This one got a pretty high top bid, but did not sell because it didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price:

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The top bid was $910. You can see where the seller expected more: The last six times we’ve recorded this record into the Jazz Collector Price Guide it sold for more than $1,000, with a top price of more than $2,600.

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was the one that was in M- condition for the record and VG++ or M- for the cover. It sold for quite a hefty price, $4,600, but not a record high. This guy was bid all the way up to $2,720 and STILL didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price. Wow: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. The record was described as being in M- condition and the cover was VG++ or M-.

This one, believe it or not, entered the $2,000 bin: Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. The seller didn’t actually apply a grade for either the cover or record, but noted that the vinyl was in “great shape” other than for a paper scratch or two. Somewhat reassuring, but not enough for me to wager $2,075, which is what the winning bidder put up. It was a white label promo copy, but still.

Here are a couple more for the $1,000 bin:

J. R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,292.56.

Dexter Gordon, Dexter Blows Hot and Cool, Dootone 207. This one had the original red vinyl and was in VG+ or better condition for the record and VG or better for the cover. It sold for $1,025.

Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep grooves. It features John Coltrane. I haven’t listened to this record in a few years, but my recollection is that it’s not among Trane’s better efforts, but I should go back and check again. Nevertheless it is a New Jazz and it is Trane and Flanagan and it is thus an important collectible. This one was listed in excellent condition by the seller, which I took to mean about VG++. The price was $404.99.

This one was from the same seller and also looked to be in excellent VG++ condition: The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing and sold for $869.99.

Speaking of Blue Notes, as we so often do at Jazz Collector, here are a couple of 10-inch Blue Notes we were watching:

Clifford Brown, New Star on the Horizon, Blue Note 5032. This was an original pressing that looked be in at least VG++ condition. The price was $338.89. Jutta Hipp, Jutta, Blue Note 5056. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing as well and it was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $302.

This one I haven’t often tracked as a collectible, even though it’s one of my all-time favorite records, simply because it normally doesn’t fetch collectible prices: Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, Know What I Mean?, Riverside 9433. Perhaps the collectible status is changing: This was a stereo pressing in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover and it sold for $114.49.

Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This one looked to be an original pressing. The listing doesn’t mention deep grooves, but they are clearly visible in the photo. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,091.77. That’s a high price, to be sure, but with what’s happening in the Blue Note market lately and the market for Andy Warhol covers, I’m frankly surprised it didn’t sell for more.

Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. This was a white label promo copy, which looks quite cool. The record was in mixed condition: Side 1 was listed as VG++ and side 2 was listed as VG. When I have a record like that, I tend to go with the worst-case scenario and rate it VG. The cover was listed as VG++. The price was $790.

“Greetings! The Cannonball/Evans LP is a favorite of mine, just beautiful. Thought you would like this review I wrote some time back for a Martin Logan owner Website under my other alter ego, Miles Ahead. – ceedee

The month of February, 1961 was a busy one for Bill Evans. It saw him finish a recording session with his critically acclaimed trio – that with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian – which was issued as Explorations (Feb. 2)), bolster a date rightfully called a classic by any measure, Oliver Nelson’s Blues And The Abstract Truth (Feb. 23) and also find the time to accompany his old bandmate from the Miles Davis Sextet, Cannonball Adderley. Cut on Feb.21, this was one of three sessions that would eventually yield Know What I Mean? for Riverside. It does not match up to the other dates mentioned (how many records could?), but proves itself worthy of a listen and not just for the Bill Evans fan (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Cannonball and Bill were ‘simpatico’ while with Miles — the seminal Kind Of Blue was not yet two years behind them – and their musical bond continues here. Evans’ Waltz For Debby leads off the date, an interesting choice. Nearly six months before

the Sunday At The Village Vanguard recordings that would popularize the tune amongst the jazz public, it was leading off an album by another musician who surely had a large book of his own compositions to choose from. Clearly, a measure of the respect that Adderley held for both the tune and its composer.

Both artists shine on Debby and it’s a kick hearing Bill’s loving intro give way to Cannon’s alto. Adderley is in a singing mood and there’s a point towards the middle of his solo where he plays a motif that laughingly reappears as the intro to Evans’ own brief, logically structured exposition. This track left me wanting more Bill Evans – always a good thing. Incidentally, this disc – a Japanese issue – has only the tracks first put out at the time. More current releases of the session have an alternate version of Who Cares? The sound itself is acceptable, but typical of the period – muffled drums, etc. (at least, as far as Riverside is concerned!) This is one to get for the sounds…not the sound!

The rhythm section is bolstered by half of the MJQ — Percy Heath and Connie Kay – and  their lock-step precision is, in a way, what enables both Evans and Cannonball to soar above the fray. This they do on the up-tempo Who Cares? and Toy, a Clifford Jordan tune that should be played more often. Nancy (With The Laughing Face) and the mournful Goodbye remind the listener that some of Cannonball’s most memorable ballad performances were recorded while Bill Evans was at the piano. Lastly, check out Venice, a gorgeous piece by John Lewis that is the proverbial melody in search of a lyric! Any lyricists out there? Percy Heath’s ‘deep’ chordal intro leads to Cannon’s alto, which has as restrained – and intimate – a sound as he’s ever recorded. He never strays far from the melody line, while Evans toys with it just a bit, playing like someone standing on the edge of a beach, sticking one toe in at a time as the water recedes. The tune ends before either Evans or the attentive listener (that’s us), gets any wetter!

Yes, February of 1961 should have been a rewarding time for Bill Evans personally as well as artistically. Yet, images from the period show a gaunt, pale figure — sunglasses affixed – which reminds us what he was also dealing with at the time: Personal demons that were never far away, regardless of his creative success.

In spite of it all on Know What I Mean Evans was able to again prove himself the perfect foil for Cannonball Adderley. It was also a period of private trials and challenges, although the moment of his most difficult trial — the tragic death of Scott LaFaro – was only a few months away.”

30th anniversary of his death at the age of 51. I appreciate it when the general press writes about our jazz heroes, particularly someone as under-appreciated as Evans, because perhaps it can inspire someone new to listen and hear the remarkable beauty and innovation of the music. And, with Evans, it is still amazing how powerfully personal his music holds up today, which is one of the points of the article. Anyway, I wanted to share this with you all and if it inspires you to put some Evans on the turntable, perhaps some Evans with Cannonball, then I know it will brighten your day and put a smile on your face.

Now we get to the batch of records that turned out to be the most pleasant surprise of all. There was at one point a group listed as such: Bill Evans, Seven Riverside LPs. There was a picture on the Web site and there was a copy of Waltz for Debby in there and perhaps an original pressing of New Jazz Conceptions as well. Anyway, I was hoping to steal this one, but once the bidding surpassed $400 I realized there was no steal to be had and I had better keep my mouth shut. The package eventually went for $650. Ah, well. However, about 15 minutes later there was another group of LPs, described as such: Bill Evans, Eleven LPs, Eight Verve and Three Riverside. There was no picture or other description. I won this lot at $80, so my total for these 11 records was $93.60. This is a great batch of music, and each record is in

mint, unplayed, not-even-handled-by-human-hands condition. The package includes an original – deep groove, no less – blue label copy of Interplay, with Freddie Hubbard and Jim Hall. This is a major upgrade from the copy in my collection. There is also a beautiful unplayed copy of Undercurrent on United Artists and a great copy of Trio 64, which is one of my all-time favorite Evans LPs. All in all this is a great batch of 11 records with pristine covers, pristine records, original inner sleeves. Very pleasing indeed, especially since I bid blind for these and got them for such a cheap price. Again, it makes me think I should have bid for more of the blind packages, but that’s what happens, right? It’s never about the records we have, it’s always about the ones that got away.

The next batch I won was a weird one. The description was simple: Lot of Duke Ellington LPs. I had no idea if this was two records or 20 records: If they were in good condition or poor: If they were originals or reissues. There were two other lots of Ellington records that sold for $10 each. The one I purchased was $25, which meant I spent $29.25. There must have been a reason the batch I bought fetched more money, but I’ll never know because I didn’t buy the other lots. My lot was another pleasant surprise. It was 25 records in total, mostly original RCAs, and all of them, again, seem to have been unplayed and never touched. The batch included one nice blue-label Riverside I’ve never seen – Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, The Birth of Big Band Jazz, Riverside 129. There is also a nice original copy of Piano in the Foreground on Columbia, which is a terrific trio LP. There are also a couple of nice vintage RCA records, including The Duke and His Men, RCA 1092 and The Indispensable Duke Ellington, RCA 6009, a very nice double LP. Ellington is not the most collectible of artists, but these are 25 mint original pressings for $29.25, so I am pleased with the results of this gamble as well.

There are two more purchases and then we shall be done with this chapter in Adventures in Jazz Collecting. The seller had groups of records, described simply in a variety of ways: “Lot of Thirty 10 Inch LPs” or “Lot of Approximately 40 1960s-70s Jazz LPs.” The temptation was to bid on all of these: I am, as you may have surmised, not shy about taking risks. In retrospect, knowing what I know now about the condition of these records, I would have bid on many more of these batches. As it is I won one group of 30 10-inch records for $50, meaning I paid $58.50. These records were all in near mint condition, which is quite surprising for 10-inch LPs. I don’t think they were ever played. However, there were no Blue Notes, Prestiges or other blockbusters in the lot. There’s a nice copy of Louis Bellson Just Jazz All Stars on Capitol, featuring some nice Wardell Gray; There’s a record on Vanguard called Buck Meets Ruby, which I never owned. There are a few others of moderate interest, but nothing too compelling, unless there is a Les Brown fan out there in the world of Jazz Collector. In that case, I’ve got a nice package of records for you, so drop me an email.

The final lot I purchased was a simple one. The Complete Tal Farlow Verve Sessions on Mosaic. This is a CD set, not vinyl. I don’t know why I didn’t purchase this when it came out. Tal is my favorite jazz guitarist, Plus, I also knew him personally and he was the good friend and mentor of my best friend Dan Axelrod, who contributes to the liner notes here. So buying this was filling an obvious hole in my collection, and this will be a set I will keep and treasure, even though it is on CD.

So there it is. A total of 69 12-inch LPs, 30 10-inch LPs and one 4-CD boxed set. An even hundred. With taxes and shipping my total was $1,228.62. And another Adventure in Jazz Collecting to show to my wife and children and friends and family to give further evidence, yet again, why it is much easier for me to add to my collection rather than subtract from my collection.

Monica Zetterlund with Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Phillips 08222PL. This is an original Swedish pressing. The vinyl is rated as VG++ and the cover is rated M-. The current price is a bit over $300.

Booker Ervin, The Blues Book, Prestige 7340. This is an original blue label mono pressing, The record is listed as M- and the cover looks like VG++. The current price is about $55. Curious to see how this one sells, after seeing the Don Patterson sell for more than $70 the other day.

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

listed in VG condition, although the seller said it played well, and the cover was also VG. The price was $560. I have a sense that this is one of the jazz records that would be enhanced by the promo markings.

We were also watching a couple of interesting, hard-to-find LPs by Thad Jones, including: Thad Jones, Mad Thad, Period 1208. This was an original pressing and it was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $525.  There there was this: Thad Jones, The Jones Boys, Period 1210. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG+. The price on this was $130.50. Why the price differential between the two Thad Jones LPs? Who knows? This is eBay, after all.