Signal Records

Signal Records in Chicago is built around a serious jazz and Brazilian point of view, with room for both rarities and budget-bin discoveries. In the interview, the owner talks about moving from high-end online dealing into a shop, explaining pressings to sellers, and why certain records are much harder to find in clean condition than people expect.

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Interview with Signal Records

Signal Records has built a specific kind of jazz + Brazilian identity in Chicago — Blue Note originals, Japanese pressings, records sourced globally. That's a real point of view for a Chicago shop. What was the story of committing to that focus rather than being an everything shop?

I've always been more of a high end record dealer - I was online for 10 years before starting the shop. Due to space in my apartment, I tried to only have more valuable stock. With a store now, we like to carry everything from budget bin to high end, but my favorite records to deal with are the rarities. So naturally...

West Town / East Village / Wicker Park along Ashland — that stretch is its own Chicago neighborhood with a lot going on. For someone visiting the shop for the first time, what else around 1343 N Ashland is worth their time?

Great record stores - Dusty Goove & Reckless records are the real Chicago staples. Myopic Books and Perpetual Books are also staples. Alegrias Seafood down the street on ashland is awesome nayarit style mexican seafood. incredible

A curated jazz and Brazilian shop filters hard for a specific crowd. Who's actually walking in and buying — are these mostly serious collectors, DJs, or is the Chicago audience for Brazilian and jazz broader than that?

We sell both of these types of music to all walks of people. Obviously the high, high end stuff going to more serious collectors and Djs, but even alot of casual buyers will drop $50 on a really cool brazilian or jazz record.

On Blue Note originals and Japanese pressings, what makes one copy worth $30 and another worth $300?

Really no difference from a 1st edition book or something like that. People want the real deal. You can tell by the production quality very quickly an original from a later pressing. The originals have thick, laminated jackets, heavy weight vinyl, and the famous RVG stamp in the matrix. Later editions will very in quality, audio and packaging.

What quietly turns out to be worth more at Signal than sellers expect — a Brazilian or jazz record they'd almost leave off the list that you're always glad to see?

Brazilian records are a wild market. For those new to collecting them, you might think "wow these are alot". Some of them you look up on discogs and you would think they would be cheaper records. But look again at condition and quality, they are very hard to get in America in nice condition. Very hard.

Cash or credit — for a curated shop where the sellable moment can matter more than an aggregate number, how do you actually structure offers at Signal?

Every offer is different, not really any total calculation for it. High end items we negotiate with often. I believe we pay as much or more than any shop for high end collections because that is our specialty.

What's the wildest record you've had come through the door on Ashland — the one that made you stop everything?

I had doubles on 13th floor elevators first album there. Doubles on the Stooges "Fun House" as well. Those came from the same guy. We had doubles on Marcus Mixx "I wanna house" too, the rarest chicago house record there is.

Last updated: 2026-09-18

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