Jazz Vinyl Pricing Trends: Three Altos
Jul 4, 2010 $1000 Records, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige
Today is the Independence Day Holiday here in the states but, as usual, we at Jazz Collector never rest. Here are some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay lately:
Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing, of course, and it was listed in VG++ condition. The price was $2,627. The seller was a collector from Japan, not a dealer. Haven’t seen that so often.
Jason did that story on Boston jazz the other day and, coincidentally, this record was available on eBay from Euclid Records: Charlie Mariano, The New Sounds From Boston, Prestige 130. This was an original 10-inch LP and it was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. With a few hours to go before the bidding closed, this record was sitting in the $30 range. I though I might be able to get it for a cheap price and , not owning a copy, it had quite an appeal for me. So I used my sniping software, which is BidNip, and I
Tags: Ad Lib Records, Charlie Mariano, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Jackie McLean, Jazz Vinyl
Mobley Sets New Top Vinyl Price For Jazz Collector
Jun 8, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
Time to catch up on a few items. By now, most of you have probably seen what happened with those records we were watching from the Jazz Record Center. The Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568 sold for $5,101, which is the highest price we’ve ever recorded for a jazz record at Jazz Collector. The previous high was $4,036 for a copy of Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, on Ad Lib. A lot of people have already commented on this one, so I don’t have much to add other than what I’ve often said: The market is the market and eBay reflects what the market will bear. This is the going rate for this record in this condition at this point in time. I was wrong, barely on a couple of my predictions. (1) I had opined that two of the other records from this auction would sell for more than $2,000 and only one of them did: Hank Mobley, Hank, Blue Note 1560, which is the one pictured here. This one sold for $2,347. The one that did not break the $2,000 barrier was:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Dial Records, Dootone Records, Hank Mobley, Jazz Record Center
A Veritable Cornucopia of 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl
Jun 4, 2010 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note
As is our usual custom, we were perusing the jazz vinyl listings on eBay this evening and we happened to notice an unusually large number of interesting 10-inch LPs for sale, some of which we shall share with you henceforth, including:
Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 5065. A beauty, no? This one is in M- condition for the record and what looks to be VG+ for the cover. The current price is around $225 and there are three days to go.
Here’s the next one up in the 10-inch Blue Note catalogue: Hank Mobley Quartet, Blue Note 5066. This is an original pressing, of course,and the vinyl looks to be M- and the cover somewhat close to M-. The current price is $338 and there are also three days to go.
Another 10-inch Blue Note? Why not. Here’s The Amazing Bud Powell, Blue Note 5003. This is an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It is being offered by Euclid Records and is currently at about $115.
Here’s the one on the list that will probably sell for the highest price:
Tags: Bud Powell, Charlie Mariano, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Euclid Records, Hank Mobley, Imperial Records, Jazz Record Center, Kenny Dorham
The Answer To The $1,000 Question
May 8, 2010 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Prestige
That last item on $1,000 records didn’t get much response, to my surprise, but Rudolf and Robert were definitely on track thinking about looking under “Mo” in their collections. Based on our quick and unscientific perusal of the $1,000 bin within the Jazz Collector Price Guide, these were the artists that come up with the most different records:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Sonny Rollins
Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 3
Apr 11, 2010 Blue Note, Features, Savoy
Guess what came in the mail yesterday? Remember that Jazz Auction in which I participated a few weeks ago. Well the records are here and now I can tell you how I did. Remember, I bid blind on these records, based on the written descriptions, and I gambled on quite a few of the packages. I was competing with a bunch of sellers/dealers who were at the scene and had the opportunity to physically view the records. Also, I paid an extra 17 percent above what I bid because that was the fee taken by the auction house. In any case, here are the results, part one of three: Live vicariously through me if you please. The prices listed below include the 17 percent extra fee, so they are the amount I actually paid for each package. Also, the listings as I describe them below are similar to the way they were listed in the auction itself.
Wes Montgomery, Full House. Price: $70.20. This is an original blue-label Riverside
Tags: Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, Lem Winchester, Lester Young, New Jazz Records, Roy Haynes, Wes Montgromery
Bird & Newk for the $1,000 and $2,000 Bins
Jan 18, 2010 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Two of those Sonny Rollins LPs we were watching passed the $2,000 barrier: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original pressing in near mint condition from a reputable seller in Italy. The final price tag was $2,850. Also: Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing, also in near mint condition. This one sold for $2,025.22. Breaking the $1,000 barrier was:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Jazz Vinyl, Sonny Rollins
On EBay Now: Griffin, Red, Blakey, Bird
Jan 15, 2010 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Prestige
EBay is loaded with nice jazz vinyl this weekend. Some of the top sellers are back in action, it seems. Here are some of the items we’re watching:
Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This is an original West 63rd Street pressing that is listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. When we looked at this item last night the top bid was only $99. We thought we might be able to steal it for a decent price and we put in a Bidnip bid of about $230. Alas, no such luck for Jazz Collector today. The record is closing in a couple of hours and it is currently at about $425.
This seller has been selling some very nice records that seem to be in absolutely beautiful condition, including this: Red Garland, High Pressure, Prestige 7209. This is an original pressing in near mint condition and, from the picture with the listing it looks absolutely pristine, the cover as well. The current
Tags: Art Blakey, Blue Note, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Jazz Vinyl, Johnny Griffin, Red Garland
Updating the $1,000 Bin: Griffin, Bird, Dolphy
Dec 28, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Doesn’t look as if things on eBay slowed down during the Christmas weekend. Here are a few of the items we’ve been watching:
Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and the cover illustration by Andy Warhol. It was listed in M- condition by a very reliable seller. The price was $1,875. The same seller also sold: Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This also looked to be in nice M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,275.
While we’re updating the $1,000 bin, here’s this one:
Tags: Andy Warhol, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Eric Dolphy, Jazz Vinyl, Johnny Griffin, Louis Smith
Rare Bird Nets $2,210. Yes, $2,210.
Nov 12, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Wow, there was a real bidding war for this one: Charlie Parker, Dial 203. This was a 10-inch pressing sold by Euclid Records. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG++. What would you normally expect this to sell for? I’d have said $400, maybe $500. If you look at the Jazz Collector Price Guide the range is $300 to $500 depending on condition, with one previous copy selling for more than $700. The bidding for this one started getting intense between two buyers at somewhere north of $800 and it skyrocketed all the way to a final price of $2,210. Not bad. By contrast, Euclid also sold copies of the following 10-inch Dial records by Bird: Charlie Parker, Dial 207. This one
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Euclid Records
Today on eBay: A Rare Bird Indeed
Oct 7, 2009 Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Price Guide
We spent some time last night perusing today’s activities on eBay, so we figured we’d share some of our findings with you on a bright lovely morning in the New York metro area.
Charlie Parker, The Bird Blows The Blues, Dial 901. This is purported to be the first 12-inch LP ever. It was issued as a promo for Dial. There are reports of only 50 pressings of this record, but, we’re sure that is part of the mythology. We’ve written about it before at Jazz Collector and we’ve also tracked pricing in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Our top price in the past has been $2,850. It certainly does not come up on eBay very often. This one seems to be in pretty nice condition. When we first saw this last night, the price was around a hundred dollars and now it’s around $400 with six hours to go. We’ll see where it ends up. It is quite a rarity and
Tags: Art Farmer, Capitol Records, Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Gigi Gryce, Ike Quebec, Jackie McLean, Jazz Collector Price Guide, Jazz Vinyl, Serge Chaloff, Tommy Flanagan
Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Bird’s First, Autographed
Oct 6, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Autographs, The Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown
Here’s an interesting test: With this winnowing down of the jazz vinyl collection, are we still a collector or have we morphed into something else – perhaps a dealer-slash-collector-slash-aficionado or something other equally endearing term? Well, we have two copies of this pretty rare 10-inch record: Jay McShann, Kansas City Memories, Decca 5503. This record is noteworthy because it is the first studio recording of one Charles Christopher Parker Jr. Bird’s solos on The Jumpin’ Blues and (especially) Hootie Blues usher in a new era in jazz. It doesn’t get any better than that, does it? Both of our copies of this record are in pretty nice condition, but one of them has a bonus feature: An autograph on the back by
Tags: Charlie Parker, Decca Records, Jay McShann
Tracking Some Nice 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl
Oct 2, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Prestige, Savoy
Here are a few nice 10-inch LPs we’ve been watching.
Gigi Gryce and Clifford Brown Sextet, Blue Note 5048. This was a beautiful copy in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $579.
The Amazing Bud Powell Volume 2, Blue Note 5041. This was listed as VG for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price was $90.97. As someone said in one of the comments recently, the Bud Powells seem to be in less demand than some of the other Blue Notes.
Elmo Hope Quintet, Blue Note 5044. This was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and cover, which is a classic. The price was $305.
Art Blakey, A Night At Birdland Volume 2, Blue Note 5038. This one was also in nice condition — VG++ for the vinyl and M- for the cover. The price was $305. 03.
And yet another Blue Note:
Tags: Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Elmo Hope, Gigi Gryce, Gil Melle, Jazz Vinyl, Jimmy Raney
Free Bird LP: The Winner Is . . .
Sep 8, 2009 Free Collectibles, Savoy
OK, the summer is over, the living is no longer easy, and it’s time to give away our latest free record: Charlie Parker Memorial Volume 1, Blue Note 12000. This is an original pressing with the deep red label and the deep groove. It’s not in mint condition, but it is quite nice and quite listenable. As we have mentioned many times before, all you have to do to be eligible to win our record contests is to post a comment on the Jazz Collector site — anywhere on the site — from the time the contest begins until it ends. The idea is to encourage visitors to comment on the site. The concept seems to be catching on: This time we have our highest number of eligible contestants, and the amount of commenting on the site is clearly growing (as is the overall traffic, by the way). Anyway, those eligible to win this week’s grand prize are:
Tags: Charlie Parker
Today on eBay: More Bird, More JR, Sonny Clark
Aug 30, 2009 10-Inch LPs, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay
Had some time to kill last night so I went through several days’ worth of upcoming eBay listings. There are quite a few interesting items up today. Let’s get to them quickly:
Lots of Bird this week, which seems fitting, since yesterday would have been his 89th birthday (thank you to Colm O’Sullivan for pointing that out). Here’s a beauty: Charlie Parker, Dial 201. This is an original 10-inch pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The current price is $565, which is higher than we’ve normally seen for these 10-inch LPs in the past. It’s nice to see Bird getting his due again in the collectibles market.
We had all that discussion a couple of weeks ago on J.R. Monterose. Here’s one of his rare records closing today: J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This one is an original Lexington Avenue pressing and is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It is currently priced at $300. Here’s an update on those rare J.R. Monterose tapes
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Record, JR Monterose, Sonny Clark
Another Rare Bird, This Time For the $2,000 Bin
Aug 28, 2009 $1000 Records, Savoy
When we were updating the $1,000 bin yesterday, we came upon this quite rare collectible: Charlie Parker, The Bird Blows The Blues, Dial LP 1. The seller lists this as the “first 12-inch LP ever” and having been issued in 1948. We have heard before that this was the first 12-inch long-playing record, which we’ve never been able to confirm, but we think the original issue was in 1949. It was issued without a cover. The seller here claims there were only 50 copies originally issued, which, of course, sounds like one of those claims aimed at making the record seem rarer than it actually is, which is quite rare. This copy was listed in “VG to VG+” condition and sold for $2,250.
This also gives me another chance to remind you all that we are still running our contest to give away a free copy of
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Records
A Couple of Rare Birds, One For the $1,000 Bin
Aug 24, 2009 $1000 Records, Blue Note, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Price Guide, Savoy
We’re still running the contest to give away a free copy of The Charlie Parker Memorial Album, Savoy 12000. Please comment on the site to be eligible to win. Meanwhile, here are a couple of nice bird collectibles that sold recently on eBay, including one for the $1,000 bin.
Charlie Parker, Alternate Masters Volume 2, Dial 905. This was an original 12-inch Dial, quite rare. It was in very nice VG++ condition and was sold by the seller Herschel78, who has been selling some beautiful items lately. This was fetched a price of $1,350.
Also from Bird is this: The Charlie Parker Story, Savoy 12079. This was an original pressing, with a great cover of a relaxed Bird sitting on a throne. This was from the same seller and was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $150. You don’t often see the Bird Savoys selling for these prices.
Joining Bird in the $1,000 record bin is this:
Tags: Charlie Parker, Dial Records, Louis Smith
Win A Free Collectible: Original Bird on Savoy
Aug 19, 2009 Free Collectibles, Savoy
Okay, we are going to celebrate the impending end of summer with our best give-away to date: This is a genuine collectible, an original pressing of an all-time great LP: Charlie Parker Memorial, Savoy 12000. Yes, this is an original pressing with the red Savoy label and the deep groove. The record is not in perfect condition, but it sounds real nice, with just enough surface noise to certify it’s authenticity as a release from the mid-1950s. This features Bird in a variety of settings, with Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Duke Jordan, Curley Russell and others. It’s a mix of Bird’s Savoy material, from his earliest dates with Tiny Grimes, to his tenor sessions with Miles, to classics such as Steeplechase and Barbados. In order to be eligible to win this record, all you have to do is
Tags: Charlie Parker
Free Record: Bird Lives! The Winner Is . . .
Jul 29, 2009 Free Collectibles
It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted our latest contest for a free collectible, so it is time to announce the winner. The item is Red Rodney, Bird Lives, Muse 5371. This is a 1989 pressing of a 1973 recording and, in addition to Rodney, features Charles McPherson, Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Roy Brooks. What is interesting about this LP, in addition to the fine music and the fitting tribute to Charlie Parker, is that this is a copy that is still in its original factory seal, not bad for a record 20 years old. As always, the criteria to be considered eligible to win the contest is to comment somewhere, anywhere on the Jazz Collector site. As we’ve mentioned many times, our only goal is to encourage people to comment so we can build a nice community of people interested in the jazz collectibles market and we can share information and experiences. For this record, we have eight eligible Jazz Collector readers. They are: Michel, Rudolf, Troy Grooms, Gregorious, Jim Beattie, Jim Thornton, Steve H and Bethellodge. As always, we are having the lovely Mrs J.C. pull the names out of a hat . . . and here she is . . . and here’s the hat . . . and here are the names . . . and here she goes . . . and, finally, the winner is . . .
Tags: Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, Charlie Parker, Muse Records, Red Rodney, Roy Brooks, Sam Jones
Chasin’ The Bird on Savoy
Jul 14, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Savoy
The other day I posted an item about a 10-inch Charlie Parker LP on Savoy selling for more than $1,300. I mentioned that I’d had two copies of these LP and was never sure which was the original cover. I figured that the one that sold for $1,335 was the original, but was not sure. So here are the two covers, side by side, and I’m still not sure which is original. Based on the packaging, I have a feeling the one on the right is the original. This is not the one that sold for $1,335. The one on the left has liner notes on the back, plus listings of other Savoy releases, including a bunch of 12-inch LPs, all the way up to Savoy 15021. The one on the right has a blank back. It also has the title: New Sounds in Modern Music. So our bet is that the Bird selling for $1,335
Tags: Charlie Parker
Win a Free Collectible: Red Rodney Plays Bird
Jul 13, 2009 Free Collectibles
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Time to give away another free jazz collectible (that’s free as in no cost, not free as in no chord changes). There was some discussion on the site last week in reference to a sealed copy of Bill Evans’ Waltz For Debby, which sold for more than $2,000. We posed the question: What do you do with a sealed record? Do you open it and play it, thereby violating the seal, or do you just collect it and look at it? Anyway, we were perusing through our records and came upon a few items that were still sealed and decided to use one of these for our next giveaway contest. The item we chose is: Red Rodney, Bird Lives, Muse 5371. This is a 1989 pressing of a 1973 recording and it features Charles McPherson, Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Roy Brooks. The record features
Tags: Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, Charlie Parker, Muse Records, Red Rodney, Roy Brooks, Same Jones
Bird 10-Inch Savoy Enters $1,000 Bin
Jul 9, 2009 $1000 Records, 10-Inch LPs, Jazz Vinyl, Jazz Vinyl on eBay, Savoy
Here’s a record new to the $1,000 bin and it’s presence there is somewhat of a surprise to us: Charlie Parker, Savoy 9000. This is a 10-inch LP and I’ll assume it’s the original cover. I have this record with two different covers and was never sure which one came first. The high price tag leads me to believe this is the first cover, and I assume it is the first cover for the rest of the series. It’s also surprising to see a Bird record sell for such a high price, and a 10-inch LP to sell for such a high price, and a Savoy to sell for such a high price. But, all of that notwithstanding, it did sell for a high price: $1,335 to be precise. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG+.
Tags: Charlie Parker
Another Quiz
Mar 19, 2009 Questions
While we’re on the topic of Bird: Who wrote the Charlie Parker biography “Bird Lives” and what was his relationship to Bird?
Tags: Charlie Parker
Quickie Quiz
Mar 17, 2009 Questions
Many people assume that the Charlie Parker tune “Billie’s Bounce” was named in honor of Billie Holliday. That is not the case. Who, in fact, was the Billie in “Billie’s Bounce?”
Tags: Billie's Bounce, Charlie Parker
Bird And Diz And Downbeat, 1946, 1947
Mar 13, 2009 Features
In addition to vinyl, I collect jazz books, magazines and other ephemera. Once in a while I go through my old copies of Downbeat. Here’s something I pulled a few years ago:
The Dec. 16, 1946 Downbeat offers a prime example of the divergent fortunes of the two leaders of the be-bop movement. On the front page there is a picture of Dizzy Gillespie having fun and joking around. On page six, at the top of the page, there’s a small article with the headline: “Parker Fund Does Fine at L.A. Benefit.” It was a four-paragraph item, noting that a benefit for Charlie Parker in Los Angeles raised a total of $500.86. The purpose of the money: “To assist Parker, upon his release from a sanitarium, to secure instruments, clothes and what
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Quickie Quiz
Mar 9, 2009 Questions
The pianist Argonne Thornton played on classic recordings such as Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time” and Dexter Gordon’s “Dexter’s Deck.” He later changed his name. What new name did he take?