JACKSON, Miss.–If you have a big pile of records from grandma’s old house with Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash that you want rid of, or if you want to add to your own growing collection of vinyl LPs, Mississippi’s “4 the Record” event may just be for you.
Organized by local DJ Phillip Rollins, the big swap meet for record enthusiasts is meeting for its tenth time at the Arts Center of Mississippi in downtown Jackson (201 East Pascagoula Street).
Of course, the event won’t just be records, and they will be there by the thousands from every genre, said Rollins. It’s also about music memorabilia and revisiting some of Mississippi’s music history with a panel discussion.
Several Mississippi funk bands from the 70s will be represented, including Wind Chimes, Natural High and Freedom.
“Freedom is probably the most successful out of all of them,” said Rollins. “They had a hit song and didn’t even know about it. It’s great to hear that story. Those records are really hard to find now. You never know what comes out of Mississippi sometimes and how under appreciated.”
Rollins said vinyl, as far as he can tell, is making a pretty good come back, with newer artists releasing special, high-quality records.
“One of the big reasons is vinyl just sounds better. It’s more clear. It’s not compressed as an mp3 or a CD, and you also get the big art work.”
4 the Record! will run from noon until 5 p.m. with a $2 cover. Admission is free for children who are under 12 and supervised by an adult.
Rollins said 4 the Record! is also an event that helps to promote and preserve the unique culture and community that surrounds vinyl records. Collectors, DJs, audiophiles, hipsters, crate diggers, and every kind of music lover in between is encouraged to come out and bring records to sell, trade, or just show off.
He said 78s, 45s, 33 1/3s, 12”s, 10”s, 7”s, LPs, and EPs of all genres of music will be there to buy, sell and trade.
