Jazz Vinyl Countdown? HAH!

I just logged onto eBay and as I was signing in this record was closing: Meet Oliver Nelson, New Jazz 8224. It was an original pressing with the purple label and deep grooves, featuring Kenny Dorham on trumpet. It looked to be in M- condition for the record and probably VG++  for the cover. The price was $157.50. I have an interest in this record because I was just looking at a copy in my apartment, where it is among a batch of original records I have just scored. There was a time, many of you will remember, when I was talking of scaling back my collecting and doing a Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown, but I still can’t seem to give up the habit — addiction? — of buying more records. This batch in front of me is quite cool. On the top is an original pressing of Cool Struttin’ by Sonny Clark and just below that is an original pressing of Soundin’ Off by Dizzy Reece. Someday soon I will share the story of this particular score but, in the meantime, I have some records to clean, including Meet Oliver Nelson on New Jazz, worth as much as $157.50.

Watching (and Buying) Some Rare Blue Notes

Like many of you I’m greatly intrigued by the discussion on Why We Collect but, alas, I cannot shirk my normal obsession and obligation to keep an eye on collectible jazz vinyl on eBay. Here are some of the items I’m watching:

Lou Donaldson, Lou Takes Off, Blue Note 1591. Hard to believe, but I never had an original pressing of this record — until now. I have made a little bit of a purchase, including a bunch of Blue Notes. I will give you more details once the full purchase is complete, probably sometime next week. In the meantime, I’m watching this to see if I overpaid. This one is listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It is currently at about $215 with another day to go. I expect this to go for quite a bit more, with the added benefit of Sonny Clark on piano.

This one could set a new record, perhaps: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original pressing listed in near mint for the record and what looks to be at least VG++ for the cover. The seller is reputable and has been posting some very nice items the past few weeks. This one is already more than $3,100, yet it hasn’t met the seller’s reserve. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve recorded this as selling for $5,600 in the past, the highest price we’ve ever seen for a single jazz record.

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Eyeing Original Jazz Vinyl on The Atlantic Label

I’m a big fan of the John Coltrane Atlantic period. Is there anyone in this audience who isn’t? I mean, Giant Steps, My Favorite Things, Coltrane Jazz — there are classics among them, for sure. Other than the clear black label on Giant Steps as an original mono, it’s never been all that clear to me what makes an Atlantic an original pressing. Deep grooves, heavy vinyl, yes, but the labels have different color combinations. And there’s also the bulls-eye, whether it is black or white. Anyway, I’m pleased that the Jazz Record Center is auctioning a couple of these records this week because they can contribute to the collective knowledge by identifying what is and is not an original pressing. For instance: John Coltrane, Coltrane Jazz, Atlantic 1354. This is described as an original stereo pressing with the green and blue labels. Tell the truth, did you know green and blue was the original label on this? The stereo, to my ears, is the preferred pressing on this one, starting with the great version of Little Old Lady. This original pressing has a start price of $50 and so far there are no takers, but there’s plenty of time left.

Jazz Vinyl Update: An Argo, A Blue Note, a Verve

Here’s some more jazz vinyl we’ve been watching recently, just to catch up on stuff:

Paul Gonsalves, Cookin’, Argo 626. This was an original pressing with the black labels and the deep grooves. It looked to be in M- or VG++ condition for the record and similar condition for the cover. The seller didn’t actually apply grades, which I think would affect — negatively — the sale price. This one fetched $264, which is the highest price we’ve recorded for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so perhaps  it’s better to not list a condition.

Thad Jones, Detroit-New York Junction, Blue Note 1513. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. Love to see those original Lexes, especially when they are in my collection (which this one, unfortunately, is not).  The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $767.

This one was a leftover from the recent bobjdukic sale:

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Pick A Peck of Pepper, For a Price

How about another Art Pepper record: Art Pepper Quartet, Modern Art, Score 4030. I’m kind of kidding showing this one. Why? Well, it’s the version on Score and not Intro, so it is less than original, right? And it’s in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover, so that’s OK. How about the start price? How about $19,999? If this one sells, we’re all doing something wrong. More realistically, there is this one: Art Pepper, Modern Art, Intro 606. This is an original pressing  and it’s listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the vinyl. There’s more than a day to go and the price is in the $550 range, which is a bit more like it. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve seen this one sell for more than $1,000 many times, and even once at more than $2,000. But never at $19,999. While we’re on the subject: Art Pepper Quartet, Tampa RS 1001. I’ve seen this with a pink label and this one has a black label, so I’m not sure which is original. This one is only in VG condition for the record and VG- for the cover and is priced at $67.

Jazz Vinyl on eBay: Some Blue Notes & A Nice Norgran

I logged onto eBay last night, found a number of interesting records to watch and, with great pride, was able to go to sleep without slipping into the temptation of placing any snipe bids. Progress, right? Anyway, here is some of the jazz vinyl we were watching that closed yesterday:

John Jenkins, welcome to the $1,000 bin: John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing and it was in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. It was a reputable seller, there were 11 bids and more than 450 page views and the price was $1,136.55. Not bad in a soft market if, indeed, this can be called a soft market.

Actually, perhaps in retrospect I should have put in a snipe for this one: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4034. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Quite a fair price, depending, of course, on what VG+ means to the buyer and seller. As we’ve learned long ago, VG+ is in the eye of the beholder. I had this record once upon a time but traded it away in a lopsided trade that favored the other guy. Not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I’m more knowledgeable now. So this is one that got away. Getting it back for $283 or so, which is what this one sold for, would be quite a coup in my eyes.

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Jazz Vinyl on eBay: J.R., Dex, A Rare Transition

Here are a few big-ticket items I missed while I was packing and hauling boxes.

J.R. Monterose, In Action, Studio 4 SS 100. This is an original pressing of a rare record that we’ve written about fairly extensively in the past. We even posted some very rare audio that, to our knowledge, is only available here (More on J.R.: Original Audio). This was quite a descriptive listing, although it’s not so easy to decipher what it says. Bottom line, it seems like the record was in VG++ condition and the cover somewhere about VG. It sold for $1,500 with just one bid, which always makes me a little suspicious.

Doug Watkins, At Large, Transition 20. This was an original pressing, with the booklet. Based on the description, this one looks to be about VG+ for the record, VG or VG+ for the cover and M- for the booklet. It sold for $1,136.

Dexter Gordon, Dexter Blows Hot and Cool, Dootone 207. This looked to be an original with the red vinyl. The record was listed in VG condition and the cover was listed as VG++. It sold for $933.50.

eBaying: Burrell, Warhol, Newk and More

Watching some nice records on eBay and, for now, the prices are not so astonomical. Of course, as they say, astronomical is in the eye of the beholder. Here are a few:

Kenny Burrell, Blue Lights Volume 1, Blue Note 1596. This looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and deep grooves. It has, of course, the Andy Warhol cover, which makes it quite collectible and often quite expensive. This one looks to be in M- condition for the vinyl and probably VG++ or M- for the cover. There’s one day left to bid and the price is about $535.

Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This looks to be an original deep groove pressing.  The seller lists it as M-, but he does mention some marks on the vinyl. The cover is listed as VG+. There are four days to go and the price is still less than $150. We’ve seen this record sell for more than $3,000 in the past, so we would expect it to go quite a bit higher, likely into the $1,000 bin.

Sonny Rollins, Moving Out, Prestige 7058. Not my favorite Rollins LP, but an original Prestige right in the sweet spot of the label. This one has been posted by Euclid Records and is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover, with the adjective “gorgeous” bandied about in the description. This is already close to $500 and there are still five days to go, so perhaps this one will reach the astronomical stage.

Another Blue Note:

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Watching Blue Notes From a New Seller

In between packed boxes, hauling records, driving back and forth between Great Neck, Manhattan and Monterey, Ma., I was actually able to take a peek at eBay and find some interesting jazz auctions that I’ve been watching the past few days. Here are a few:

Ah, the longing . . . how often will I watch this, one of my favorite records, before I finally take the plunge and acquire that original pressing I’ve desired for 20-plus years: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original pressing that was listed in  M- condition. It sold for $737, quite a reasonable price, all things considered. It was an interesting auction because the seller, from South Africa, put up a bunch of nice Blue Notes all at once and he had only one feedback rating (at least it was positive). The seller makes the strong case that he is new to eBay, but not to record collecting, and he seems to be knowledgeable. With a more secure seller, this would have sold for more money, right? In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve seen this one sell for more than $1,200. This one came from the same seller:

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eBaying: Criss, Trane, Tenorman

Here are some interesting jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

We were somewhat surprised to see this one in the $1,000 bin, considering that the market seems a bit down these days: Sonny Criss, Go Man, Imperial 9020. There were 28 bids, which is a lot. It was a very reputable seller, the record was in M- condition, and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,259.

This one was only in VG condition for the record and the cover, yet is still nearly made the $1,000 bin: Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, Jazz West 8. This one even had audible scuffs. Nevertheless, it sold for $909.99.

One of my all-time favorite records, in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover: John Coltrane, Soultrane, Prestige 7142. This one sold for $338.99

Jaro, Jaro, Jaro

What’s the collective knowledge out there about the Jaro label? I mention this because I am watching copies of the Kenny Dorham and J.R. Monterose records, which are both on eBay now, and because I listened to a reissue of the Monterose record a few weeks ago and it was terrific. Here’s what we are watching, among other items: The Arrival of Kenny Dorham, Jaro 5007. This looks to be an original pressing in strong VG+ condition for the record and the vinyl. The start price is about $200 and, so far, there are no bidders. There are two copies of the Monterose I’m watching: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This looks to be an original mono pressing that is in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding has reached about $230 with a little more than a day to go and the seller’s reserve price has not yet been met. There is also this one: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 8004. This is a stereo pressing of the same record. The vinyl looks to be VG+ and the cover probably VG++. The start price is $160 and so far there is one bidder.

Placing Hope in a Snipe

I haven’t been buying records at all and, in fact, I am planning a major sale of records and other stuff from my collection. Keep tuned to this space for details or, if you want a really early start, send an email to me at al(at)jazzcollector.com. But the buying bug never really leaves, does it, and yesterday I was looking at this record Elmo Hope Quintet, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043, and it looked in nice condition and the copy in my collection is a second pressing of Two Tenors, which, don’t get me wrong, is quite nice and is in perfect condition, but an original is an original and a Prestige is a Prestige and the price was lingering nearly $125 with just a few hours to go so, I figured, why not. And, even though I’m not buying these days I, of course, still maintain a sniping account, just in case, so I put in a snipe for this record in the mid-$300 range figuring I might actually have a chance, given that prices on eBay seem to be a little flat these days. But, alas, ’twas not to be. I looked this morning and the record went to somebody else for $405.02. Perhaps it’s for the best. I can always listen to Two Tenors, right?

Jazz Vinyl Worth Watching on Ebay

As always, we are watching some interesting jazz vinyl that will be selling (or not selling) on eBay this week. Here are a few samples:

This is another one where the seller is starting with a very high price: Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, Jazz West 8. This is an original pressing that looks to be in superb condition, at least VG++ for the record and the cover. The starting price is $1,800 and there are no bidders.

This is a pretty hefty price for one of the Benny Golson New Jazz LPs: Benny Golson, Gone With Golson, New Jazz 8235. This is an original deep groove pressing and it is in M- condition. It is also being offered by Euclid Records, one of the better known brands in our community. There are already eight bids on this LP and the price is close to $200. Note that the pianist on this date is Ray Bryant who passed away on Thursday.

I have to say, I’m tempted on this one: Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This looks to be an original New York pressing, although the listing is definitely lacking in details. The condition looks excellent and the price is only $135 and it is ending today. This may call for a visit to my sniping software. Will keep you posted. Of course, publishing my intent on Jazz Collector may not be the wisest strategy, huh?

Bethlehem Beauties, Blue Note, Warhol (Again)

Here’s some of the jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay.

Let’s start with a couple from the Bethlehem label, which doesn’t always get a lot of attention here: Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This is an original pressing. The vinyl is VG++ and the cover is only VG. The current price is a little over $300 and there are still 10 hours to go on the auction. This next one is a little tough to figure: Charles Rouse and Paul Quinichette, the Chase is On, Bethlehem 6021. I love this record, but this is a stereo pressing with a blue label. Can’t imagine this was issued the same time as the mono pressing, so it much be a later pressing, right, even if it is the first stereo issue?  In any case this stereo pressing is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It’s closing later today and is in the $150 price range so far.

Here’s a Stanley Turrentine Blue Note doing quite well:

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Rare Jazz Vinyl: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Here are some items we’ve been watching on eBay, and then not watching on eBay.

What are we thinking with two recent auctions that were ended early? One was by the seller  yollie97, who doesn’t have a long history on eBay. He had a couple of nice records we were watching, including: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. When we were tracking this last week it was already at $1,000, but then the auction was ended with the explanation that the item is no longer available. The same thing happened with other records we were watching from this seller, including Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550 and Hank Mobley Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. Sometimes a seller will end auctions early if he gets a high price from a potential buyer. Perhaps that’s what happened here, perhaps there was another reason. Perhaps yollie97 sees Jazz Collector and would like to offer an explanation. The other one that ended early was from the seller Amatti 1000 from Italy, a seller with only 19 feedbacks in the past year. He also had a few beauties for sale, including Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’Time, Blue Note 1574. This one was at $850

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Jazz Vinyl To Watch: Parlan, Dex, Mobley, Burrell

Lots of interesting jazz vinyl to watch on eBay.

Here’s one that will soon enter the $1,000 bin: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it is described as an original pressing, although a close-up of the labels always helps. There are a couple of days left on the bidding for this one and the price is already at $1,000. The same seller his this one: Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This one is also listed as an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover looks to be about VG+. The price is currently at $850.

Dexter Gordon, Daddy Plays the Horn, Bethlehem 36. This is an original deep groove mono pressing with the red label.  The record and the cover are both listed in VG++ condition. The price is already more than $300. The same seller has this one: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is an original pressing. It’s only in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover, but it is already bid up to more than $500.

Here’s another Andy Warhol cover:

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eBaying With Horace, Lou, Newk & Leo Parker

Some interesting items on eBay now. Shall we see?

Horace Silver, The Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note 4220. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the ear and the Van Gelder in the deadwax, although there is no close-up picture of the label to tell. This one is closing soon and is at more than $150 in VG+ or VG++ condition. Anyone out there have an explanation? Not that it’s not an excellent record, but it’s never been one of those that has garnered high prices. Perhaps because it’s a mono pressing?

We’d mentioned this one a couple of weeks ago when it sold for $81 in VG condition: Leo Parker and Bill Jennings, Billy in the Lion’s Den, King 395-527. The record here is VG+ and the cover is VG, but the pictures with the listing are very nice. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and, in this case, they seem to be worth several hundred at least: This one is already more than $325.

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Jazz Vinyl Price Update: No Blue Notes, But Nice LPs

I’m spending some time this weekend updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide after a brief hiatus and, in going through the updates, I’ll be putting in a few records that are a bit more obscure, either by artist or label, than the normal batch of Blue Notes and Prestiges. Here are a few worth pondering:

Don Sleet, All Members, Jazzland 45. This was an original orange label mono pressing. The record looked to be VG++ and the cover was listed as VG. The price was $94.

Mike Cuozzo with the Costa-Burke Trio, Jubilee 1027. This was an original pressing and the value is certainly aided by the presence of Eddie Costa. It was only in VG condition for the record and the cover and still sold for $108.50.

Bill Perkins, Just Friends, Pacific Jazz 401. This was an original pressing sold by the Jazz Record Center. It was in excellent condition — the words “immaculate” and “exceptional” were used in the description. It also benefitted from the presence of strong sidemen, in this case Art Pepper and Richie Kamuca. The price was $330.55.

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Jazz Vinyl on eBay: Evans The Sideman, Lady Day

We were talking last week about albums featuring Bill Evans as a sideman. Well here’s one of the very early ones, for sale now on eBay: Lucy Reed, The Singing Reed, Fantasy 3-212. This looks to be an original pressing. The record looks to be in VG++ condition and the cover looks more like VG. The listing doesn’t mention the presence of Evans as a sideman, which would certainly attract bidders: However, the start price of $150 is pretty high, which might be a deterrent. We’ll see if it sells.

As Rudolf notes in the Reader Forum, there are a bunch of records now from the seller bobdjukic, who has been noted here at Jazz Collector many times for his hyperbole and his ability to get people to bid astronomical prices for his records. Here’s one that I have always assumed was a pretty routine record, but after reading his description even I begin to wonder:

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Tracking 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl On Blue Note

There seems to be a corresponding hike in prices for 10-inch Blue Notes as well as 12-inch Blue Notes. Here are a few we were watching this week, several from the same seller, including: Lou Donaldson, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note  5021. This was an original pressing with the vinyl in M- condition and the cover VG+. It sold for $577. One thing about the 10-inchers: Unless they are a Japanese or United Artists press, you know they are originals.

Lou Donaldson Sextet Volume 2, Blue Note 5055. This one looked to be in VG++ condition for the vinyl and M- for the cover. The price was $667. Another one from the same seller:

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New Jazz, New Heights

We promised some Prestige stuff today.  We’ll start with a couple of recent eBay sales and then later we’ll be posting an interesting question. First, to eBay:

Ken McIntyre, Looking Ahead, New Jazz 8247. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep grooves. It was in beautiful M- condition. The record features Eric Dolphy as well and the seller listed Dolphy first. That was probably a wise decision. This one sold for $260.

This one was from the same era, with a very similar framed cover: Benny Golson, Gone With Golson, New Jazz 8235. This was

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On eBay: Book & Blue Note

We see that some of the big sellers are back on eBay this weekend. Here is some of the jazz vinyl we are watching here at Jazz Collector:

Booker Ervin, The Song Book, Prestige 7318. Booker was one of the unheralded greats on tenor sax and, to me, this is his best record as a leader. He wails on All The Things You Are and Just Friends and shows off his power and warmth on the ballads as well. With an all-star rhythm section featuring Tommy Flanagan, Richard Davis and Alan Dawson. If I ever get back to doing my Jazz Vinyl Countdown, this stays in the collection no matter what. Anyway, the copy on sale on eBay is an

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Hefty Prestiges, Hefty Price Tags

Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching at Jazz Collector. We’ll start with the Prestiges and move on to the Blue Notes later.

John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio, Prestige 7123. This was an original pressing with the original cover (the second pressing on this is Traneing In). The record was M- and the cover was VG+ and the price was $660. We’ve watched this one many times in the Jazz Collector Price Guide and it never surpassed $400. Quite a change. I’ve been cataloguing my records for insurance purposes and I had this one at $300. Guess I’ll have to change that.

This one also seemed to hit a new high: Olio, Prestige 7084, with Thad Jones, Frank Wess, Teddy Charles, Elvin Jones, Mal Waldron and Doug Watkins. This one was in M- condition all the way around and sold for $504.

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Tracking Some Prestige Jazz Vinyl

We have an eye on some Prestige jazz vinyl on eBay. Despite the high price of the Jackie’s Pal we noted yesterday, it seems the disparity between prices on original Blue Notes versus original Prestiges seems to be getting wider. Here are some of the ones we’re watching:

Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Idrees Sulieman, Three Trumpets, Prestige 7092. This is an original New York pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover sounds to be VG++ as we would rate it. The starting price is around $170 and there are no bids.

This one is of a similar vintage but from a different seller: Art Farmer and Donald Byrd, Two Trumpets, Prestige 7062. This is also an original yellow-label New York pressing. The record is M- and the cover is VG+. The start price is $150 and, again, there are no bidders. There’s a $200 buy-it-now price on this, which would seem pretty reasonable to me.

Olio, Prestige 7084. This is an album featuring

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Jazz Vinyl Update: Jackie, Miles, JR

Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching. Each of these will be entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide as soon as we get the chance, hopefully by the weekend.

This one almost made the $3,000 bin: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This is the one that was listed as “almost M-” for both the record and the cover. Not sure how I’ll list that in the Jazz Collector Price Guide: Probably VG++, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, this one sold for $2,840.

I was also watching several listings from the seller dobdjukic, who tends to get top dollar, at least, for his auctions. Here are a couple from last week: Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, Capitol T-762. This seemed to be an original mono pressing. Based on the description, it looked like the record and the cover were both in about VG+ condition. The final price was $315. I just picked up a

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