Month: April 2011

In Search of An Obscure Article

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OK, we’re going to see if we can use the collective wisdom, expertise, knowledge and possible collections of the community to see if we can solve a mystery for a friend. In this case, we are looking for a specific article in Downbeat. All we have is a partial headline and story, pictured here. To me this looks like a Downbeat from the early 1950s when it was still in a newspaper format. We are looking for the issue date of the article and, if possible, a copy of the article itself. My friend says we will not be successful in this quest, that the reference is too obscure. I say never underestimate the power of the Jazz Collector community. Let’s see.

eBaying: Overseas, Boats and Blue Notes

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Lots of jazz vinyl to watch on eBay, as usual. Here are a few of the ones we’re watching:

I’ve never owned an original pressing of this: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. Aside from the regular availability of this record on eBay, I’ve only had a couple of chances to actually hold this record in my hand and pay cash for it. Once, the price was just too high and the second time was a few years ago, I had a chance to buy a collection and this was one of the records. The whole collection was probably about $3,000 and I could have made up a good portion of it by just selling this record, but there weren’t enough other gems to make it worthwhile. I’m still looking for a copy and expect to find one someday at a reasonable price, but this won’t be the one. This one is in VG+ condition for both the record and the vinyl and is already at $1,180. I see that the seller is located near me, so, if you’re out there and a reader, perhaps we can do some trading one of these days.

My son graduated from his masters program at Brown so I don’t get up to Providence as much as I used to, but I see my friend Steve at Round Again Records has found a nice collection and is posting some of them on eBay, including these gems:

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Tales From the Hunt, Redux

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Our friend Nick from Brooklyn is back with another Tales From the Hunt:

Besides collecting Jazz I also collected literature on record companies, music publishers, etc. I used to send out between 10 to 20 postcards a week, all over the United States requesting records. Companies and people that were in New York City or in New Jersey I would search out myself. I had sent a postcard to this record company in upstate New York called Chroma Records. Now many companies I never heard of and I did not have a clue what type of music they had. A couple of weeks later I get a tape and it says our latest release and the price, which is $2. It was Country and it was not my cup of tea. I go to throw the letter in the garbage and it gets stuck in my hand. To me this was a omen. Read more

eBaying: Miles Test Pressing, Dolphy, Roy Haynes

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Here’s an interesting one: Miles Davis Volume 1, Blue Note 1501. This was a test pressing, no cover. What’s makes it cool, in my view, is the original Plastylite logo and the date, which looks to be  12-5-55. Seems pretty original, no? This one was listed in excellent plus condition and sold for $1,025. In the past I’ve owned several test pressings and, while they’re nice to have, I’ve always missed having the covers. This, I think, would have been an exception, but not at that price. Speaking of prices, that copy of Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024, sold for $495 the other day and, no, I was not the winning bidder. As Mrs. JC and I are starting to explore downsizing once again and moving to Manhattan, I am much more of a mind to be selling rather than buying these days.

This one got a high price, all things considered: Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, New Jazz 8260. If you click on the link you’ll see what I mean: The record and cover were both listed as VG+, but there seems to be a pretty nice amount of ringwear on the cover, so I guess I’d be a bit skeptical. The winning bidder apparently was not. It sold for $535.

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Andy Warhol Jazz Covers Keep Rising, But . . .

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Other than the Andy Warhol covers, which seem to be going out of sight, I’m sensing some softness in the market these days. Not sure if it’s because of what’s going on in Japan or just the usual ebbs and flows of prices, often dependent upon who is on eBay and who is not on eBay. In any case, let’s start with the Warhols. I’ve never seen this one at this price: Count Basie, RCA 1112. This is in VG++ to M- condition for the record, but only VG for the cover. Still, it is already close to $350 with several hours to go. This one looks quite familiar: Conte Candoli, Cool Gabriels, Groove 1003. Methinks this belongs, for now, to Rudolf, correct? If so, I think it will finally sell. There are five days left on the auction and it is already more than $1,000.

So why am I mentioning potential softness in the market? Here are a few examples, perhaps not a trend, but examples nonetheless. Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This is an original West 63rd deep groove pressing in M-/VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover. Hard to find this record is such nice shape and it has sold for more than $1,000 previously in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. This one has a start bid of $300, it closes tomorrow, and there are no bidders. Hmmm. I can use an upgraded copy for my collection.  Or perhaps there are many snipers lurking in the weeds for this.

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It Is, In Fact, Record Store Day

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Did you know that today was, we kid you not, Record Store Day here in the states and, apparently, internationally as well? I didn’t know this until somebody sent me this link of depressing photos of record store closings. In any case, the idea is to patronize your favorite record stores so they can ostensibly avoid being on the next list of depressing photos of record store closings. We endorse the message and the concept wholeheartedly and, if we can, we will do our part by visiting one of the record stores participating in the venture. You should check out the site. There are quite a few stores participating in the celebration — perhaps some you’ve never even heard of — and some quotes and other stuff about record stores. I, for one, really miss many of my old favorite record stores and it would be a sad day indeed if we were not able to walk into a store and see bins and bins of used jazz vinyl, hoping to find that one Blue Note or Prestige gem hidden among the rest.

Updating the $1,000 Bin & A Few More

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Here are some $1,000 and near-$1,000 records we missed:

Kenny Dorham, ‘Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. This was an original pressing that was listed in M- condition for the record and excellent condition for the cover, which is, what, VG+, VG++? This one sold for $1,315.

People have already commented on this one elsewhere on Jazz Collector, but it seems reasonable to me, given the state of the Blue Note market: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note 1595. This looked like an original pressing and was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,250.

This one came from the bobjdukic batch and, given the condition, sold for a fairly whopping price tag: Lee Morgan, Indeed!, Blue Note 1538. It was listed as “insanely rare” (of course), but it was also listed in VG to VG-minus condition for the vinyl, which would definitely indicate surface noise. The cover was VG+ and the price was an even $1,000, which, I suppose, is a sign of something  to conspiracy theorists.

Here was an original copy of Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079, the barely missed the $1,000 bin. This looked to be in VG+ or VG++ condition for the vinyl and probably around VG+ for the cover. It sold for $948,

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eBaying: Warhol, Cliff, Horace

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I had never even seen the Cool Gabriels album until a few weeks ago, and now it keeps popping up on eBay and selling for quite high prices. I was tracking two copies this week. This copy, Cool Gabriels, Groove 1003, was listed in VG+/VG++ condition for the vinyl and, more importantly, M- for the cover. The reason the cover is more important is because it is the Andy Warhol illustration that is presumably driving the high prices, rather than the music by Conte Candoli, Nick Travis, et al. Don’t want to break Rudolf’s heart, but this one sold for $2,310. The other copy, Cool Gabriels, Groove 1003, was listed in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. This one sold for $1,807. If you want to see a picture of the cover, you can scroll down a few posts on Jazz Collecctor.

Here’s a beauty for the $1,000 bin: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original West 63rd pressing with the deep grooves and was listed in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,330.

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Seeing Live Jazz: Bird With Strings (Really)

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Do you see a lot of live jazz anymore? I don’t. When people ask why, I kind of laugh it off and tell them that just about everyone I’d want to see is dead. Which, unfortunately, is pretty true, with a very few exceptions. I do still try to see Sonny Rollins whenever possible and perhaps a couple of others, but I no longer go to the Vanguard regularly or any of the other clubs in New York. Perhaps this will change when Mrs. JC and I make our long-awaited move to Manhattan, which is in the works (we hope). In any case, I bring this up because I did recently trek to Rose Hall in New York for the first time to attend a Jazz at Lincoln Center concert. The concert was billed as “Bird With Strings,” featuring Charles McPherson accompanied by a string section and playing the music from the original Charlie Parker Bird With Strings album. I like McPherson, a love Bird With Strings and I figured this would be a good opportunity to see some live jazz and check out the location. So how was it?

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