Welcome to Waukazoo Records
A place for people who dig vinyl and bands who made them.
This is the site where we’ll explore the landscape of recorded sound. From the quiet prairies to the rambling hills, from the days of yesteryear to the hits from today, I’m curious about all of it and want to share what I discover with you. This curiosity was born from a recent acquisition of Jim Davis’ record collection. Who this man was I honestly don’t know since I purchased about 100 of his records from an online auction. We’ll explore this collection together. Since then, and even before, I’ve collected lots of vinyl and have built quite a collection of Jazz, R&B, Rock and Roll, Classical, Country (old and new), and even a few spoken word albums from many moons ago.
So where to start? How best to explore this record collection of mine and in what order? Before I answer that question I’d like to explain another reason why I’m taking on this project. Sure the music will be great and some of the songs will bring back memories but there is something deeper going on with the sounds that came from decades of the past. Major societal shifts peppered with political protests and citizen discontent were frequent subjects of some of the best songs. Songs are like time capsules from a historical context and offer a glimpse at the past. Some of the best albums mark critical periods of time, either beginnings or endings. We’re going to dig in, year by year and watch for the shift, identify emerging sounds and celebrate a few one hit wonders along the way.
I got to thinking about the types of music my parents listened to in the 60’s when they were young adults. And then I wondered about their parents, my grandparents who in the 1930’s and 40’s were listening and living through very different times. How did when they lived shape the music the knew and loved? What was considered progressive during each earlier generation and where was the tension between genres? Certainly the geography creates its own narrative with rhythm and beats familiar to natives.
We’ll explore these ideas and more here at Waukazoo Records. Weekly posts with fresh insight into specific times and on specific record labels will get you thinking maybe sometimes outside of our comfort (and familiarity) zone. I welcome your comments too. This is a community where all people are welcome. That’s the beauty of music. Like all art, there is no right or wrong, left or right, music is the free expression of the unique experience of living.
We’re going to start way, way back, in the mid 1940’s with the first post on Monday. We’ll find out who was playing and where, what their signature sounds were like, and maybe most importantly how to do the jitterbug, just like my Grandma used to do.
Until then, see you on the flip side,
Lisa