Even with the resurgent interest in vinyl, it’s safe to say that the format will never have the same mass appeal it once had. Which is a shame, especially for 88-year-old Murray Gershenz, who has struggled to find a buyer for the half-million records he’s amassed over the decades — supposedly the world’s largest collection of vinyl. The records, which currently reside in Gershenz’s LA record store/warehouse, and the vinyl enthusiast’s son, who struggles to hold on to his father’s legacy, are the subjects of a new documentary by Oakland resident Richard Parks, a graduate of UC Berkeley’s journalism school and a sometime Express contributor.
Music Man Murray, will screen twice this week (March 14 at the Pleasant Hill’s CineArts Theater, and March 18 at the Orinda Theatre) as part of the 17th annual East Bay International Jewish Film Festival. If you can’t make it to one of those screenings, Parks reports that on Record Store Day, April 21, the 22-minute film will premiere on the Documentary Channel, and will stream for a week at NPR’s All Songs Considered site.
Music Man Murray (trailer) from Richard Parks on Vimeo.
