A Triple Play of Rare Jazz Vinyl
I went to eBay to peruse the jazz listings and right off the bat saw three of the rarest of the rare jazz vinyl, each of which will probably sell for at least $2,000 this week.
First up is Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This is an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover, and it is being offered by the Jazz Record Center, so there is the added assurance of a top seller. Bidding is already close to $2,200 and the auction is closing later today.
The second one that came up is also from the Jazz Record Center: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is probably M- or VG++, depending upon how you feel about a small number written on the back. The bidding for this one is in the $1,700 range.
Finally, there is:
Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This one has the West 63rd address on both sides. I know there are some collectors who prefer the ones with the New York 23 on one side, although it seems there’s no definitive proof that one was pressed earlier than the other. This one is in M- condition for the record and Ex for the cover, whatever that means. Bidding has surpassed $2,000 but it has not yet surpassed the seller’s reserve price.
Proliferation of 1568 and Quiet Kenny, those days. With Ebay it is easier to obtain a NM 1568 or a Quiet Kenny than to have +2000$ to spend for that…:-)
i love watching the mobleys sell because i am not such a big mobley fan. he’s great, but not who i think of when i want tenor sax. so i get to play outsider on this rarity. fun!
I’d like to know where does that Mobleymania comes from. Pure musical feeling ? Blue Note covers ? Label ? Unsung hero ? Fascination for underground artist whatever they are ?
This beeing said, i love him, just because his sound and his relaxing way to play. Althought i must admit that (in my ears) Hank does not plays in the same league as John or Stan. No matter, anyway.
Easy answer- NO ONE sounds like Mobley. The man played with his own voice and had human soul in spades. Just because he wasn’t a flashy player dose not make him any less of one.
I’ve always felt like 1568 was more driven by the thought of having the “rarest” Blue Note rather than by the music. Not to say that it’s bad, but there are certainly Mobley’s I like more. That being said, I’d much prefer the Saxophone Colossus for the music. Still my fav jazz record.
It does beg the question, are the Blue Notes more rare than say Pacific records, or are they just more desirable? Rarity certainly drives a price, but when it is a desirable commodity and rare, then the issue quickly is removed from my desire to purchase the rare Blue Notes.
I see Futureman3030 is selling several Blue Note 10 inch records, along with Kenny Dorham’s 10 inch Debut. They may not be in mint condition, but they are in my affordable range! LOL
Stevie B I agree there are better dates with Mobley as a leader than 1568. My favorite Mobley as a leader for his 50s output is Hank Mobley Quintet (1550)
I was actually surprised at how low many of JRC’s items came in at & wondered if it could be that so many desirable items were closing at about the same time – even the SaxColossus was disappointing at 1700+, since comparable condition samples have sold recently for over $2000 – is there any reason to doubt his descriptions?
Michel:
I don’t how it got to this point, but now that it’s there, it is a self-driving machine.
Legendary status begets legendary prices.
In the description of Saxophone Collossus it says that one side is flat rim and one side is beaded. This may be why the price was below 2k. Anyone else have any ideas.
I love Mobley. He has a beautiful tone. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he is as influential as trane, Getz, or Rollins but damn I love his music. The difference is the bulk of the other three tenors output was pressed in higher numbers, clearly this is a generality but much of Hanks output was on the most collectible label and pressed in lower numbers. Which is why mid tier Hank 1568 goes for double on of the greatest jazz albums ever Saxophone Collossus, not to mention some of the great Trane impulses or Getz Verves.
I think Mobleys are so collectible because they are the most “Blue Notey” Blue Notes: super cool photos; great cover design; the top Blue Note players; classic hard bop; Lex and W. 63rd pressings with heavy vinyl, the ear, and DG; and rare, as the originals were not pressed in high numbers. Put another way, if a person were to ask “why is original jazz vinyl so great?” you would simply show him a copy of 1540 or 1544 or 1568 or 4031 or 4058 – and then play it – and it would ALL be there.
.
I think that also applies to other labels and musicians, but it just seems to have coalesced around Mobley on Blue Note; he is the avatar, and hence the most desirable.
Joe L : “I think Mobleys are so collectible because they are the most “Blue Notey” Blue Notes”. Fully agreed.
@Earl – I believe it is because they do not accept Paypal. It stopped me couple of times from bidding on their records as generaly I do not send my credit card details (since my card has been charged with unauthorized transactions several times in the past).
Gandi may be right – I hadn’t thought of that
As to the beading on the SaxCol, my belief is that beading on early Prestige LP’s has lagely been discounted in importance; in fact the very existence of a true flat rim (as distinct from the BN’s) has been questioned
Earl is absolutely right concerning flat rims on Prestige. It is a non-issue.
Re: JRC and Paypal
I have been dealing with Fred Cohen at RJC for years, as I am sure many others on JC have as well. I truly hope noone here is afraid to provide Fred with credit card details. He is among the great gentlemen of our hobby and completely trustworthy. I suggest you call him and provide your card details once and you can do the rest via quick emails (w/o cc info) should you be the high bidder in the auctions.
@BigBear – you misunderstood, I definitely would trust RJC to handle my credit card info confidentially. The issue I have is to transfer this info in unsecure way (email or telephone). With all the spy software and wiretapping we hear about everyday I limit my payments to Paypal(better security even though still not perfect)
Why is Quiet Kenny always the most consistently expensive Dorham LP? It seems to far eclipse, say, the Jazz Prophets LPs (Blue Note and Paramount) in price, though for my money those are more engaging statements. Just curious what others think.
the presence of J.R. make the Jazz Prophets a more interesting group, and more varied.
I always compare Quiet Kenny with the only album Art Farmer did for CR. Both are delicate and unique. Maybe that’s why they are fetching much more. Of course, a quintet (tr/ten) + rhythm is more common.
In my opinion (having never bought from RJC), I have a hard time understanding grading that is not Goldmine.
As a side topic speaking of Mobley did anyone see the 1568 in NM condition only go for $3000 by atomic_records? The reserve wasn’t met
Andrew,one purchase from Fred Cohen at JRC will make you a believer. He is one of the best in the business-a jazz lover who happens to sell records,too. RE: KD-since the number of trumpet 4tet lps are relatively few,it makes “Quiet Kenny” even more of a standout.
Rudolf: Is the Farmer album you are referring to “Portrait of__?” If by CR you mean Contemporary, he did several for that label.
yes, Portrait of… on Contemporary. After this one, he recorded several albums on Argo. You are right, much, much later he came back to CR. This was after the re-birth of CR. They went silent for more than a decade by the end of the sixties.
“Why is Quiet Kenny always the most consistently expensive Dorham LP? It seems to far eclipse, say, the Jazz Prophets LPs (Blue Note and Paramount) in price, though for my money those are more engaging statements. Just curious what others think.”
I think there’s two reasons: 1. it’s a very good Dorham date and 2. it’s rare…pretty simple! 🙂