Month: August 2005

Monk’s Music: The $3,000 Question

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In our newsletter last week we re-raised the question about why a copy of Monk’s Music, Riverside 242, recently sold on eBay for more than $3,000. Here are some of the early responses:

 “Hi. Great newsletter by the way. I buy a lot of LPs from Atomic and watched that auction in disbelief. I corresponded with the Atomic crew after the auction asking them if there was something special I didn’t know about this particular LP and they said they were blown away at the price and had absolutely no explanation. My explanation is someone’s pocketbook is bigger than their brain Read more

A Scratch Is A Scratch Is A Scratch

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In the Jazz Collector newsletter a few issues back, we asked readers to give advice to eBay sellers. Here’s a comment from one of our subscribers: “I have some advice concerning scratches. Too often the word ‘mark’ is used as a catch-all for scuffs and scratches and whatever. If a scratch is present, call it a scratch. Don’t take if for granted that a non-feelable scratch is inaudible. Often a very thin non-feelable scratch is audible. I even own a few records with very feelable scratches that are actually inaudible. Nothing takes the place of play-grading whenever possible. Also, the definition of a scratch as one that ‘plays through fine’ can mean different things to different people. Some might assume it is completely inaudible, yet it could pop noticeably for a minute. All the seller meant was that it doesn’t skip. Being more precise can result in fewer misunderstandings.” – Elliot Forman

The Bird and Diz Discovery

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Three friends called on Monday to ask if I’d seen the article in Sunday’s New York Times about the discovery of the concert by Bird and Diz at Town Hall in New York from June 22, 1945.  Check it out here: Bird Lives! The Birth of Bebop, Captured on Disc. So I get the calls on Monday, rush home, read the article and then head out to my local Tower Records to pick up the CD. Alas, no CD. Also, no CD at Borders, Barnes & Noble or Best Buy.  So I ordered on Amazon. Still waiting for delivery. Which is a roundabout way of saying that I’m delaying the next newsletter a week, till I get back from vacation and have a chance to listen to this CD so I can share my thoughts with you.  I’ve got plenty of other stuff to write about, plus an updated Price Guide, so stay tuned on August 15. I’ll be offline till then, traveling in Europe. Have fun and happy record hunting.  – Al

A Few Items To View

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 After a few days off, I finally got to catch up a bit on eBay this week. Here are some of the items worth looking at today. If you check out the first item, from Atomic_records, you should also look at “View Seller’s Other Items.” As is often the case, this seller has a lot of nice records for auction this week.

 

Jackie McLean, New Soil, Blue Note 4013

 This is a new seller that has some interesting items at fairly high starting prices. This one, for example, is in nice condition, but it’s not an original pressing: Miles Davis, Cookin’, Prestige 7094.

 Here’s one that might be a bargain: Sonny Rollins, Sonny Boy, Prestige 7207. This is an original pressing. For some reason, this LP doesn’t command a high price. Some of the material was issued earlier, but some of it is new, including a beautiful version of “The House I Live In.” Does anyone know of  any other jazz version of this song?

Illinois Jacquet and his Tenor Sax, Aladdin 708.

An Urgent Call for Help For Michael Brecker

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I received the following urgent email from a friend the other day:

My brother-in-law is Michael Brecker.  He is 56 years old, a world famous jazz musician and 11-time Grammy winner but none of that matters now.  Please read the email below as it is a question of life or death.  Also, if you could please send this to everyone on your contact list, I would be so very grateful as would our whole family. Read more