J.R. Monterose In Action and In the $1,000 Bin
Jul 30, 2009 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
I hadn’t updated the $1,000 bin in a while, so I went searching for interesting new items and I came upon this: J. R. Monterose In Action + The Joe Abodeely Trio, Studio 4. According to the seller, this original pressing was one of approximately 250 issued and sold from the cloak room of Abodeely’s The Tender Trap night club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was also described as an original Columbia pressing from Rock Island, Ill. The record and the cover were both listed in VG++ condition and the price was $1,703.98. In addition to the price tag, what caught my attention was the memory somewhere deep in the back of my recesses of my brain that I actually own this record. So, I ran downstairs, trailed excitedly by my dog Marty, and searched through the shelves of Part II of my collection and there it was, sitting there. I pulled out the copy, ready to bask in the glow of a $1,700 record. But, alas, to my chagrin the copy I pulled out was
Tags: Joe Abodeely, JR Monterose, Studio 4 Records, VSOP Records
Free Record: Bird Lives! The Winner Is . . .
Jul 29, 2009 Free Collectibles
It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted our latest contest for a free collectible, so it is time to announce the winner. The item is Red Rodney, Bird Lives, Muse 5371. This is a 1989 pressing of a 1973 recording and, in addition to Rodney, features Charles McPherson, Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Roy Brooks. What is interesting about this LP, in addition to the fine music and the fitting tribute to Charlie Parker, is that this is a copy that is still in its original factory seal, not bad for a record 20 years old. As always, the criteria to be considered eligible to win the contest is to comment somewhere, anywhere on the Jazz Collector site. As we’ve mentioned many times, our only goal is to encourage people to comment so we can build a nice community of people interested in the jazz collectibles market and we can share information and experiences. For this record, we have eight eligible Jazz Collector readers. They are: Michel, Rudolf, Troy Grooms, Gregorious, Jim Beattie, Jim Thornton, Steve H and Bethellodge. As always, we are having the lovely Mrs J.C. pull the names out of a hat . . . and here she is . . . and here’s the hat . . . and here are the names . . . and here she goes . . . and, finally, the winner is . . .
Tags: Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, Charlie Parker, Muse Records, Red Rodney, Roy Brooks, Sam Jones
A Surprise Price For Bechet 10-Inch on Dial
Jul 24, 2009 10-Inch LPs
We try to watch for interesting items at trends at Jazz Collector, and not always on the highest price tags or the Blue Notes. Here’s one we were watching a few weeks ago that we found interesting. The record was: Sidney Bechet with Kenny Clarke, Black Stick, Dial 301. This was an original 10-inch LP and it was listed in VG+ condition, for both the record and the cover. It caught our attention because of the selling price, which was $103.50. Normally even the Bechet’s on Blue Note don’t sell for this price, unless they are original Lexington Avenues in near mint condition. Not sure if this is because of the Dial label, or because of the presence of Kenny Clarke, but it was definitely surprising to see this in the $100-plus range. We had a discussion on the site a few months back about the dearth of demand for some of the earlier artists, so perhaps this is a signal
Tags: Dial Records, Sidney Bechet
WFMU Record Fair Coming To NY in October
Jul 23, 2009 Record Shows
Mark your calendars for October 23, 24 and 25. Those are the dates for the WFMU Record Fair in New York. This is probably the top record show in the New York Metropolitan area, attracting dealers from all over the country. We’ve been known to occasionally take a table: Actually we’ve done it twice, including last year for just one day. We haven’t decided about this year as a seller, but we’ll probably be there in some capacity and will keep you posted. If you’re a seller and want to reserve a table, our advice is to do so fairly soon, since the room has a tendency to fill to capacity, particularly on the second day of the event. If you want more information, or are interested in signing up, you can just click here for a link to the WFMU web site.
Tags: WFMU Record Fair
Sonny’s Crib, No DG, At What Price (Redux)?
Jul 23, 2009 Blue Note
The other day we were watching a copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This is a copy in very nice condition, with the West 63rd Street address, but no deep groove. The seller had a buy-it-now price of $1,000 and we didn’t think it would sell for that, but we wondered what kind of value collectors would place on it. Well, we’ll get another chance to find out: The seller has just re-listed it with a buy-it-now price of $500. Tempted?
Tags: Sonny Clark
For The Price Guide: Riversides, Blue Notes
Jul 22, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
In addition to the Dinah Washington LP mentioned below, we are adding a few more records to the Jazz Collector Price Guide today. At some point, we surpassed more than 4,000 entries in the price guide. We find it quite valuable to use in buying and selling records, and also to help establish values for insurance and estate-planning purposes. We hope you all find it valuable as well. Here are a few more additions:
Kenny Drew Trio, Riverside 224. This was an original white label pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $898.88.
Here’s another nice Riverside: Zoot Sims, Zoot!, Riverside 228. This was also a white label pressing, in VG+ condition for both the record and cover. It sold for $158.50.
And what would the Price Guide be without Blue Notes. Here are a few new ones:
Tags: Donald Byrd, JR Monterose, Kenny Dorham, Kenny Drew, Zoot Sims
Of Dinah, Sarah, Helen Merrill and Clifford Brown
Jul 22, 2009 Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
It was interesting to note the Helen Merrill record that sold for almost $1,800 the other day (Emarcy 36006). This is a terrific record featuring Clifford Brown and it’s highly valued by collectors. Clifford, of course, made records with other vocalists before he died so young, including the great Sarah Vaughan LP on Emarcy and this great one by Dinah Washington: Dinah Jams, Emarcy 36000. Dinah Jams not only features Clifford, it also features Clark Terry and Maynard Ferguson in a trumpet battle tour-de force. While the Helen Merrill album can be quite pricey, and the Sarah has been known to sell for more than $100, we’ve rarely seen the Dinah — or any Dinah Washington LP — sell for high-end collectible prices. So, it was nice to see that a copy of Dinah Jams sold the other day for $109.38 to someone who, obviously, has great taste in music and records.
Tags: Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Emarcy Records, Helen Merrill, Sarah Vaughan
Sonnys Crib, No Deep Groove, At What Price?
Jul 21, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Lots of focus on Blue Note this week. Sometimes, that’s just the way things break. Here’s one of interest, closing soon: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This, of course, is one of the hot ones, featuring John Coltrane. This one has the West 63rd Street address, is mono and seems to be in pristine condition. Yet . . . it is not a deep-groove pressing. So, what’s it worth? The seller has a buy-it-now price of $1,000 — or you can make an offer — and there are two hours to go, so it seems unlikely that he will get his asking price. If this was a deep-groove copy in this condition, at $1,000 it would have been gobbled up long ago. Without the deep groove, all bets are off. Isn’t it interesting how specific the market has become. One of our loyal readers commented on another post about a John Jenkins Blue Note he purchased from us, probably for around $15 o $20. It was a United Artists mono pressing and he is quite pleased and getting a lot of joy out of it. And he didn’t need to get a second mortgage on his home.
Tags: John Jenkins, Sonny Clark
No Summer Slump Yet: Lots Of $1,000 Records
Jul 20, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Price Guide
We have quite a large number of items to add to the $1,000 and even $2,000 bins on this beautiful Monday morning in sunny New York. If there is a summer lull in prices on eBay, it hasn’t much made a dent in the prices of some of the high-end collectibles, such as these:
Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1550. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in beautiful M- condition, for both the record and cover. It was also sold by the seller Roverd-90, who had the Johnny Griffin the other day and also had a few others, such as the Lee Morgan Candy I’ll cover below. Quite a nice week for Mr. Roverd-90. This record sold for $1,825.
As mentioned, Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This is one of the rarest of the rare and was in beautiful M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $1,900.
We had pointed out the Jazz Record Center’s auction of Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This one was listed as mint condition — not even mint minus and we had predicted that it would sell for at least $2,000 and perhaps as much as $3,000. We were right the first time: This one fetched a price
Tags: Art Pepper, Emarcy Records, Euclid Records, Hank Mobley, Helen Merrill, Intro Records, Jazz Record Center, Lee Morgan, Sonny Rollins
Et Tu, Johnny Griffin?
Jul 18, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Here’s an interesting newcomer to the $1,000 bin: Johnny Griffin, Volume One, Blue Note 1559. This is a great record and, as a rare Blue Note with a great roster of artists, it is not surprising that this would sell for a high price tag. This particular copy, in M- condition for both the record and the cover, sold for $1,380. What was interesting to me about this record was the way in which the seller chose to list it. He listed it as “Blue Note 1559 Lee Morgan Hank Mobley.” He also purchased a subhead, which mentioned the presence of John Coltrane as a sideman. Notice how the seller never even mentioned Johnny Griffin, who was the leader on the date.
Tags: Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Lee Morgan
A Few Blue Notes on Ebay For You
Jul 16, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
I took a week off from posting records on eBay. It was quite refreshing, to be honest. But I’m back with this week, slowly, with a few items, including a few Blue Notes. Among the items worth noting:
Grachan Moncur III, Evolution, Blue Note 4153. This is a mono New York USA pressing and it’s in very nice condition, particularly the vinyl which may have been unplayed until I put it on the turntable to try it. You’ll probably see this item popping up on the top of many listing pages when you do a search for jazz records. It costs about $25 for this feature on eBay and I use it once in a while when I have a nice record. I do it mainly so more people will open it and perhaps pay us a visit here at Jazz Collector. I’m not sure if it helps to drive a better price for the record itself, but it certainly can’t hurt.
Freddie Hubbard, Ready for Freddie, Blue Note 4085. This is also a mono New York USA pressing with vinyl that’s in
Jazziz Anyone?
Jul 15, 2009 Books/Magazines
I received a note from a reader who is looking to sell a collection of Jazziz magazines. Overall, she has 136 issues from 1995 to 2009 and some are in the original plastic sleeves. Many of these came with CDs, if I recall. She says she has some complete years as well. If anyone is interested, please send a note to me at al@jazzcollection.com. Speaking of jazz magazines,
Tags: Jazz Times, Jazziz
New JRC Auction Includes Mint Saxophone Colossus
Jul 14, 2009 $1000 Records, Prestige
There’s an auction this week from the Jazz Record Center and it’s always fun to watch their auctions because they generally get top dollar. One of the items we’re watching this week is Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This one is listed as being in MINT condition — not even mint minus — and the cover is described as “extraordinary.” I have a feeling the price will be extraordinary as well. Right now it is at about $1,200, but I think the first number of the final selling price will be at least a two or quite possibly a three.
Tags: Jazz Record Center, Sonny Rollins
Chasin’ The Bird on Savoy
Jul 14, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Savoy
The other day I posted an item about a 10-inch Charlie Parker LP on Savoy selling for more than $1,300. I mentioned that I’d had two copies of these LP and was never sure which was the original cover. I figured that the one that sold for $1,335 was the original, but was not sure. So here are the two covers, side by side, and I’m still not sure which is original. Based on the packaging, I have a feeling the one on the right is the original. This is not the one that sold for $1,335. The one on the left has liner notes on the back, plus listings of other Savoy releases, including a bunch of 12-inch LPs, all the way up to Savoy 15021. The one on the right has a blank back. It also has the title: New Sounds in Modern Music. So our bet is that the Bird selling for $1,335
Tags: Charlie Parker
Win a Free Collectible: Red Rodney Plays Bird
Jul 13, 2009 Free Collectibles
Read the rest of this entry »
Time to give away another free jazz collectible (that’s free as in no cost, not free as in no chord changes). There was some discussion on the site last week in reference to a sealed copy of Bill Evans’ Waltz For Debby, which sold for more than $2,000. We posed the question: What do you do with a sealed record? Do you open it and play it, thereby violating the seal, or do you just collect it and look at it? Anyway, we were perusing through our records and came upon a few items that were still sealed and decided to use one of these for our next giveaway contest. The item we chose is: Red Rodney, Bird Lives, Muse 5371. This is a 1989 pressing of a 1973 recording and it features Charles McPherson, Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Roy Brooks. The record features
Tags: Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, Charlie Parker, Muse Records, Red Rodney, Roy Brooks, Same Jones
Stomp Off Records For Sale
Jul 10, 2009 For Sale
So I’ve been talking about how often I now receive inquiries from people looking to sell records or other collectibles, and I posted the Andy Warhol autograph and Blue Note 78s earlier this week, and no one out there has expressed interest yet, and still the inquiries keep coming in. Here’s one from a guy in the U.K. who has 350 records from the Stomp Off record label. He also has three brochures as part of the collection. He has no idea what he wants for these, but it looks like he would be interested in selling them all at once. If anyone is interested, drop me an email at al@jazzcollector.com and I’ll put you together with the seller. By they way, I don’t get a commission on any of these things: It is my goal in life to make Jazz Collectors happy the world over and, for me, that is reward enough. Or something like that.
Tags: Stomp Off Records
A Couple of Nice 10-Inch LPs For The Price Guide
Jul 10, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Price Guide
Just catching up on some recent interesting eBay sales to add to the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Here’s a nice 10-inch Blue Note: Lou Donaldson, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5021. This was in VG+ condition, both the record and the cover. The price was $339. I love these old records with titles like “New Faces, New Sounds” or “Introducing.” They really put the timing of the release of the records in a nice context. This one also has a great cover.
Here’s another 10-incher from the same era with a great cover and a great title: Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows For LP, Prestige 166. This is another title that really dates itself: The concept that
Bird 10-Inch Savoy Enters $1,000 Bin
Jul 9, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Savoy
Here’s a record new to the $1,000 bin and it’s presence there is somewhat of a surprise to us: Charlie Parker, Savoy 9000. This is a 10-inch LP and I’ll assume it’s the original cover. I have this record with two different covers and was never sure which one came first. The high price tag leads me to believe this is the first cover, and I assume it is the first cover for the rest of the series. It’s also surprising to see a Bird record sell for such a high price, and a 10-inch LP to sell for such a high price, and a Savoy to sell for such a high price. But, all of that notwithstanding, it did sell for a high price: $1,335 to be precise. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG+.
Tags: Charlie Parker
More 78s Anyone?
Jul 8, 2009 78-RPM Records, Blue Note
In my last post, I’d mentioned the autographed Andy Warhol cover that may or may not still be available. Another inquiry that came into my email box came from a guy who has 17 Blue Note 78s: Nine of these are 10-inch and eight are 12-inch. No bebop among them, but there are a couple of Ike Quebec’s, plus Sidney Bechet, James P. Johnson, Art Hodes, T-Bone Walker, Albert Ammons and the Port of Harlem Seven. I get the sense he’d love to sell them all in one batch. If there are any Blue Note 78 collectors out there, just let me know and I’ll put you in touch with him.
Tags: Albert Ammons, Art Hodes, James P. Johnson, Port of Harlem Seven, Sidney Beche, T-Bone Walker
Warhol Anyone?
Jul 8, 2009 Autographs, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, RCA
I had mentioned a few weeks ago how I’d been getting a few requests a week from people interested either in selling collections or in getting advice on what to do with their collections. I’ve seen some interesting items. Here’s one: A guy in Toronto goes into a store and buys the Count Basie record with the Andy Warhol cover (RCA 1112). It costs him 25 cents. He takes it home and notices that there’s a name written on the cover and figures, no big deal, it’s just the previous owner. Then he looks closer. The signature reads “Andy Warhol.” He goes online to look at other Warhol autographs. Sure enough, it’s a stone-cold match. So here he is, sitting with an original Warhol cover signed by Warhol. And he has no idea what it’s worth. He sent me a note looking for advice, and I told him I had no idea what it was worth either. I suggested he try Soetheby’s or Chistie’s or some other auction house. He was advised to start any auction with a price of $500. I haven’t heard back from him, but, if anyone is interested
For the Price Guide: A Blue Note Batch & A Prestige
Jul 7, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Price Guide
Here are a few more big-ticket items we’ve been watching. All of these will be entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide as soon as we get a chance.
Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New Jersey address. The record and cover both seemed to be in VG+ condition. The price was $599.95.
Walter Davis, Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in M- condition. It sold for $790.
Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040. This too was an original pressing and it was in M- condition, both the record and the cover. The price was $636. This was actually surprisingly low — we’ve seen this record sell for more than $1,000 several times, and reach as high as $1,590 for a record that was not in M- condition.
Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The
Tags: Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson, Paul Chambers, Sonny Red, Walter Davis
A Term New To Us: “Kakubushi Frames”
Jul 6, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Every so often I come upon an album or a term that is new to me. Here’s one on an item I’d been watching on eBay. The item was: Kenny Dorham, Round Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. The seller listed the album as having “kakubushi frames” in the cover. I pulled out my copy from my shelf (that’s the one pictured at right) and I still can’t figure out what the term “kakubushi frames” is referring to. I’m hoping someone out there can help. By the way, my copy is a nice original pressing with the flat edge and Lexington Avenue address. It’s only in VG condition, but sounds quite nice. I imagine it also has the “kakubshi frames” since it is an original. The one I was watching on eBay was in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. It sold for $695.
Tags: Kenny Dorham
One For the $2,000 Bin & One For The $1,000 Bin
Jul 6, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
We were watching a couple of new items that have crossed the four-figure plateau on eBay. They are:
Jutta Hipp, Blue Note 1530. This is the one featuring Zoot Sims. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The seller did a very good job of presenting it, with nice, clear, close-up pictures. It was listed in VG++ condition, for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,030.
Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep groove. It looked to be in nice shape: The record was listed as M- and the cover looked like it was VG+, based on the pictures. The price was $1,225.
Tags: Jutta Hipp, Kenny Dorham, New Jazz Records, Zoot Sims
Blue Note Album Cover Art: The Winner Is . . . .
Jul 6, 2009 Album Covers, Blue Note, Books/Magazines, Free Collectibles
Okay, it’s finally time to announce the winner of our most recent giveaway contest for the book: Blue Note The Album Cover Art. As previously mentioned, this is a 128-book of album cover art from the Blue Note catalogue, first published in 1991 by Chronicle Books. It features page after page of classic Blue Note covers from the 1950s and 1960s, featuring many of the great designs by Reid Miles and photos by Francis Wolff. The book also includes a foreward by Horace Silver. We announced a couple of weeks ago we would be giving away a free copy of this book to one lucky reader of Jazz Collector. The criteria for being eligible to win the book were simple: All you had to do was comment on a post on the site, any post. Since we announced the contest, there have been 12 different individuals who have commented on the site and are thus eligible to win the book. They are:
Tags: Blue Note Cover Art
Waltz For Debby Hits The $2,000 Bin
Jul 1, 2009 $1000 Records, Riverside
Here’s one I somehow missed: Euclid Records had a sealed copy of Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 9399, which sold recently for $2,034, which is definitely a new high for this particular record. The question I have is this: What does a collector do with a sealed record? If you want to listen to it (presumably) you have to break the seal, and thereby it is no longer a sealed record. So do you just hang on to it and admire it and realize it’s still sealed and find another copy for listening? These are the things we think about here at Jazz Collector.
Tags: Bill Evans, Euclid Records
