Ray's Jazz Cafe

Always calm and quiet, but enough hussle and bustle that you know you're in london. Plenty of nooks and crannies to sit and relax with a book, or go to the upstairs cafe for a coffee and cake. They have regularly scheduled events and talks going on here too that seem quite organised and brings a pleasant a polite crowd.

In the last decade I have visited 9 times from 2010-2018, with 2011 being the only year I did not go to England. Always enjoy the vinyl, used and new, found a shellac record a few years ago and the used and new CDs are also worth checking out. Where other stores have more used records and CDs to offer they are not as fine as the selection found at Roy's Music in Foyle's. It is difficult to find a used record or CD with the name of a previous owner which I would not personally object to, or in very bad shape which too many shops routinely offer and which I do not enjoy. I have yet to see a used CD with discoloured jewel case at Ray's Music in Foyle's. Also the concept of moving the music store into the book store was a clever move. I believe the old address was 180 Shaftesbury Avenue.

It took me a while but I finally made it again to Ray's Jazz at Foyles. My last visit in 2006 and this last one will probably be my last. I was there on June 19th and sweated my way from the tube station and found their shop. I was delighted at the jazz selection available. As usual in the UK the prices were slightly eye-watering but there was air selection of second-hand compact discs and there appeared to be good selection of vinyl as well but I couldn't buy any as I had to transport whatever I bought back to new Zealand so I made do with CDs. Good to find the latest Lyttelton 'Dusting Off the Archives'. No one around but some nice Stan Getz playing. Worth a look-probably the last jazz shop in London now-the last of a long line and easy worth finding.