Pete Munves knew him well.  If you get him started on Meltzer, leave 
sufficient time.

Steve Smolian

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Zamansky" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] My new book: The Jazz Man Record Shop


>I remember Meltzer fairly well, though I visited his shop only a few times.
> I recall him as a very knowledgeable (about records) but crotchety person.
> One time, I looked through a pile of 78's of Fritz Kreisler, but selected 
> only one
> quite rare disc to buy. He grabbed it out of my hand, saying that, if 
> that's the only
> one I wanted to buy, he wouldn't sell it to me.
>
> Harold Zamansky
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kevin P. Mostyn" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 1:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] My new book: The Jazz Man Record Shop
>
>
>> Many years ago (40 years or so) I visited his shop. I asked if he had a
>> particular 78 with Titta Ruffo. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the 
>> name
>> of the song or the composer. He asked if could sing it. I hummed a rough
>> approximation of it. His eyes lit up. He went directly over to a shelf,
>> reached out and grabbed a copy. I was most impressed. Thereafter I 
>> visited
>> his shop many times. He had a wonderful memory.
>>
>> --Kevin Mostyn
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Art Shifrin
>> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 11:45 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] My new book: The Jazz Man Record Shop
>>
>> Cary, this is a great concept (at least for those of us in this flock).
>>
>> Do you or anyone else on the list remember the Merit Music Shop on West 
>> 46
>> street in Manhattan?  I think that the proprietor's name was Jack 
>> Meltzer.
>> He had two hunched over elderly chaps working there: they might have been
>> around as adults for the dedication of NYC's subway system in 1904.
>> I was there one day when people from the NYS dept of labor came in & 
>> NAILED
>> him for paying the guys less than minimum wage since the Spanish American
>> War (slight exaggeration).  Analogous to a 'perp walk'  they made it very
>> clear to the patrons there what was going on.
>>
>> Jack (if I have the name correct) had a database memory for 78 catalog 
>> #s,
>> but only for Victors.  You could browse to any page in any of their 
>> catalogs
>> (up to some year), give him the title & artist & he'd correctly tell you 
>> the
>> catalog #!   I don't know or remember if he knew which side, nor do I 
>> know
>> if he had the same 'talent' for set #s.
>>
>> Best,
>> Art (Shiffy) Shifrin
>