Odds and Ends and Blue Notes
Sep 1, 2010 Blue Note, Riverside
Here are some jazz vinyl odds and ends we’ve been watching for various reasons. We’re not expecting that all of these will end up in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, but they all have something of interest.
We were watching this one because it was listed as an original pressing even though it wasn’t: Kenny Drew Trio, Riverside 224. This was a blue-label pressing when the original was really a white label. The seller was very clear in stating that this was a “first mono pressing.” Ah well. The record was only in VG- condition and the cover was VG. Not an original and not in great condition and it sold for $87. That seems to be the going rate these days perhaps and, perhaps, maybe someone needed a new cover. Not for me in that condition at that price.
We were watching this to get a sense of what the solid blue label Blue Notes are selling for these days: Dexter Gordon, Dexter Calling, Blue Note 84083. This in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $29. This probably means that a Liberty pressing of this record would be in the $50 or $60 range, don’t you think?
Tags: Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew
Bidding, Losing & Bidding Again
Aug 16, 2010 Blue Note, Riverside
Tags: Kenny Drew, Walter Davis
Price Updates: Trane, Friedman, Blue Notes
May 3, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside
Here’s a new one for the $1,000 bin: John Coltrane, Coltrane, Prestige 7105. This was an original pressing with the New York address. It is Coltrane’s first date as a leader, but it’s still surprising to see this one pass the $1,000 mark. This one was in M- condition for the vinyl and near-M- (?) condition for the cover. The price was $1,077.65.
This one almost made the $1,000 bin: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. The record and the cover both looked to be in VG++ condition. The price was $912.
I didn’t realize this one had such cachet as a collectible: Don Friedman, Circle Waltz, Riverside 431. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $255.
This one falls into the same category: When did it become a $200-range record?
Tags: Dizzy Reece, Don Friedman, Horace Parlan, Jazz Vinyl, Jazzland Records, Joe Harriott, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers
Back on eBay and The Bidding is Busy
Mar 12, 2010 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Hey, everyone. Seems since I came back everyone stopped using the Reader Forum. It would be a shame if that trend continues, because I find it very useful and, at times, more interesting than my own posts. Nevertheless, I am back and I am back to posting and I am back to looking at records every day on eBay. Which means today I am looking at pretty nice auction from Fred Cohen at the Jazz Record Center, which many of you were also watching in the Reader Forum. Here are some of the choice items, closing soon:
Donald Byrd, Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Transition 17. This is an original pressing, labels unattached (of course) with the booklet in beautiful condition. The current price is $1,791. I’m saying the record sells for $3,300. Anyone want to take the over or the under?
There’s also this on Transition:
Tags: Donald Byrd, Fred Cohen, Jazz Record Center, Thelonious Monk, Transition Records
More Price Updates: Ernie Henry, Clifford Brown, Etc.
Jan 28, 2010 Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
We updated Blue Note and Prestige earlier this week. Here’s an update on some other labels we’ve just entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Ernie Henry, Seven Standards and a Blues, Riverside 248. This was an original pressing with the blue label, deep grooves, etc. It was sold by a reputable seller and was in M- condition, for both the record and the cover. And it got quite a hefty price: $564.32.
Brew Moore Quintet, Fantasy 3-222. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $304.
Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This was an original red label pressing. The vinyl
Tags: Bethlehem Records, Brew Moore, Clifford Brown, Emarcy Records, Eric Dolphy, Ernie Henry, Fantasy Records, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, New Jazz Records
Catching Up: Miles, Ernie Henry, Brew Moore
Jan 7, 2010 Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Promo Copies, Riverside
Time to catch up on a few items we’ve been watching. It’s a little scary when the auctions of bobdjukic, which are getting quite a lot of attention from some of our commentators, are fetching higher prices than those of Jazz Record Center or Euclid. But that’s life on eBay, which tends to be a great equalizer. Anyway, both JRC and Euclid had some auctions close yesterday, with some interesting items, including: Miles Davis, ‘Round About Midnight, Columbia 949. This was an original mono pressing with the white promo label from Jazz Record Center. The record was in M- condition and the cover was at least a VG++. This one sold for $291. This is another case where I believe the promo label actually helped to boost the sale price.
This beauty was sold by Euclid Records: Ernie Henry, 7 Standards and a Blues, Riverside, Riverside 248. This was an original blue label pressing in near mint condition for both the cover and the vinyl. The price was $564.32. I think that sets a record for this LP, but
Tags: Brew Moore, Columbia Records, Ernie Henry, Fantasy Records, Miles Davis
Catching Up: What’s a Promo Worth?
Jan 3, 2010 Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Promo Copies, Riverside
Here’s an update on some odds and ends we’ve been watching on eBay:
Zoot Sims, Stretching Out, United Artists 4023. This was an original deep groove mono pressing. It was a promo copy, with a promo stamp and the white label and it was in M- condition, for both the record and the cover. The price was $124. What do you think: Does the promo stamp enhance the value of a record for you, or detract, or neither. I recall in the world of rock albums, the promo stamp was always considered a good thing, but I’ve never heard that one way or another in the jazz world. Which leads me to this LP: Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. This was an original pressing with the white promo label. The record was
Tags: Bill Evans, Period Records, Thad Jones, United Artists Records, Zoot Sims
Now on eBay: Webster on Verve, Evans Promo
I’m a big fan and collector of the Verve label — as well as Norgran and Clef, of course — so it was with great pleasure that I saw this record on eBay selling for a relatively high price: Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274. This looks to be in M- condition and, with several hours still to go, is already more than $200. It does not have a David Stone Martin cover, and it’s Ben Webster not Lester Young, so I’m kind of wondering what cachet the record holds that would cause it to fetch such a high price. Perhaps it’s just because it’s a nice record in excellent condition.
Also on eBay now is a rare white-label promotional copy of this record:
Tags: Ben Webster, Bill Evans
Price Updates: Lights Out, Zoot, Kenny Drew
Dec 21, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Riverside
Here are some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay:
Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This was an original New York pressing with the deep groove and heavy vinyl. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG+. It did not have a flat edge, according to an answer to a questioner, but I’m not sure that doesn’t mean it wasn’t original. Anyway, the price was $639.49.
Phil Woods, Warm Woods, Epic 3436. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was $495.
Zoot Sims, Zoot, Riverside 228. This was an original white label pressing and it was listed in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price was $413.
Here are a few we were watching the other day:
Tags: Epic Records, Fred Astaire, George Wallington, Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew, Mercury Records, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims
Collectibles Anyone? Astaire, Kenny Drew Riverside
Dec 18, 2009 Riverside
There are quite a few interesting items on eBay now. Here are a couple:
Fred Astaire, The Astaire Story, Mercury 1001 1004. Most of you are probably familiar with this set, produced by Norman Granz in the early 1950s. There were 1,384 copies produced, all autographed by Astaire, and the set came with four LPs, a booklet with exclusive photos and a set of drawings by David Stone Martin. The music is all jazz even though Astaire was not a “jazz singer,” and the sidemen include many of the greats within the Granz stable, such as Oscar Peterson, Flip Phillips, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers. Anyway, it is quite a nice set and used to regularly sell in the $2,000 range. Our top price in the Jazz Collector Price Guide is
Tags: Fred Astaire, Kenny Drew, Mercury Records, Norman Granz
On eBay Now: Some Nice 10-Inchers, Trane, Evans
Dec 15, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside
Some of the heavy-duty jazz vinyl sellers have auctions closing in the next couple of days, so let’s see what’s coming up. We had mentioned Jazz Record Center and some of the 10-inch LPs. So far, the American 10-inch Blue Note is beating out the original French Vogue: The Gigi Gryce and Clifford Brown Sextet, Blue Note 5048, is currently at $107 with two bidders (it should sell for a lot more), while the original French Vogue, Gigi Gryce and his Orchestra Featuring Clifford Brown, Vogue 173 is at $100 with one bidder (it too should sell for a lot more). Jazz Record Center also has a few nice 12-inch LPs we are watching, including this one: Wheelin’ and Dealin’, Prestige 7131. This is an original New York pressing in near mint condition. It features an all-star sax lineup of John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette and Frank Wess. It is currently in the $300 price range.
Our friends at Euclid Records also have some nice items this week, including:
Tags: Atomic Records, Bill Evans, Clifford Brown, Euclid Records, Frank Wess, Gigi Gryce, J. R. Monterose, Jackie McLean, Jazz Record Center, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Vogue
Catching UP: Kenny Dorham, Johnny Griffin
Nov 13, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Time to catch up on some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching this week. Let’s start with a little KD: Kenny Dorham and Jackie McLean, Inta Somethin’, Pacific Jazz 41. The vinyl on this was in VG++ condition and the cover looked to be VG+. This is a nice record, but I’ve never thought of it as a high-end collectible. However, I will have to rethink that now that is has sold for $667.56. Also, there was this: Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535. This was an original
On eBay: Mobley, Some 10-Inchers, Hawk & Dex
Nov 11, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Some nice items on eBay this week. Here’s one that’s about to enter the $1,000 bin: Hank Mobley, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This is an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The vinyl is listed in M- condition and the cover is a combination of VG++ and M-, which means its pretty nice either way. it is closing soon, there are already 15 bids and the price is already more than $1,000.
Also ending today is some nice 10-inch jazz vinyl from our friends at Euclid Records. Here’s one: Dexter Gordon Quintet, Dial 204. This one is listed as M- for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price is only $67. Perhaps we may throw in a bid on this one, since this is a record we don’t have and would certainly like to have, even in the face of our Jazz Vinyl Countdown.
Another major seller with some major items this week is the seller jazzrecordrevival. Here are a couple they have up:
Tags: Bud Powell, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Dial Records, Euclid Records, Hank Mobley
Catching Up: Miles, Cannon — What’s Going On?
Oct 19, 2009 Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Back on eBay after a couple of days’ break. Those auctions we were watching from the seller bobdjukic closed and, while we’re not looking to give this seller any undue publicity, we are quite fascinated with the prices he is somehow able to obtain — even higher than top dealers such as The Jazz Record Center and Euclid Records. We will give a few examples: This one we noted before: Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, Capitol 762. This is an original British pressing, not even an original U.S. issue. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and sold for an astounding $812.15. I recently sold a beautiful mint U.S. pressing of this record and was happy to get close to $100 for it. Is there something about the British pressing we’re not aware of? Doubt it, but somebody out there in the Jazz Collector world will know if there is. The other thing is, look at this quote from the seller’s description of Birth of the Cool:
Tags: Birth of the Cool, Cannonball Adderley, Capitol Records, Euclid Records, Jazz Record Center, Miles Davis
Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Benny Golson On Riverside
Oct 12, 2009 Riverside, The Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown
This is one of our favorite records: Benny Golson, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256. It is a very nice sextet recording from 1957 with an all-star lineup: Kenny Dorham on trumpet; Golson on tenor; JJ Johnson on trombone; Wynton Kelly on piano; Paul Chambers on bass, Max Roach on drums. Love Dorham’s playing on this LP, JJ as well, and the arrangements are solid. It’s also one of those records on which both sides are equally good and listenable. We highly recommend it and we know we are going to keep it in our collection. The issue, however, is this: We have both an original pressing of this record on Riverside as well as a reissue on Jazzland: Reunion, Jazzland 85. The reissue is in a little bit better condition and, to be honest, they both sound about the same to us on our equipment. So which to keep, the one in better condition or the original?
Tags: Benny Golson, Jazz Vinyl, Jazzland, JJ Johnson, Kenny Dorham, Max Roach, Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly
An Avalanche of Thousand-Dollar-Plus Jazz Vinyl
Oct 10, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl Fraud, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Riverside
We’ve been off line for a couple of days, just got back, went to My Ebay and noticed that the auctions of the seller Nautiluso are now in the midst of closing. Wow! Wait till you see these prices. Here’s a start:
Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. Like most of the others in this group, this was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $3,342.99.
J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. Condition: M- for record and cover. Price: $2,247.22
Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. Condition: M-. Price: $1,175
Hank Mobley With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. Condition: M-. Price: $1,705.
Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. Condition: M-. Price: $2,247.
Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. Condition: M-
Price: $1,500.
As noted, this is just a small sampling. There will be more to come. It would be great if some of the winners of this vinyl will report back to us on the condition and whether these records are, indeed, as pristine as they seem.
Tags: Bill Evans, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, JR Monterose, Jutta Hipp, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Rare Jazz Vinyl, Tommy Flanagan, Zoot Sims
Catching Up: Kenny Drew, Rouse, Nichols
Oct 1, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching here at Jazz Collector. We sense a slight softness in the market the past couple of weeks compared with the end of the summer, when prices seemed to be skyrocketing. This sense comes not only from what we are watching, but from what we are selling as well. These things go back and forth all the time, so we don’t see much use in trying to time the market as a seller, but for buyers, this might be a time to be active. Prices surely will go up again if past is prologue to the future. Here are a few recent sales:
Kenny Drew, This is New, Riverside 236. This was an original white label pressing. The record was listed as VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $125. This one features Hank Mobley and Donald Byrd and is quite a nice collectible – and quite a bit cheaper than comparable Blue Notes of the same era with the same artists.
Speaking of Blue Notes: Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This was
Tags: Charlie Rouse, Epic Records, Herbie Nichols, Jazz Vinyl, Kenny Drew
Today on Ebay: What to Do With A Sealed Record?
Sep 30, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
We’re watching a few interesting items on eBay today, including several of our own records for sale. This one is interesting: Jimmy Heath, Really Big, Riverside 333. This is one of ours. What was interesting was the choice we made. This was a sealed copy: To open or not to open? That was the question. We chose to open, to make sure this was an original pressing that we were selling. However, based on what we’re seeing with prices of sealed records, perhaps we made a mistake. So far there is just one bidder for this LP and the price is around $50. We have a feeling if the record were listed as “still sealed” there’d be a lot more activity. As it is, it is quite a nice record, featuring Cannonball Adderley as well. So, perhaps someone will get a truly mint original LP for a bargain.
Also, Miles Davis, Cookin’ Prestige 7094. This was one of those that we
Tags: Charlie Rouse, Epic Records, Ike Quebec, Jimmy Heath, Miles Davis
The Sound of Sonny Rollins: The Winner Is . . .
Sep 23, 2009 Free Collectibles, Riverside
Okay, it’s time to announce the winner of Jazz Collector’s latest giveaway. This time, you may recall, we are giving away a copy of Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. This is not an original pressing and is an OJC pressing. Yet it is in near mint condition and it is great jazz vinyl featuring some fantastic Rollins from the mid-1950s. We had put this up as a way of honoring Rollins in the wake of yet another snub by the Kennedy Center Honors. Anyway, as with all of our giveaways, all you have to do to be eligible to win is to comment on the Jazz Collector site, anywhere, in response to anything, as long as the comment is made during the duration of the contest. The eligible contestants this time are:
Jazz Collector’s Essential Cannonball Adderley
Sep 23, 2009 Blue Note, Riverside
Blipp asks on an earlier post if we can make any recommendations on Cannonball Adderley’s earlier material, in particular the Mercury records. We can certainly do that, and we’re sure others in the audience will be happy to weigh in as well. First, we will give our own Jazz Collector version of our top five Cannonball LPs altogether. Blipp has been listening mostly to the Capitol stuff, he says, and we don’t think any of those records is going to make our list. Here goes:
1. Cannonball Adderley, Know What I Mean with Bill Evans, Riverside 433. Evans and Adderley obviously had a great rapport from their days with Miles and the addition of Percy Heath and Connie Kay made for a more lyrical setting that suited both Evans and Adderley quite well. And, as one might expect, within that lyrical setting they both swing like crazy.
2. Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, Recorded at the Jazz Workshop, Riverside 311. The ground-breaking early quintet with Bobby Timmons and the great tracks of “This Here” (with Cannonball’s engaging introduction) and “Hi-Fly,” plus a very swinging “Spontaneous Combustion.” This LP captured the energy of the group
Tags: Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Mercury Records, Miles Davis
Price Updates: Serge, Thad, Miles, Silver, et al
Sep 23, 2009 Blue Note, Price Guide, Riverside
We’ve been quite busy the past few days updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide so, if you haven’t looked lately, it’s worth taking a peek. There are more than 4,100 records in there now, and quite a lot in the $1,000-and-up category. If you want to search by highest prices first, you can do that just by clicking the word “Price” at the top of the Guide, or you can just sort by fields. If you want to sort all of the records based on price, you can click on the link for View the Complete Price Guide. Anyway, here are a few more records we’ve added to the Guide.
Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 264. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was listed as M- and the cover appeared by be bout VG+. The price was $237.50.
Miles Davis, Cookin’, Prestige 7094. This was an original New York pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $394.
Tags: Capital Records, Jazz Collector Price Guide, Johnny Griffin, Miles Davis, Serge Chaloff, Thad Jones
A Pair for the $2,000 Bin & A Pair of Surprises
Sep 16, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
As we mentioned the other day, there has been an overflow of $1,000 records. Here are a few more, including a couple for the $2,000 bin:
Lee Morgan, City Lights, Blue Note 1575. This one was pointed out earlier by one of our readers. It was in M- condition by a credible seller and it was an original pressing. It sold for $2,655.
Barney Wilen, Tilt, Swing Vogue LDM 30.058. This was an original French pressing. The record ws what we would call VG++ and the cover was M-. This one sold for $2,250. This one is not new to the $2,000 club: It has previously sold for $2,700 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Sonny Criss, Jazz-USA, Imperial 9006. This was a surprise to see in this category, simply because
Tags: Barney Wilen, Bill Evans, Imperial Records, Lee Morgan, Sonny Criss, Vogue
The Incredible Rise of the $1,000 Jazz Record
Sep 14, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige, Price Guide, Riverside
The $1,000 bin truly doth runneth over days. It’s quite an interesting phenomenon.
Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. A few years ago, I bought a copy of this on eBay in similar condition for about $300. At the time, I thought I was overpaying. A few weeks ago I sold a separate copy on eBay for about $325. It was in nice condition, with a VG+ cover. This was not a record I ever expected to see in the $1,000 bin. This copy sold for $1,313.
Here’s another one I never expected to see sell for more than $1,000: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’s Else, Blue Note 1595. This is a nice record, but has never been among the higher-priced Blue Notes. The highest price we had previously recorded for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was around $400. This copy was in mice M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,475.
This one almost entered the $2,000 bin:
Tags: Art Pepper, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, JR Monterose, Kenny Dorham, Paul Chambers, Sonny Rollins
Jazz Collector Honors Sonny With FREE Record
Sep 10, 2009 Free Collectibles, Riverside
Okay, if the Kennedy Center won’t honor Sonny Rollins, we will. In honor of Sonny’s recent 79th birthday on Monday, we will be giving away a free copy of one of Sonny’s classic LPs from the 1950s: Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. Of course, this is not quite an original pressing: It is an OJC reissue. Still it is a great record, it’s in near mint condition, and it’s available free. As with all of our contests, we have one copy of the record and we will hold a drawing to determine the winner. In order to be eligible all you have to do is comment somewhere on the Jazz Collector site between now and when the contest closes, on September 21. You can comment anywhere — perhaps you want to weigh in on whether you agree with me that Sonny is being short-changed by not receiving a Kennedy Center honor. If you comment on the site between now and September 21 we’ll put you in the running for the contest. It’s as simple as that. By the way, if you want to see a funny out-take from my attempt to photograph the record, read the rest of this article.
Updates: Thad, Beverly Kenney, Evans, Arte & Billie
Sep 9, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Riverside
Here’s an update on some of the records we’ve been watching:
The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $336. A second copy of this record also sold in the last couple of days. The seller described the vinyl as VG to VG+ and the cover seemed to be about VG+. The price of that one was $199.99.
Beverly Kenney Sings For Playboys, Decca D8743. The record was in M- condition — probably unplayed, according to the seller — and the cover was VG+. The price was $399.99, the highest price we’ve seen for any Beverley Kenney record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.
Bill Evans, New Jazz Conceptions, Riverside 223. This was an original pressing with the white label as well as the first cover. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was listed as VG+. The price was $709.99.
We had mentioned yesterday the Arte Shaw LP on Clef:
Tags: Artie Shaw, Beverly Kenney, Billie Holiday, Clef Records, David Stone Martin, Decca Records, That Jones Bill Evans