[Dixielandjazz] New Rust

[Anton Crouch]

Hello all

My new Brian Rust "Jazz and ragtime records" (6th edition, Mainspring
Press) arrived a few days ago and I have some first impressions.

The presentation (binding, printing and layout) is very good and a clear
advance on earlier editions. It is claimed that the ragtime content has
been significantly enlarged and, although I have not yet had the time to do
a detailed comparison with past content, I suspect that at least some of
this increase has been achieved at the expense of the "hot dance" entries.
Spot checks show that the discographical information is up to date. DJMLers
will not be surprised to know that Rust now shows the ODJB 1917 Columbias
as being recorded in May of that year.

When you compare the price of the two volumes with book trade offerings of
second hand copies of the 4th (Arlington House) and 5th (Storyville)
editions, the new Rust is a bargain! I'm very happy to have it.

Is it as good as it could have been? No. It has two faults - one minor, one
major.

The minor fault is the page headings. Every page heading is "Brian Rust
Jazz and Ragtime Records" with the page number (of course). What is missing
is an identification of the artist being listed on the page. No indication
at all - not even an alphabetical abbreviation. This makes finding an
artist with a multi-page entry more difficult than it should be. It would
have been a simple matter to add a meaningful page header, eg as in the 4th
edition of "Blues and gospel records".

However this is nothing compared with the major fault. The work has no
title index! Incredible. I spent I don't know how long convincing myself
that it isn't there. It isn't. The reason is almost certainly a size
consideration - a title index would probably add 400 to 500 pages.

There is some good news on this front however. Mainspring Press have posted
on their webpage an announcement that they will commence (in 2003) a series
of supplements to the new Rust. The first supplement will be a title index!
It will be offered at a "modest price". My idea of a "modest" price is zero
to people who have bought the full work.

Nevertheless, the work is a fine one and a necessary part of any jazz
collector's library. Keep your 4th or 5th edition though - you'll certainly
need one of them for a while yet.

All the best
Anton