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.

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

it’s not an original. As for the other 10 percent of the catalog, mystery remains. Like the nature of the universe, some things are unknowable. More on that later.

The heart of the book is 30 or so pages dedicated to a numerical listing of the 1500-4000 series in both mono and stereo with column listings for the reader to see the nine or so variations in vinyl, dead wax notation, label, cover and back that must be present in an original issue. Here are two  typical listings for the 1500 mono series

All Records are dg, P.

1543 – Lex, RVGe, fr / W63, f, bs, nl

1568 – W63-s1 NY23-s2, RVGs, br / W63, bs, lam

What?

Here’s the translation. All records have a deep groove label (dg) and a P mark in the dead wax (P) also known as the “ear”, indicating manufacture by the Plastylite company.

Blue Note 1543 = Kenny Burrell Volume 2 (one of the Andy Warhol covers – not indicated). An original issue must have a 767 Lexington Ave. NYC address on the record label (Lex). It must have Rudy Van Gelder’s initials etched in the dead wax (RVGe) and a flat edge or rim (fr). The cover must have a 47 west 63rd St., New York 23 address on the lower back (W63), a frame cover (f), a blank spine (bs) with no lamination (nl).

Quite a checklist. But if you’re paying hundreds of dollars for a copy of this rare piece, you’d like to know you’re getting the real thing. Now you can..

Blue Note 1568 = Hank Mobley Sextet, is one of the most expensive records in the Blue Note oeuvre. We’ll return to it later.

All the indicators are explained with clear photo examples (except for the flat edge which is achallenge to illustrate and is unclear). There is much ground to cover and many variations and permutations as the chronology of the label unfolds. For example, there are five variations in the label and six for the back cover addresses for original pre-Liberty Blue Notes. The column listings show which is the proper one at a glance. One drawback to this system is there is no attempt to put a name with the number as I just did. You cannot reference a title without a catalog number. I use the illustrated Japanese Blue Note book. Another IAJRC member, upon receiving his copy, proceeded to pencil in all the appropriate titles by hand. There are “work arounds”, but it would have been nice to have it already done. Then again, what is a bible without notes in the margins.

Two other minor points. Fred states on page 49 “All mono pressings use a BLP prefix on the cover and labels.” Not so. Labels yes but covers no. And then, why put a reissue label on the cover of a guide to identify original issues?

The biggest surprise for me was the elevated status of the stereo issues. Long considered secondary mixes and re-issues at best, Fred, with the help of Rudy Van Gelder’s cogent contribution, shows the early stereos as true originals, recorded in stereo and mixed from an original 2 track tape. The problem was the inconsistent release of these titles. Lots were never released pre-Liberty and some released months or years after the mono. Fred’s careful plotting of their history clears up much of this confusion.

Now to the mysterious 10 percent of the catalog. The questions revolve around the manufacturing process. They are in two distinct categories. First there are the label anomalies during the many transition periods. As Fred points out in his preface: “Like so many record producers…(Blue Note was) frugal, wasting nothing in the manufacturing process”. This led to many mismatched details.

If we return to Blue Note 1568 this problem may become clearer. An original issue has a 47 West 63rd st. address on side 1 and the earlier 47 West 63rd St. New York 23 address on side 2. RVG stamped in the dead wax and a beaded rim. The cover has the West 63rd St. address on the lower edge, a blank spine and laminated cover. The problem is with the label. It is generally thought that the total manufactured run of this title was a very small, 600 pieces. Hence the high collector’s price. However, there are many copies that turn up with both sides as W63. Since the press run was not big and there were no reprints, it stands to reason that this too is an original issue and the frugal boys at Blue Note put both labels randomly into the hopper. Most collectors agree with this analysis.

But what about a transition album with a much higher pressing run, like 1577, John Coltrane Blue Train? That’s listed as NY23 on either side but not on both. Again we are confronted with a mixed bag of labels. Could it be that there was also an original pressing with W63 on both sides? Since the labels were mixed at the first run, it seems highly likely. As Fred points out “ In the pressing plant, the labels were applied at random”. Unfortunately, with a piece as popular as Blue Train, there were many re-pressings and while it is possible a 2 sided W63 is an original, it could also be a second edition. One cannot tell. I recently came across a shop selling a two- sided W63 issue for $450. They had previously sold a NY23 label issue, in comparable shape for $1,000. It’s quite possible that both are originals, but we cannot be certain about the $450 item.

The second question revolves around the deep groove. It is accepted as a definitive marker of all original issues up until 4058. Afterwards it is believed the Plastylite company bought new equipment which did not leave a deep groove in the center ring. We now have a situation that can only be resolved with a crystal ball. It stands to reason that Plastylite used their new equipment first, but why are there so many deep groove issues with later numbers? Many of these have a deep groove on only one side. Were there two presses used? Were there two press runs? Are the deep groove issues actually second pressings ? It seems there is no one at the old Plastylite factory who had any experience pressing records, so these questions must remain unanswered.

In his columns, Fred lists all of these deep groove variations as markers for original pressings. However, in his essay on Transition and Original Pressings he states “ After a certain point, it can never truly be known whether similar pressings for the same record, whose only difference is the presence or absence of a deep-groove on one, both or neither labels is actually the original first pressing.” Since most collectors gravitate to early markings, those single-sided deep groove pressings have enjoyed a not-so-well deserved reputation as original issues. Personally, I think the originals don’t have the deep groove (and most times are cheaper!). But now, this is for the buyer to decide.

Like most everyone who gets this guide, my first stop was my personal collection. There were some tears (actually, more than some) and at least one big surprise when a later issue (BLP 4193 Art Blakey Indestructible) I always thought was a re-issue (no P) turned out to be an original. I found myself replaying some of my second issues to see if I was still happy with the sound.

Unfortunately, this book added some unexpected items to my want list. On Ebay there are many Blue Note titles falsely claiming to be original issues. Whether from ignorance or perfidy is not important to the buyer. Now, you can check the pictures of the label or back cover for tell-tale markings of a 2nd press. You can ask the right questions. An informed buyer is a powerful buyer. Let’s hope this guide has the power to significantly reduce the price of later issues which claim to be original. Maybe someday this book will be so ubiquitous that Ebay listings will claim to be 100 percent Cohen Original!

So what do you do when you’re at a shop and you don’t have your trusty guide? There is a one page summary of important transitions. Try and remember as many as you can. But, if you’re like me and have trouble remembering anything, a few main points are:

1- deep groove to 4058.

2- Look for the P (ear) on every issue to 4193 and most thereafter to 4226.

3- Check to see the RVG in the early numbers (etched then stamped) or the Van Gelder in the later.

As we have seen, the labels can be inconsistent, but the dead wax should be true. In the end, we should all remember, it’s the music that must shine through. Lee Morgan’s trumpet should pop. Jackie McLean’s sinewy alto should mesmerize. If the music is clean and clear, and you’re happy with the sound of your copy, whether it’s an original, a New York Inc. labeled second, a UA issue, a Japanese King facsimile, or Mosaic re-issue, that’s what’s important. Happy Hunting.

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.

Hank moved to New York from New Jersey in 1951 on an invitation from Max Roach to play in his band.  From then to about 1970 Hank worked consistently as both a leader and a sideman, barring interruptions due to short prison sentences.  He never had much trouble getting gigs.  He worked the club scene consistently.  Well regarded by many of his peers, his inability to take his success to the next level was due to his highly introverted personality and the fact that he came onto the scene around the same time as two other tenor sax giants: Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane.  Ansell details how Hank’s sound was not popular among the critics of the day.  One standout was the critic Leonard Feather who described Mobley as “the middleweight champion of the tenor.”

I’ve always found that statement accurate, as he was situated between critical favorites like Stan Getz with a cool sound, and Coltrane or Rollins with a heavier tone.  Sadly though, at the time the critics were fixated on those styles and Hank was seen as a lesser tenor.  Thankfully, Blue Note didn’t see him that way.  He is the second most recorded artist on the label next to Jimmy Smith.  Ansell’s book details this and the various other reasons why Hank was underappreciated as a leader, soloist and composer.

The thing that Ansell’s book does best is to provide an analysis of many of Hank’s works.  The book is about the “Music of Hank Mobley.”  So while it is considered a biography, biographical information takes a back seat to the analysis of Hank’s work.  Anyone looking to pick up this book should know going in that the author spills the most ink on breaking down the music. The author is an unabashed fan. He believes that Hank didn’t really have many bad sessions as a leader and most of his albums are great.  The most detailed album analysis comes from Hank’s ‘60-‘61 period where he was perhaps his most prolific and recorded his most highly regarded works.  The only album that seemed missing to me from the detailed analysis was “Hank Mobley” (Blue Note 1568), which I think is one of Hank’s best.  After careful consideration I’ve decided that what I like most about this album is Sonny Clark so I can forgive the omission.  Hank’s earlier works are thoroughly discussed primarily to demonstrate his maturation process as a soloist and composer.  Reading caused me to understand a few things that should have been obvious.  Hank hit his prime in 1960 and all of the great albums he put out and recorded before then are to be appreciated for different reasons than his albums like “Soul Station” and “Workout.”  The works from his more mature period are where he put the finishing touches on his sound and composing to reach a truly sublime level as an artist.

The best thing about diving into this book was re-listening to all of the albums that I had put aside for a while.  I’ve gained new appreciation for a few sessions that I hadn’t heard in a long time.  I hadn’t listen to the Hank on the Blackhawk sessions with Miles since I bought the Mosaic set in 2003.  I have no idea now why I haven’t been listening to these regularly as they have again become some of my favorite Miles’ sessions.  Others that I’ve gained new appreciation for were Hanks output from 1965-1970 for Blue Note, especially the sessions that were released well after they were recorded.  Albums like “A Slice of the Top,” “Far Away Lands,” “Reach Out,” and “The Flip” have sat on my shelves collecting dust for too long.  I can’t thank the author enough for causing me to reassess them.

Understanding what Workout: The Music of Hank Mobley is and is not is important in order to decide whether to read this book.  This is supposed to be a biography, but succeeds more as an analysis of Hank’s work and an examination of Hank’s career.  One of the aspects I enjoy most about jazz biographies is all of the entertaining stories and anecdotes that come through interviewing the peers of the musicians.  There is little of that in this book; the author had little information to work with when it came to Hank.  Hank was private and reclusive.  Unfortunately, the majority of his contemporaries are dead, as is Hank for over 20 years, which makes it difficult to find anything new.  The author does detail his efforts, but they were mostly in vain.  Still, some of the artists from then are still alive and could have added a lot of dimension to this book.  Hank’s life will continue to have an aura of mystery about it, even while his music is as popular and available as it has ever been.

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:

David Stone Martin, Jazz Graphics, Signed Limited Edition. This is a rare hard cover edition of a 160-page book devoted to the artwork of David Stone Martin. It was published only in Japan and the commercially available version was a soft cover — which I have — but this is an edition that apparently was issued strictly for friends of the author. You can look at the listing for more information. The starting price on this is $1,500 and there are no bids yet.

quite amusing. But there are no details on what is amusing about the review, so I am hoping that Rudolf will see this post and share a tidbit from the review. I don’t have many Metronome’s from that era. I do have a lot of Downbeat magazines, more from the late 1950s and just about all of them from the 1960s. I occasionally pore through them — at least the ones that aren’t sitting in storage — and find out interesting tidbits to post here. You can find some of them if you just do a search on Downbeat, using the search feature at the top right of the page.

the magazine Jazz Times has been revived from the dead. A month ago the owners had talked about folding it, and now it has been sold to new owners, who specialize in magazines for enthusiasts and collectors. I’ve been in the magazine business for years. The reality is that most of the enthusiasm among enthusiasts has shifted to online. It’ll be interesting to see if they try to turn Jazz Times into something for collectors. If so, they better learn quickly that print is not the long-term model.

Behellodge, Michel, Rudolf, Jason, Dan Hodina, Dave S, Erich Schultz, Fred M. Donald Gajadhar, Hyder, Troy Grooms and Eric. And the winner is (drum roll, please): Troy Grooms. Troy, we hope you don’t have a copy of this book already (if so, we could work out a substitute). Please send us a separate email with your mailing address and we’ll send you a copy of the book, and we’ll even pay the postage. Just sent the note to al@jazzcollector.com. We’re hoping to get another contest started later today or tomorrow, so please, everyone, stay tuned. And remember, even if we don’t do any more contests, we really appreciate it when you comment on the site. We are trying to build a community of jazz collectors here, and the more you all contribute, the more it feels like a community. Thanks.

“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,

I want to sit down with you and look at the pictures you want to use and pick them together and check the sleeve notes before you print them. He agreed to that, and so I had input over a lot of things the other guys didn’t bother with. I learnt a lot from that, and what I learnt about making a record I learned from Alfred Lion. I don’t have a favorite cover of mine . . . but thinking back now, you know, I kinda like the Tokyo Blues Cover!”