based on extensive research (added March 30, 2013)
• Guide to the Columbia labels – major overhaul ( March 21, 2013)
•  Guide to Riverside label – major overhaul (updated March 14th, 2013)

February 2013

• Numerous improvements to the Columbia Guide to Record Labels (added February 26th, 2013)
• Photogallery from the Flinterman Collection of original Disques Vogue (added February 18, 2013)
• Guide to Record Labels – RCA ( added February 17, 20123)
• Blue Note: how to read a blurred ebay photo (added February 11, 2013)
• How Jazz Record Collecting Happened – an illustrated guide ( February 4, 2013)
• If you hadn’t spotted it, the LJC banner photo gets a subtle makeover, the Avid Volvere turntable in the corner is replaced by the Avid Sequel, and everything is now  mounted on a new Atacama Eco hifi support system

January 2013

• Guest post on Disques Vogue, and American Jazz in Paris, by Rudolf Flinterman (added January 28, 2013)
• The Esquire Catalogue added to the Record Label Guide for Esquire Records, pictures courtesy of Rudolf and Vera (added January 26, 2013)
• The LJC Gallery presents the  Equire Record Collection “Art Gallery” (added January 22, 2013)
• Results of a study of the back covers of Esquire, the UK licensee for Prestige which released those all-important titles between 1956 and 1964 (added January 21, 2013)
• Recipe for home brew record cleaner for use in vacuum-based record cleaning machines – the audiophile’s most important equipment after the turntable (added January 14, 2013)
• Additions to the Impulse label Guide, filling in the gaps of reissue labels from the late Sixties onwards. Photo’s courtesy of Joe L. (Added January 8, 2013)

December 2012

• Verve label guide  extended to include Clef, Verve and MGM, photos courtesy of JoeL Chicago IL (added December 28, 2012)
• The Blue Note  Liberty Years 1966-70 (added December 22, 2012)
• Atlantic record labels Cheat Sheet covering the main variations 1950’s-70’s (added December 18th, 2012)
• Listing of known Prestige Metronome editions added to the Prestige in Europe pages, courtesy of Rudolf (added December 7th, 2012)
• Photography special: covers labels and runouts – the LJC photo-technique exclusive(added expanded and  updated December 4th, 2012)
• LJC’s 350-record Guide to Blue Note First Pressings Free! (added December 2nd, 2012)

November 2012

• Milestone Records added to Guide to Record Labels (27th November, 2012)
• Guide to the Blue Note catalogue number seen on the back cover (added November 10th, 2012)
• New label guide started for Columbia (added November 5th, 2012)
• More additions to Prestige label Guide – Europe, with new “Cheat Sheet”, new, Holland’s Artone in the LJC new, all-in-one, label and runout “forensic view” (added November 3rd, 2012)

October 2012

• Guide to the Prestige Label Guide – major update (October19, 2012)
• Blue Note Guide to the Deep Groove (added October 17, 2012)
• Audiophile tip – cone madness: mounting equipment on cones makes a big difference (added 8/10/12)
• Significant update of the Blue Note Labels chronology, with both original mono and stereo exibits and additional United Artists editions not previously included. (added 6/10/12)
• For Vinyl owners: sound improvements from precise adjustment of  the Vertical Tracking Angle of your turntable tonearm, a short illustrated how and why (added 6/10/2012)

September 2012

• Guide to Record labels: Contemporary Records major update, splitting US from European and Japanese releases, now with the Stereo history in sequence (30/09/12)
• LJC before HiFi reminisces on the Dansette portable record player, circa 1965 (added 20/09/12)
• Contemporary Records Label Guide updated with early “Stereo Records”, courtesy of photos by LJC poster Anders (16/09/12)
• A little Blues Memorabilia added to LJC Before Jazz page (10/09/12)
• Mosaic Limited Edition Collections added to Guide To Record Labels (added 1/09/12)
• LJC crosses 100,000 page views in its first year! Visitor Profile by country of origin for the last six months here. We know where you live! (added 29/08/2012)

August 2012

• United Artists Label Guide additions to show Plastylite pressings and European/US label variation from Fifties and Sixties (28/08/12)
• Housekeeping – simplifying the permanent information pages under the banner,- fewer top levels, more navigation options (23/8/12)
• LJC Exclusive Tips for buying records online, successfully (added 6/08/12)
• Bringing a whole new meaning to “VG plus” posted in Ebay Lowlights (2/08/12)

July 2012

• United Artists Jazz added to Guide to record labels (27/07/12)
• Technical notes on record photography added 14/07/12
• Blue Note Frame Cover (Kakubushi”) added 7/7/12 to Blue Note
• Miles Monk Trane “writing on cover” added to the virtual Museum (1/7/12)

June 2012

•  Fontana added to the Guide to Record Labels (addd 23/06/12)
• Record dating by UK Purchase Tax codes (added 22/06/12)
• Hints on examining vinyl records – The Vinyl Inspector  (added 17/06/12)
• Prestige recordings in Europe – Metronome Scandinavia (added 14/06/12)
• Hi fi improvement – just a few wires. (added 3/06/12)

May 2012

•  MP3 rip “Devilette” and cover inversion added to Dexter Gordon’s Clubhouse (2/05/12)
• Significant updating to the Riverside Record Label page, identifying the source of pressing plant and country of origin.(7/05/12)
• London Records added to Record Label Guide, with labels and partial jazz catalogue Listing (18/5/12)
• Jazz musicians public image as seen through their record covers (23/05/12)
• Public Health approved record covers –  occasional series (24/05/12)
• Blue Note “Division of United Artists” (1970-3) – the flower in the reissue desert (added 28/05/12)
• Contribution from Stefano, uncovering a rogue series of “Division of United Artists 1975”, added to the page above (added 1/06/12)

April 2012

• Addition to Guide to Record Labels, contributed by Cristian to Riverside, and a German Liberty Blue Note starting a new Blue note section Blue Note – Europe(06/04/12)
• Pictured, the upgrade to my Avid Volvere turntable with new external power supply and more substantial frame  My thanks to Conrad Mas, turntable designer extraordinaire (08/04/12)
• Long sought after record arrives “damaged in Transit” added in eBay Lowlights (14/04/12)
• New page under Blue Note, on inner sleeves (14/04/12)
• Atelier Sawano Japanese hyper-real replica Blue Notes, to Blue Note _ Japan (25/04/12)

March 2012

• Started a “Whats New” page in the menu bar
• The Categories sidebar expanded to list artists with a record posted in the blog. Click on artist name in Categories to bring up just the records posted for that artist. The alternative,”Search” box, returns all mentions of the artist in any post, including all the catalogue listings.
• The Blue Note Addresses including a surprise New York landmark
• The Blue Note Vinyl Detective Kit  now with extra clues.
• New book “Jazz on Record” added to reading recommendations
• Plastylite Spaceship hovers over New Jersey in search of home
• New Blue Note labels “Cheat Sheet” (10/03/12)
• Scorpio’s 304 Park Ave South  label added to the end of the Blue Note Labels Guide
• All the Blue Note Addresses as they appear on the rear slick of the covers (11/03/12)
• Blue Note Vinyl Detective Squad called out in the middle of the night to examine a suspected first pressing (16/03/12)
• Link added in “About LJC” to spoof TV “Jazz Club” (26/03/12)
• Charts of dead and alive jazz musicians by age update in Jazz Trivia (28/03/2012)