BRT VINYL · PORTOBELLO

Music curation, personally by Jake.

Tell me what you love, what you want to discover and where your collection should go next. I lead the curation personally, with the BRT team supporting sourcing, checking and preparation.

Talk to Jake
Across genresMy musical knowledge runs from funk, soul, jazz and blues through rock, reggae, house, jungle, hip-hop and music from around the world.
Personal, not algorithmicI build around you — not a generic “essential albums” list and not whatever happens to be trending.
Source · Verify · PrepareI lead the selection; the BRT team can help track down the right pressing, check what you’re actually buying and arrange professional cleaning where needed.
Real-world buyingThis comes from years of buying and selling records with real people — not simply knowing what a database says.

MEET JAKE

Let’s talk music.

I came through hip-hop as a street dancer, breaker and choreographer, and was a featured dancer on Channel 4’s The Word. I worked with Spectrum at Heaven in the early acid-house days and was promoting jungle nights back in 1992/93. Along the way I’ve choreographed music videos, sung and released my own music, and owned a nightclub and vinyl café. Since 2009, I’ve been at Portobello, buying, selling and talking records.

I’ve always listened widely and got to know the music in depth, from hip-hop and jungle to soul, jazz, rock in all its forms, indie and music from around the world. That gives me plenty to draw on. Choosing records for you starts with listening — what you love, what you already have and what you’d like to discover.

WHY WORK WITH JAKE

It’s the judgement behind the choices.

A lot of music services do one part of the job: recommend records, sell them, source rarities or make playlists. I bring those things together personally, drawing on listening, collecting, performing, buying, selling and working around music culture.

Deep musical knowledge

This is not a database-led recommendation service. My curation comes from decades of listening, collecting, performing and working across music — from funk, soul, jazz and blues to house, jungle, rock, reggae, hip-hop and world music.

Cross-genre, not confined to one scene

I can move naturally between genres, eras, labels, producers, musicians, clubs and scenes. That matters when a collection needs to feel personal and connected rather than like a list of obvious classics.

Physical-media knowledge as well as musical taste

Choosing the album is only part of the job. I also pay attention to editions, first pressings, reissues, catalogue numbers, labels, condition and the practical differences between copies.

We can source what we recommend

A recommendation does not end with a link. Through BRT’s retail and supplier network, I can lead the search while the team helps source readily available titles, check stock and actively hunt down scarce pressings while staying price-conscious on your behalf.

Source · verify · clean · prepare

Rare and collector records can be checked for the correct pressing, assessed for condition and professionally cleaned where appropriate before they reach you.

One musical relationship, several formats

Once I understand your taste, that same knowledge can shape a vinyl or CD collection, a playlist, an ongoing music-concierge relationship or the music I select for an event, venue or brand.

The result: you are not simply paying me to choose records. You are paying for judgement — what belongs, what does not, which version is worth owning, where to find it, what is a fair price and what should come next.

COLLECTION CURATION

Build a collection that means something.

Tell me what you love, what you want to discover and how far you want to go. I can build around genres, labels, scenes, eras, producers, musicians, clubs or simply the feeling you want the collection to have.

Specialist knowledge includes ECM and ECM New Series, Blue Note, Impulse!, Motown, Stax, funk, soul, jazz, blues, rock, reggae, house, acid house, jungle, drum & bass, hip-hop, Brazilian, African and wider world music.

CollectionCuration feeMusic
25 records£395charged separately
50 records£695charged separately
75 records£975charged separately
100 records£1,250charged separately
150 records£1,800charged separately
200 records£2,350charged separately
250+ recordsBespoke quotecharged separately

Music Consultation

A focused conversation about your tastes, interests, collection and goals. Ideal before a larger commission or if you simply need direction.

45–60 minutes · £150

Collection Audit & Gap Analysis

I review what you already own, identify gaps and suggest routes into artists, labels, scenes and records you may have missed.

£250–£400

Specialist Collection Commission

For deeper briefs: ECM, Blue Note, spiritual jazz, deep funk, rare soul, house, jungle, Brazilian, African, blues and other specialist areas.

From £500 + music

Bespoke Playlists

Carefully sequenced playlists for home, travel, dinner, training, discovery, parties or a particular mood.

Single playlist £150–£200
Three playlists £350–£450

Personal Music Concierge

Ongoing recommendations and buying support. Give me your tastes and budget and I’ll help your collection keep evolving.

£250–£500 / month + purchases

Event Music Selection

Music-led selection for private parties, launches, dinners and events — focused on reading the room and choosing the right records, not unnecessary mixing.

Private events from £750
Corporate / specialist £1,000–£1,750+

RARE & FIRST PRESSINGS

Source, verify & prepare.

Tracking down the right pressing can take longer than choosing it. I lead the search and selection; where useful, the BRT team supports dealer checks, condition verification, logistics and professional cleaning before collection or delivery.

Current / readily available recordsNo additional sourcing charge
Scarce pressing requiring active search£20–£35 per successful find
Rare first pressing / specific issue10% of purchase price · £30 minimum
£500+ collector record7.5–10% sourcing commission
Unsuccessful searchNo sourcing fee

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

Collector copies treated like collector copies.

Where appropriate, qualifying first pressings and collector records are professionally cleaned and visually checked before collection or delivery. BRT-owned collector records with a normal retail margin include basic professional cleaning where appropriate; externally sourced copies can be prepared for around £10–£20 or included in the sourcing fee.

Booking & availability

I keep the number of active commissions limited so I can give each one proper attention. The BRT team may help with sourcing and preparation, but the curation stays personally led by me. A booking deposit reserves time in my diary and is credited against the final commission.

Booking deposits are non-refundable once a booking is confirmed, except where BRT cancels the booking or where applicable law requires otherwise. Live diary booking and deposit payment will be added next; for now, send the enquiry below and I’ll confirm availability personally.

START A CONVERSATION

Tell me what you listen to.

You don't need to know exactly what you're looking for. A few artists, records, labels, clubs, eras or sounds are enough for me to start.