Back in Jazz Vinyl Action

Walter Davis Jr Jazz VinylBack in action after some minor surgery last week. Feeling good and ready to roll with some jazz vinyl on ebay, starting with a couple of Blue Notes from the Jazz Collector Want List that both broke into the $1,000 bin: Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original pressing that looked to be probably M- for the record and VG++ or VG+ for the cover. There were 15 bidders and the final price was $1,125. Then there was Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was also an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was listed as M- and the cover was VG++. There were 14 bidders for this one and the final price came in at $1,304. Our friend CeeDee sent us a note about this one, but we were already watching it:

Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This was an original mono New York USA pressing with the ears, Van Gelder, etc. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $641.55.

The same seller as the Walter Davis and Wayne Shorter records also had some Riversides and Savoys that fetched some relatively healthy prices. To wit: Elvin Jones, Elvin!, Riverside 408. This was an original mono pressing with the deep grooves. The record was in VG++ to M- condition and the cover was M-. The final price was $317, quite high for this record, although if it was on Blue Note it would undoubtedly fetch more.

Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 264. This was an original blue label, deep groove pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $451.

Curtis Fuller Jazztet with Benny Golson, Savoy12143. This was an original deep groove pressing with the blood red labels. It sold for $388. I once had a sealed copy of this record. I was sure it was a second pressing with the maroon label. I opened it, of course, and, voila, it was an original pressing. After writing about it on Jazz Collector I wound up selling it to one of our readers for $325. We both got a good deal at the time, although I never replaced the record and I have no idea what I did with the $325, so perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned somewhere in there.

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13 comments

  • Some great records right there! The Johnny Griffin on Riverside was a second press— first would have the large blue labels without the Inc. Somewhat surprised it went for so much, but given condition and the other great LP’s that seller had for auction, maybe not that surprising after all…

  • That seller had some nice listings! Surprised to see Sonny Boy go for $361; not exactly a collectible. An original of Tour de Force usually sells for less.

  • Welcome back Al

  • Gregory the Fish

    glad you are well, Al.

    i’ve always been under the impression that davis cup was one of the few blue notes whose collectible status was based entirely on being on blue note, though admittedly i haven’t heard it and i just think the cover photo is dorky. at least i’m honest. anyone care to weigh in?

    the jazztet is great in all of its forms, and i have only an original mercury stereo pressing of the band that has one skip in it. 🙁 i passed on “meet the jazztet” on argo for $5 in NM/NM one time because I was in a hurry. so sad.

  • Al: I wish you a quick recovery.
    Davis Cup has more to say for it than you would imagine. Some nice Caribean tinged originals by Walter, worked out well by a more than competent team. I would say that this record is above the average run of the mill Blue Note album,
    of which there too many.

  • @Joe L One could, and Joe Goldberg does on the liner notes, argue Sonny Boy is a better album. As Joe writes, “The track which gave this set its title, Sonny Boy, was recorded at the session which produced a previous Rollins album, Tour de Force. As Ira Gitler commented on the notes to that LP, “At Sonny’s request, Earl Coleman as on hand to sing two very romantic numbers.” It was felt, after the release of the album that the two vocals detracted from the overall feeling of the set. Therefore it was decided to retain the three instrumentals which had appeared on the album, and add the two new discoveries.)”

    So although it’s reuses some of the tracks from Tour de Force I tend to agree it feels like a different, and to me better, album.

  • GST – that’s a very good point, I never thought of it that way.

  • Davis Cup is, in my opinion, good – not great, but good. I’d have a hard time parting with the amount of money it would take to replace my King pressing with an original, however.

    I was surprised to see bullsite2000 get nearly $200 for the Roy Brooks on Workshop Jazz. I never thought of it as an album that would get more than $80 at auction.

  • Was the cover on the Brooks super clean? I could see that being a reason for it going above the normal $75ish range as it seems like a cover that’s prone to wear. My first copy had a mint cover in shrink but the vinyl was marked up pretty good. My current copy has clean vinyl but a slightly worn cover. In retrospect should have kept my first copy to make a “perfect” one but alas…oh the problems collector nerds face haha…

  • Mark – ring wear, a corner clip, and a blob of sticker residue. Far from crisp!

  • @GtF,

    I would say the Davis Cup photo is not dorky, but creepy. I definitely would have other chase titles to spend $1000+ on … if I had that to spend, that is.

  • interesting discussion on Sonny Boy. Tour de Force is an album of extremes, three incredibly fast numbers and two ballads with vocals. I find the fast numbers too fast, it is showing off for nothing, like a boy skating on the ice ring to impress the girls. After the speed, Sonny’s interventions on the ballads are almost a relief. In that sense the album is very balanced. Owners of Sonny Boy will not have this pleasure. I have dug Earl Coleman, ever since Bird made a number or two with him. I have Sonny Boy, of course, but the better album for me is Tour de Force. For sure, Tour de Force is not amongst Sonny’s best. In the same period “Sound of Sonny” on Riverside is on the top of my list, and to be found at very reasonable prices.

  • Gregory The Fish

    Mac,

    I guess what’s weird for me is that the inside of Davis’ nostrils seems to be the point of focus.

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