ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Blue Note Record Shop was a staple on Central Avenue in Albany for over 70 years. But that piece of music history is no more as the building was demolished on Tuesday.
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According to the Historic Albany Foundation, Avram “Abraham” Pock opened the Blue Note Record Shop in November 1948. The shop had over 100,000 titles in its inventory, including LPs, 45s, and cassette tapes.
“Its specialty was traditional recorded music and the great popular artists of earlier generations,” wrote the Historic Albany Foundation. “Customers could search through recordings by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and countless others. The Blue Note remained firmly rooted in that traditional musical identity even as tastes, technology and the record industry changed around it.”
The store was eventually taken over by Avram’s son, Biff (Bill) Pock. In its final years, the shop went through some water damage, with Biff Pock telling NEWS10 in 2019 that fixing the damage could cost around $30,000.
Biff Pock passed in 2019, said the Historic Albany Foundation, and the Blue Note Record Shop permanently closed shortly after. The building fell into disrepair and the building became unsafe, leading to an emergency demolition order being issued for Tuesday.
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The Historic Albany Foundation was able to salvage the Blue Note sign. It will be on display at the Historic Albany Parts Warehouse on Lexington Avenue.
“For generations of Albany residents, 156 Central Avenue wasn’t simply an address,” said the Historic Albany Foundation. “It was the place where thousands upon thousands of records lined the shelves, where a family made music its business for decades, and where customers could walk through the door and search for a favorite song, album or artist.”…