Our Man In Montpelier, Jacob Heilbrunn Finds a Record Shop

and a kissa!

What self-respecting audiophile’s heart does not gladden at the sight of an LP store? There it was, a sign, black print in gothic script on a yellow background, jutting proudly from the facade, announcing Buch Spieler Records in downtown Montpelier, Vermont, only a few blocks from the gleaming golden dome of the State House. Just boffo.

I ventured inside to discover a cornucopia of records, including some fine jazz reissues as well as originals. The prices were fair—10 bucks for a Pablo recording of pianist Jimmy Rowles and saxophonist Zoot Sims. The affable owner, Xavier Jimenez, explained to me that the store’s stock was ruined during a flood in July 2023 but that Buch Spieler has since bounced back, thanks in part to a GoFundMe drive.

The riches of Montpelier did not end here. Only a minute away by foot is Hepcat, a bar modeled on the Japanese kissa—small establishments where you can listen to topnotch vinyl and enjoy a drink. Christopher Gleason, who grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, has worked in the hospitality industry in Montpelier. He recently took the plunge and opened up his small venue (it has 10 bar stools) earlier this year. The system is centered around a pair of custom Altec Lansings loudspeakers. A regular traveler to Japan, he has amassed a collection of around 3,000 LPs. Gleason prefers direct-drive to belt-drive ‘tables. His intimate space features classic photos of jazz greats such as Lee Morgan.

I was particularly taken by another photo of a meditative James Baldwin holding a cigarette and wearing an elegantly tailored double breasted blue jacket with four large flat brass buttons. Look at that photo and you feel he is staring at, or even through, you, not the reverse. Formidable. Small wonder that he thrashed William F. Buckley, Jr. in a debate about race relations in America at the Cambridge Union Society in 1965. Baldwin, who was friends, among others, with Miles Davis and Nina Simone, wrote in his non-fiction book "The Fire Next Time" that—

“In all jazz, and especially the blues, there is something tart and ironic, authoritative and double-edged.”

Otherwise, Gleason’s hideaway is lined with numerous albums, including reissues from Chad Kassem’s Analogue Productions. As I prepared to head off for dinner, Gleason began playing the venerable Blue Note LP “Go!” featuring Dexter Gordon. I don’t think it was meant to be interpreted as an imperative to me but, rather, testified to his good taste in jazz. If you find yourself strolling on State Street, I suggest you go to Hepcat and experience it for yourself.