How About Brubeck Collectibles?

I’m going through all of the old Web posts and newsletters from 2004 and 2005 and updating them and putting them on the site. I ran into an item, which I’ll post in a second, in which a reader asked about our Price Guides and why we didn’t include any records from Dave Brubeck. The answer, basically, is that Brubeck records are not really among the most highly pursued collectibles and don’t normally get top dollar. So, on eBay this week, I was caught by surprise by the price of this record: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz Red, Hot and Cool, Columbia 699.  This record sold for $160.50. Apparently what makes this rare (and valuable) is that it’s an original white label promo that was released as part of a joint promotion with Helena Rubenstein, promoting the lipstick worn by the model on the cover. Generally promo copies don’t make all that much difference in value, but apparently this one turns this Brubeck record into a collectible of note.   As for the original correspondence about the Price Guides and Brubeck and collectibles, I’m reposting those as comments to this post. Please post your own comments if you’d like.

A Weekend With Jackie, Basie, Warhol, Monk

As promised, here are a few more records to keep an eye on this weekend, as well as some sellers who have interesting items.

Jackie McLean, A Long Drink of the Blues, Prestige New Jazz 8253. I‘ve always loved the second side of this LP, with Jackie in a quartet setting doing Embraceable You, I Cover the Waterfront and These Foolish things. This particular copy of the record is an original, but not in great condition. Sometimes, if the price is right, it makes sense to bid on something like this, hoping that the record sounds better than it looks. In any case, this is a record worth looking at and it’s also worth looking at some of the other items from this seller this weekend.  A few weeks ago we wrote about a Joe Newman record selling for a high price because of a cover illustration by Andy Warhol. Now here’s another album with a Warhol cover, Count Basie, RCA 1112. This is being sold by Atomic Records, one of the largest eBay jazz sellers.

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