John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price on this was $1,000 and there is a bid on it, so it will be sold and will enter the virtual $1,000 bin.

John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. Here’s a more clear explanation of this than we’ve heard before. Jazz Record Center refers to this as the “pinwheels” label, although we’ve most often seen it described as “bulls-eye.” It is described as an “original deep-groove second press,” which kind of makes sense. It’s still valued among collectors, even though it is not a first press. This one looks to be in M- condition for the record and the cover and is already at more than $170. Speaking of original Coltranes on Atlantic: John Coltrane and Milt Jackson, Bags and Trane, Atlantic 1368. This is an original mono pressing with the red and purple labels, although I’m still not 100 percent sure how to distinguish it as a first pressing. This one is in M- condition and so far there are no takers at $50.

Blue Note stereo pressings don’t usually have the cachet — or value — of mono pressings. Case in point: Joe Henderson, Inner Urge, Blue Note 84189. This is an original stereo pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It’s in the $100 price range at this point. As we saw earlier this week, a mono pressing of Henderson’s Page One sold for $2,000, although we still think that is a weird aberration.

Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This is an original West 63rd pressing and it is in M- condition for both the record and the price is $338. Tempting, but not for now.

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.

Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume 1, Blue Note 1507. This is an original Lexington AVenue pressing with the deep grooves, frame cover, flat rim. It looks to be in M- condition for the record and probably around VG+ for the cover. The start price on this is $100 and as of now there are no bids at all. No bids on this one yet either: Clifford Brown Quartet, Blue Note 5047. This is an original 10-inch pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $250. This one, no surprise, is getting some action: Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and at least VG+ for the cover, but more likely VG++ to M-, depending upon how you look at things. This one is already more than $1,000 and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t make the $2,000 bin, but I won’t be shocked, since this seems like a bit of a soft time in the market.

Here are a few from the Jazz Record Center auction: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This one was in beautiful condition, M- all the way around. It sold for $2,380.99. Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was another beauty that was M- for the record and probably VG++ for the cover, depending upon how you view things such as small splits and slight wear. It sold for $2,039. Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535. This was in M- condition for the record and somewhat less for the cover. The price was $1,613.88. And the big one: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and between VG++ and M- for the cover, depending upon how you grade such things. The price was $3,618.

Here’s a $1,000 record that was not sold by the Jazz Record Center:

Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,006.99.

Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This was an original purple label pressing with the deep grooves. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $465.

Phil Woods, Woodlore, Prestige 7018. This was an original New York pressing in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $493.88.

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is one of the rarest of the rare, and it already owns the top price in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. This copy is in beautiful condition, M- for the record and the cover. The current price is $2,981.

Curtis Fuller, The Opener, Blue Note 1567. Here’s another one that looks to be in beautiful condition, with a little bit of issues with the cover. This one is priced at $1,575 as of this writing.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is another original pressing. The condition looks great, perhaps not M-, however. This one is currently at $2,036.

All Sales Are Vinyl – On the Hunt for Jazz LPs During the 1970s in NYC, by Dan Forté

Before the invention of the CD player in 1982 and prior to the major jazz record labels beginning their exhaustive reissue programs in earnest, there was little else one could do but search the dusty bins of the friendly, neighborhood record stores for those coveted out-of-print jazz LPs to add to their collection.  For jazz vinyl lovers in New York City on the prowl for “cut-outs” of out-of-print (hereafter referred to simply as OOP) releases during the early 1970s (way before Fred Cohen’s Jazz Record Center and eBay), there was a wide range of record emporiums sure to strike a responsive chord in the memory banks of those old enough – and fortunate enough – to remember them. Here are a few:

King Karol (especially the main store located at 120 West 42nd Street and the Outlet at 460 West 42nd Street), Sam Goody (particularly the old location on Third Avenue in midtown), The Record Hunter on Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets, Bleecker Bob’s in the West Village and The Colony on Broadway near Times Square (both still in business).  At Colony, OOP vinyl pricing was highly inflated because of the store’s prime midtown location. Unbeknownst to many non-regulars, once repeat customers made their selections, they were then whisked to a back room by a salesman where prices were negotiated.

If you came up dry via the record stores, you found other ways to satisfy your LP cravings: By getting your name on various mail-order jazz auction lists from around the country; Music Man Murray and Jim Sharpe, both out of Hollywood, immediately come to mind, when every six months or so, you got a Xeroxed catalog printed on two, perhaps three, 9 X 14-inch sheets of paper folded in quarters, bid listings in alphabetical order (on average 1,000 lots) by artists’ name, LP title, label, record number and their graded conditions for both sides. I had to use a magnifying glass to pore over the items because they were reduced to six-point type. That’s probably one of the reasons why I now wear trifocals.

Now for a bit of trivia:  The jazz auction route was how my good friend Fred Cohen of the renowned Jazz Record Center got his start. From humble beginnings, working out of his old apartment on lower Park Avenue in the early 1980s, minimum bids in Fred’s auctions were ten dollars and most sold in the $25-$75 range. Indeed, a far cry from his now famous eBay vinyl auctions of today. I still have Fred’s early auction lists in my possession and use them as prized discographical reference material.

As one who liked to stay away from the chain stores, I tended to frequent the more offbeat shops like Budget Books, a cramped, nondescript storefront located on Broadway between 13th and 14th Streets owned by a cantankerous, elderly, but wonderful man named John Walker, where I paid cash for hundreds of his rare vinyl.  Once John and I became friends, his rough veneer began to peal away like the skin of a ripe banana. He allowed me the privilege of flipping through his private stock of original deep-groove 10- and 12-inch Blue Notes, Clefs, Prestiges and Riversides. There was also The Record Mart downstairs in the bowels of the Times Square Subway station.  Still around and underground, but at a newer location, its owner Jesse Moskowitz also gave me unfettered access to his “underground cave,” where I quickly became a tunnel rat, searching for buried jazz treasures while Disco and Salsa music blared from the store’s overhead speakers out front.

And then there was the Dayton Record Store, located at 824 Broadway on the corner of 12th Street, directly across from Strand Books.  To this day, I still remember their telephone number:  AL (for the Algonquin exchange) 4-5084.  If you’ve read this far, you can plainly see that Dayton’s was by no means the end-all place to search for and purchase rare jazz vinyl.  But there was something very special about it and its strange cast of characters.  Who can forget big Jay (The “Grizz”) always in his “Mr. Green Jeans” denim overalls?  He reminded me of the character, “Andy,” played by the relatively unknown actor Bowman Upchurch in the 1967 film version of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.  Jay and his 350-pound frame would usually work the cash register while Art, the affable salesman and keeper of the store’s private, but well-catalogued, non-binned jazz rarities, would assist you. Jimmy Dayton, the store’s eponymous owner, was just as garish in person as he was portrayed on the shop’s white paper LP shopping bags. Blessed with a big shock of long, silver hair, combed back into a duck’s ass, large-collared shirts unbuttoned to his navel revealing a hairy chest and various gaudy necklaces, Jimmy always topped off his ensemble with blinding bejeweled rings on nearly every finger. According to New York Magazine’s “Urban Strategist” column from January 3, 1972, Dayton’s “buys old classical, jazz, show and personality LPs.  They prefer to buy in bulk (collections of at least 200 records) and, although the price depends upon the age, condition and rarity of the collection, Dayton usually pays between 25 and 50 cents per record. They will pick up large collections anywhere in the five boroughs.”  Just imagine:  they made a full 100-times mark-up on records they paid 50 cents for and sold for $50 bucks.  More on that coming….

As an avid WRVR listener, the overnight jazz jock at the time was a smooth-talking gentleman by the name of Van Jay.  Van played a track by my favorite pianist, Red Garland (1923-1984), a prolific Prestige recording artist known for his romantic, yet swinging ballads peppered with single note playing and his signature block chords.  Red, who recorded countless LPs as a leader, also came to marquee-value fame as the pianist for Miles Davis’s iconic 1956 Prestige quintet dates:  Workin’, Steamin’, Cookin’ and Relaxin.’ The beautiful on-air ballad Van played was called “You Better Go Now,” and was on Garland’s Prestige LP entitled, RoJo (Prestige 7193).  I’ll never forget phoning Dayton’s, and after inquiring about this LP rarity, hear Jay say, “If we DO have it, depending on condition, it can run you between $75 and $100.”  Jay thought we were disconnected because suddenly, there was dead silence on my end of the line.  When you consider that the cost of a regular LP during the 1970s ran between $1.99 and $3.99, the prices Dayton’s were selling them for were downright criminal.  But they knew they had a corner on the OOP jazz market, thereby completing a perfect parasitic relationship.  Besides, how else do you think Jimmy Dayton was able to afford all of his 1970s bling?

Well, I had no choice.  I simply had to have that disc.  After saving my hard-earned money as a shoe salesman working nights part time at the Alexander’s Department Store on Queens Boulevard while attending Hunter College during the day, I managed to cobble together that hard-earned C-note and headed down to Dayton’s to purchase the Garland LP.  My copy had the glazed Esmond Edwards photo jacket of Red with the word “PROMO” stamped on its back cover. It truly was an original deep groove Prestige yellow label pressing with ‘RVG’ impressed into the dead wax.  With its near-pristine microgrooves gleaming in the store’s fluorescent light, I couldn’t wait to get home and give it a spin on my Dual 1227 turntable. Needless to say, I would make many more subsequent buying pilgrimages to Dayton’s before it closed its doors for good.

PostScript:  When Red Garland came out of retirement and played the Village Vanguard in March of 1978 (his first NY gig in over seven years), I was there every night to listen to him along with Sam Jones on bass and Al Foster on drums.  On the second night of his gig, I went in the Vanguard’s foodless kitchen (backstage) to speak with Red between sets.  Naturally, I brought along my cherished, Dayton’s-bought $100 Promo copy of RoJo, which he graciously signed: ‘To Dan, Best always, Red Garland.’  Upon handing the LP back to me, Red asked what my favorite track was on the disc.  Of course, I mentioned “You Better Go Now.”  Wouldn’t you know, next set, he sat down at the piano, lit a Lucky Strike and played that beautiful ballad just for me.  At that time, the esteemed New York Times jazz critic was the late John S. Wilson, who happened to be sitting at the table next to mine that night.  On Friday, March 24, 1978, the paper ran his review of Red’s Vanguard gig.  Wilson said, “Red Garland is a jazz pianist with what can be viewed in terms of today’s music, as an old-fashioned charm.  He delights in the dramatic qualities of a melody…Garland is eagerly responsive to his listeners, acknowledging every display of applause with a big, sweeping bow.” As I look back fondly on that cool, March night at the Vanguard 33 years ago, I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Dayton’s Record Store and its unforgettable crew. You will forever remain a very special part of me and my jazz record collecting.

In my mind, I figured that somewhere in the back, not on the shelves, not open for public viewing, Fred had a reserve of old Blue Notes and Prestiges that he only pulled out for special occasions and special customers. Admit it — don’t you all think that way when you go to the Jazz Record Center: That this is the repository of great jazz records and, like a museum, all the great works pass through at some point? So, after going through all the bins I went back to Fred, who was still engaged in conversation with the lovely Mrs. JC, and asked if there was anything in the back rooms, or under the counter, or somewhere that he was holding back on. After all, this was a special occasion, right? He smiled kind of wanly and said there might be something, what did I have in mind? I figured I’d go for the gold, so I mentioned a couple of nice Blue Notes that I’ve always wanted but, for whatever reason, don’t have as original pressings: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd and Paul Chambers, Bass on Top. Fred kind of chuckled at the mention of those records and the idea that he would just have them lying around somewhere in the store. “Those are pretty rare records,” he said, with a hint of incredulity, then a bit wistfully: “I wish I had them.”

So, in the end, I wound up purchasing the Blue Note book, a Mosaic boxed set and an EMI-Capitol Music edition of Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This, I hope, is an upgrade of the United Artists pressing in my collection. It was not the score I was seeking, but it was fun going through the bins at the Jazz Record Center and seeing what was there and the pricing and the condition. It’s a great gauge of the market and the thing you learn, as you see on eBay, is that while the market for the high-end collectibles continues to go up, demand for what I would call mid-market collectibles is shrinking, meaning that prices are down. And, for records that are not collectible, you wonder if there is any demand at all. As we were heading out, the lovely Mrs. JC said she was disappointed I didn’t get my score, but quite pleased with our excursion because she had a lovely conversation with Fred, who she said  was warm and charming and quite engaging. I looked at her askance: “You didn’t, perchance, offer to sell him my collection, did you?” I asked.  She smiled and then laughed out loud. But, now that I think about it,  she never did answer the question.

The latest auction from the Jazz Record Center is closing today, with some interesting items, such as: The Wes Montgomery Trio, Riverside 310. This is an original pressing in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. We haven’t seen this record sell for high prices very often, but this one will: It is already close to $175. Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. This is an original pressing with the New York USA labels. It is in M- condition and is priced at more than $300 with a few hours to go. Did you see the Sonny Clark articles referred to by Mike in the Reader Forum? They are terrific. Go to the Reader Forum for the links. Here’s one more: Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176. This is also an original pressing in beautiful condition.  It is currently in the $180 price range.

This seller also has a few interesting items up now, including: Hank Mobley, No Room For Squares, Blue Note 4149. This looks to be an original pressing, although there is no close-up picture of the labels. It is listed in M- condition and is currently in the $180 price range. This one looks pretty amazing: The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1546. Again, the listing lacks some of the pictures we would like, but the seller describes this as a sealed copy on which he broke the seal to reveal that it is an original deep groove, West 63rd Street pressing. Sounds almost too good to be true, but the seller has a lot of feedback and is a regular jazz seller on eBay. This one is in the $230 range at this point. It’ll be interesting to see what it goes for.

Art Pepper, Modern Art, Intro 606. This is an original deep groove pressing that is in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It has a start price of $750 and already has a bidder, so you can expect that this one may be headed for the $1,000 bin.

Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 1518. This is a West 63rd Street pressing, whereas the original first pressing would have been Lexington Avenue. I’m curious about this second press Blue Notes, which many of our readers think of as originals, because their prices have gone up quite a bit recently. I just bought a West 63rd copy of the first Miles Davis Blue Note, which I’ll be selling at some point, either on eBay or from my basement. This one is in “near-new” condition and already has a bidder at $100.

I’ve always liked this record and I do, fortunately, have an original pressing: Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This one is also in very nice M- condition and has a bidder at a $350 start price.

R.I.P James Moody: James Moody, Wail Moody Wail, Prestige 7036. This is an original New York pressing with the yellow label and deep groove. It is also in M- condition. For some reason, the market for Moody LPs has never been quite as strong as for other artists of the era. Not sure why, but it has enabled me to build a nice collection of Moody LPs. This one has no bidders at a start price of $75.

Fred has this one listed as a second pressing, although I haven’t bought his book yet and don’t quite understand why. This one has one sided deep groove and I had always thought that was the original pressing: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This one is a review copy and is in M- condition, perhaps unplayed. The start price is $250 and there are no bidders yet.