Vinyl Comes Full Circle at Beverly Records

Beverly Records owner Jack Dreznes is all class.  When the Chicago Tribune ran a dated Rolling Stone article citing Chicago as an emerging market for the vinyl record explosion, the article listed Dusty Groove, Dave’s Records and Laurie’s Planet as among the best record stores, not only in Chicago, but the United States.

For those who know Dreznes best, his response was probably predictable.

“I know Rick Wojcik at Dusty Groove and he does a great job,” said Dreznes, not taking the bait that the coverage in both pieces was exclusively North Side of Chicago.

Dreznes goes on to explain that his store has a different niche in the market and that “ultimately, coverage of today’s vinyl market helps us all.”

Dreznes applauds the accomplishments of Dusty Groove, regarded as a “specialist” featuring funk, soul, African, Brazilian, Latin, hip-hop, jazz, and disco.

Beverly Records, established in 1967 when records and record players were as commonplace as smart phones and iPads, thrives for reasons different than Dusty Groove, according to Dreznes.

Consider the expert opinion of Edris Hoover, an estate sales manager, auctioneer and curator for the Ridge Historical Society.

“The people at Beverly Records certainly have an extensive selection,” Hoover said. “You can find most everything -- jazz and blues and all the early artists. Plus, they are well organized. And if they don’t have it, they can find it for you.”

Hoover’s ever-evolving business is testament to young people’s passion for vinyl.

“Those old stereo console pieces were impossible to move at estate sales,” Hoover added. “Now young people are looking more and more for vintage stereos, receivers, turntables and councils.”

Not only are vinyl records back in a big way, but, so is the vernacular: “vinyl, hot wax, platters, records, 78s, 45s, turntables, EPs, discography, discs.”

It’s unlikely we’ll see the return of Kookie pulling out a pocket comb on Sunset Strip, but arguably the single, coolest aspect of the bygone era – records – is back, in a big way. Beverly Records may hold a distinction that other stores regarded for their specialization do not. Rather, the customer can determine what’s special, and quite possibly, find a record that will become special some years in the future, for whatever reason.

Hoover points out that Beverly’s massive homes are a kind of repository for items of value. Whereas other parts of the city are more transient, Beverly homes were, in many cases, passed along to the next generation or close friends’ children, many the pack rat products of the Great Depression. God forbid they toss to the curb Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday 78s, and years later, Frank Zappa, New York Dolls, or the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers with Andy Warhol’s brilliant zipper art adorning Mick Jagger’s jeans.  

For that reason, Beverly Records may, by sheer volume and storage, house more hidden gems than any store in America. The build up in business during the triumphant return to records may suggest just that. 

Beverly Records’ resident expert on turntables, Joey Lemus, is on hand every Saturday morning to breath life into the machine with his rare collection of needles, cartridges and belts or slowly play taps for those beyond hope.

That Certain 'Record Shop Smell' 

The record store experience is flush with emotions, especially in the caverns of Beverly Records. While a customer lets his fingers do the walking, the Beverly Records staff members play rare cuts on a turntable while treasure hunters squeal across the bins when they find that certain album. Ultimately, the customer escapes the humdrum in the process.  A kind of scent exclusive to record covers hangs heavy in the air.

“It’s emotional because the record or song takes you to a time or place or a person you were with and that’s special,” Dreznes said.

Emotions ran especially deep for one elderly shopper just last week.  A woman entered the store seeking a rare recording: “In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town.”

Dreznes filled the order and told the women to enjoy the record.

The woman explained it was the favorite song of her very recently deceased brother. She was putting the record in his casket “so he could play it in heaven.”

Dreznes suggested she put a record player in the casket as well.

The 1932 pop song written by Ira Schuster and Jack Little was No. 1 on the hit list for ten weeks but carried an otherworldly experience for this shopper.

In the 1960s, after the service, Dreznes took over the Beverly Records business for his mother, who proved to be a master manipulator of the media, which served her well.  She became a regular “go to” person for reporters attempting to find rare recordings for readers. The recognition helped sustain sales while records were giving way to the clumsy eight tracks, followed by cassettes and later i-stuff. Offsite from the store, Dreznes and his staff expanded their storage capacity as records continued to roll in.

Like a record coming full circle, artists began celebrating the analogue features of a vinyl record. Suddenly, the experience of listening to a record was back, slowing down the lives of those willing to really listen, really hear and really appreciate the way the sound was meant to be. Young people are now gaining further respect for the award-winning cover art and the edgy writing in liner notes.

“If you want to listen to the radio you can do it while doing everything else, but if you want to listen to a record, you sit down and really listen to it,” Dreznes said.


Beverly Records
 is open daily at 11612 South Western Ave., 
Chicago. Can't find that special album or 45? Contact Dreznes at 773-779-0066; or email: info@beverlyrecords.com. Like Beverly Records on Facebook