The Cats, Bird, Miles and Trane
Aug 20, 2012 Books/Magazines, Prestige, Promo Copies
I said I’d post a few more from the Jazz Record Center auction last week, so here ’tis:
Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and cover. It was also a review copy. It sold for $535. I’ve had this record for a while. I traded it for it years ago: I had a broken leg at the time and was stuck in my friend’s basement with all of his records, Blue Notes, Prestiges, the whole works. I was very good and just looked. In my collection I have this one with my Flanagans, although the temptation is to put it with the Coltranes. I’m often reorganizing, so maybe I’ll move it around some day.
This is one of my favorite jazz collectibles, although it’s not jazz vinyl: To Bird With Love, by Francis Paudras. This is a book from 1981, about the most loving tribute to Bird you could find this side of Irving Kalus’ Ornithology. As noted by Fred in his listing, which you should take a look at, the book was printed once with no more than 1,000 copies, probably 500. I bought this when it first came out, from Fred, and I’ve treasured it ever since. It now has a prominent shelf on my new shelves in The Berkshires. This one sold for $887.79.
The Miles Davis Columbia records with Coltrane, and even the next generation, are becoming more collectible it seems. The music is certainly uniformly great. Here are a few from the Jazz Record Center auction:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Columbia Records, Francis Paudras, Jazz Record Center, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, New Jazz Records, To Bird With Love, Tommy Flanagan
In Search of Very Early DownBeats
Jun 25, 2012 Books/Magazines
OK, the Jazz Collector community gets a chance to solve another difficult challenge. I have been contacted by a researcher from the Oxford English Dictionary and he is searching for DownBeats between 1934 and 1936. He has found all DownBeats in some form from 1937 on, but no luck on the earlier ones. “The purpose of all this is that the Oxford English Dictionary likes to record the earliest uses of words and phrases, and DownBeat is full of interesting and new terms for the time,” he writes. He doesn’t need the issues, just access to the content. So here it is, we have a chance to contribute once again to the historical record. If you have any ideas — or if you have any of these issues — please respond to this post. Thanks.
Updates From The Jazz Record Center Auction, Part 1
Aug 10, 2011 Books/Magazines, Prestige
So the auction from the Jazz Record Center ended the other day and here are some of the results of items we were watching:
Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. It was listed in mint condition, not mint minus but mint, and the cover was probably M-. This one sold for $1,080. As loyal readers will know, this is one of my favorite records — really, with Coltrane and Rollins together for the only time, how could it not be a favorite — and it is a record of which I own two copies, a New York pressing in VG+ condition and a pristine New Jersey pressing. When I listen I always put on the New York pressing in VG+ condition. Why? Because it’s the original and the occasional pops and clicks are part of the charm and the passion, of course.
I always keep an eye out for this because it’s one of my favorite jazz collectibles, non-vinyl category: To Bird With Love. This is a book published in France by Chan Parker and Francis Paudras. It is a gorgeous book and it so obviously lives up to it’s title, as it is a loving tribute to Bird, with photos, letters, contracts and just about everything you could ever imagine. I bought a copy when it first came out and it’s something I’ve always treasured and often go back to, just to look through it and re-capture the magic of Bird: Especially with one of the Dials or Savoys on the turntable. This copy of the book was in mint condition and sold for $266.66. Someone will be quite thrilled, I’m sure.
Tags: Chan Parker, Charlier Parker, Francis Paudras, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins
Guest Column: The Blue Note Guide, One More Time
Aug 4, 2011 Blue Note, Books/Magazines
With apologies to the author for my tardiness, here is an excellent guest column looking once again at Fred Cohen’s guide to Blue Note records. A version of this was previously published by the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors and Bill was gracious enough to do a new version for us here at Jazz Collector. I’m sure this will provoke much food for thought.
Vinyl Coverings, by Bill Schweitzer
The Blue Note Original Record Guide
Some mention of Blue Note Records appears in almost every column I’ve written for the IAJRC,. It is the single most discussed, collectible, and expensive LP label in jazz. There are Web sites and books dedicated to the music, packaging variations, photography and history. The nature of an “original” issue, with seemingly unending anomalies, has been debated in minute detail. Not without cause. An “original” can fetch astronomical prices on Ebay and elsewhere. So, if you’rebuying or selling, it’s important to know what is or isn’t a true “original.” Help has arrived.
Fred Cohen, long time IAJRC member, has just published “Blue Note Records: A Guide For Identifying Original Pressings”, a Jazz Record Center Publication. At $45 it’s available at Jazz Record Center, 236 west 26 Street, #804, NY, NY 10001, or on the Web at jazzrecordcenter@verizon.net.
It’s been a long time coming and worth the wait. The objective of the book is to be a guide for determining original pre-Liberty issue Blue Notes (to BST 84252). With much acknowledged help, Fred has succeeded admirably. For 90 percent of the catalog, we now have a definitive model of what is an original issue. This is a great tool for sellers and buyers alike. However, it may also bring tears to the eyes of some folks who paid big bucks for a record only to find
Tags: Fred Cohen, International Association of Jazz Record Collectors, Jazz Record Center
Tal Farlow, Downbeat, One More Time
May 6, 2011 Books/Magazines
Dan is back with another request. This upcoming memoir better be good. (Actually, it is: I’ve seen early drafts). This time Dan is looking for a high-res scan of the following photo from Downbeat, May 2, 1967. I know I have this issue in nice condition, bit it is somewhere in storage and I can’t access it. So if someone out there can help out (again), I’m sure it would be most appreciated.
Tags: Downbeat, Tal Farlow
In Search of An Obscure Article
Apr 27, 2011 Books/Magazines
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.
Tags: Downbeat, Tal Farlow
Guest Column: Review of Hank Mobley Bio
Apr 10, 2011 Books/Magazines
Thanks to Mike Falcon for the following excellent book review.
Workout: The Music of Hank Mobley By Derek Ansell
A Review by Mike Falcon
Hank Mobley’s music is well documented. Hank recorded a wealth of material that fans are still enjoying a half-century later, perhaps more than ever. But, for a very long time, any fan wanting to know more about Hank’s life had a hard time finding anything. Searching the Internet yields little. Searching back issues of jazz periodicals looking for any interviews wouldn’t yield much. Derek Ansell explains in Workout: The Music of Hank Mobley that Hank only gave one substantial interview throughout his career. The interview occurred in 1973 when his career was in a steep decline. Other than this, Ansell was forced to piece together a picture of Hank from what little others had to say about him.
Tags: Hank Mobley
JRC Auction: Nice Vinyl, Rare DSM Book
Jul 19, 2010 Blue Note, Books/Magazines
We always like to watch the listings from the Jazz Record Center because they generally get top prices and give us a sense of the current state of the market. They have a new auction this week and here are a few of the items:
Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This is a West 63rd Street deep-groove pressing, which I would think we be an original, but perhaps not. The listing notes that it is an “early deep-groove” pressing, but doesn’t state that it is an original. Can anyone see anything in the listing or picture that would indicate that this is not a first pressing? Anyway, the record is listed in M- condition and has a start price of $1,000. So far there are no bidders.
Duke Jordan, Flight To Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This one is listed clearly as an “original” pressing and it looks to be in beautiful M- condition for both the record and the cover. The starting price is $750 and there are no bidders yet.
I saw this item and immediately thought of Rudolf:
Tags: Cliff Jordan, David Stone Martin, Duke Jordan, Jazz Record Center, John Gilmore
Miles, Introducing Trane, On eBay, In Metronome
Aug 17, 2009 Books/Magazines, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
I was perusing eBay early this morning and came across this beautiful item: Miles, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. I’ve always loved this LP, not just for the music and the great cover, but for the historic value as well: The introduction of the great Miles Quintet of the ’50s and, in particular, the introduction of John Coltrane. So, I put this item on my watch list and took a further look and it turns out to be a listing from Rudolf, our faithful friend and commentator. So we are happy to help Rudolf publicize this listing on the Jazz Collector site, but we also noticed a nice teaser in the listing, which notes that they album will be offered with a copy of Metronome’s July 1956 review of the album. Furthermore, the listing notes that the Metronome review is
Tags: Downbeat, John Coltrane, Metronome, Miles Davis
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
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
Horace Silver on Blue Note: Comments Anyone?
Jun 23, 2009 Blue Note, Books/Magazines, Free Collectibles
OK, we’re still in the midst of the contest to give away the book: Blue Note The Album Cover Art. To be eligible to win this book — free, we even pay for shipping — all you have to do is post a comment on the Jazz Collector Web site before July 2. The winner will be announced July 3. When we did the original post announcing the contest, we promised to share with you the foreward of the book, written by Horace Silver. Here goes:
“Blue Note Records were very meticulous in every aspect of their production: They used he best vinyl, they paid for rehearsals and when I asked to be in on other parts of my album Alfred Lion (the label’s founder) gave me every opportunity. A lot of musicians in those days worked very hard to make good music and once the music was done, they let Alfred Lion go on with the rest of it. One day I went to Alfred and said,
Tags: Alfred Lion, Horace Silver
Downbeats, Anyone?
May 20, 2009 Books/Magazines
I’ve been posting old issues of Downbeat Magazine from the 1960s on eBay and have not seen a great deal of interest, which is a shame since, to me, these seem so much a part of the history. Anyway, I received a note yesterday from a guy in Portland, Oregon, who has just acquired a massive collection of Downbeats from 1955 to 2004 and he’s looking to sell them in bulk. I already have too many Downbeats to get rid of, so I told him I wasn’t interested but I would post an item on the site and see if any of the Jazz Collector readers are interested. If you are, you can send me an email (al@jazzcollector.com) or you can just post a response to this item and I will pass along your interest and you can contact him directly.
Tags: Downbeat Magazine
For Sale: Louis Armstrong Autograph
May 19, 2009 Autographs, Books/Magazines, For Sale
I just posted an interesting item on The Jazz Collector Store on eBay: A copy of the Louis Armstrong autobiography Satchmo, My Life In New Orleans, which is autographed by Louis Armstrong. It is signed in large print on the title page: “To Joel From Satchmo Louis Armstrong.” The Satchmo is underlined. I have a receipt stating that I paid $270 for this item nearly 10 years ago, but I just posted it for $200. I did a quick search on eBay and there are not that many Armstrong autographs available and none quite as strong as this one, since it is an inscribed autobiography. Since the item is in the store and not up on auction, it could go fast, so I wanted to make sure I gave a heads-up to all of you who read Jazz Collector in case you wanted to grab it. If you buy it and tell me you read about it at Jazz Collector, I’ll give you an additional $10 discount. Can’t beat that.
Tags: Louis Armstrong
From The Vaults: Billy Eckstine Assaulted, Drugged
Apr 5, 2009 Books/Magazines
Am I the only one who gets a charge out of these old Downbeats? Here’s an article I just have to share from Feb. 11, 1965:
Bill Eckstine Misses Opening; Claims He Was Assaulted
Singer Bill Eckstine missed his scheduled opening at the Royal Box of the Hotel Americana in New York City Jan. 4 and speculation of foul play ran high. Eckstine reappeared the following day, however, and said he had been assaulted on the street the night of Jan. 3, hauled into a car, robbed of about $600 and a watch, and then drugged.
Eckstine said he was trying to hail a taxi on 125th St. and Fifth Ave. on Jan. 3 when he was approached by three men, who pulled up in a car and asked for his autograph. While he complied with the request, Eckstine said, one of the men hit him on the back of the neck and
Tags: Billy Eckstine, Downbeat Magazine, Nipsey Russell, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis Jr.
This Week on Ebay: Miles, Clifford, Trane
Apr 2, 2009 Books/Magazines, For Sale, Impulse, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
We haven’t been very active selling on eBay lately: Just life getting in the way. However, this week we found some time to clean and post a bunch of items. It’s a mixed bag, but there are a few nice ones, including:
Miles Davis, Blue Haze, Prestige 7054. This is an original New York yellow label Prestige. It’s in VG+ condition, and sounds quite nice. We put a start price of $30 and it’s already received a bid, so we expect there to be some action.
We also put up a nice-sounding original copy of Clifford Brown, Jam Session, Emarcy 36002. This also has a start price of $30. It’s a great record, with a lot of positive energy.
As you may have noticed on the Jazz Collector site, we’ve been going through some old Downbeat Magazines, looking for collectibles (we’re even giving one away). We’ve put a few up for sale in our eBay story, and we put a very interesting one up for auction yesterday. It is:
Tags: A Love Supreme, Clifford Brown, Downbeat Magazine, Emarcy Records, Impulse Records, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman
Cole Porter’s Last Words
Apr 2, 2009 Books/Magazines
I’ve been going through old Downbeat Magazines with the idea of getting rid of some of them, although I love to have these as collectibles because they are filled with interesting tidbits that you can’t find anywhere else. Here’s one from the Downbeat of November 19, 1964. It’s from a small article on the death of Cole Porter, who passed away on Oct. 15, 1964 at 71 years of age. The only people at his bedside when he died were two valets, who had worked for him for six years. His last words were spoken to a publicist about two hours before he died. They were, “Don’t leave me.” Sad. If you would like to purchase a copy of this magazine, I have one for sale at The Jazz Collector Store on eBay. You can just click the Items for Sale tab at the top of this page to find it.
Tags: Cole Porter, Downbeat Magazine
