Catching Up on Some High-End Blue Note Vinyl

Time to follow up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing offered by the Jazz Record Center. It looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. When we spotted this there were four days left in the auction and the bidding was at $1,600. The final price was $2,753. Still a market for the high-end stuff from reputable sellers, right? From the same auction there was Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002. This was an original New York USA pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $306. Keeping up with the Jordans, I guess. Read more

Condition is Still Critical . . . Isn’t It?

Let’s look at some random jazz vinyl we are watching and have been watching on eBay, starting with Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 4140. This looked to be an original pressing, listed in VG or VG+ condition for the record and G+ for the cover with water damage on the bottom. There were 13 bidders for this record and the final price was $439. From the same seller there was Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This was an original West 63rd Street deep-groove pressing, listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. The final price was $2,475. Over the years, when people have contacted me for advice about selling their collections, I have always emphasized the importance of condition. While it is still of great import, of course, it seems that there has been a shift in the market and collectors are more willing to pay high prices for records in less than great condition. We’ve all been noticing this for a while, I’m sure, so it probably requires an adjustment for those of us buying or selling records to be aware of this pretty fundamental change in what jazz collectors are looking for these days. As with most trends, you wonder if this one will last and will become kind of a new standard in our little world of jazz collecting. Read more

A Supreme Love Supreme, Prestiges and Blue Notes

Still here. Still watching jazz vinyl on eBay. Here’s one: John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77.  Gotta give the seller credit for being loquacious and highly descriptive about this record. We know why he is selling it, what equipment he played it on, how loud. It is one of the more unique listings I’ve seen. Anyway, after reading all that, I would guess, as the seller does, that the record is in VG+ condition, that it is an original pressing and the cover is probably in VG+ or VG++ condition. The start price is $400 and so far there are no bidders with a bit more than a day left on the auction. The seller says he is ambivalent about selling the record because he is afraid to play it, so maybe the market will make it an easy decision for him to keep it. Read more

$hade$ Of Redd

Well, whaddya know: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was the one we mentioned the other day from our friend Rudolf. Mint condition, original pressing. The speculation was that this would be the one to break the $2,000 barrier. Indeed. It sold for $3,551.50. Guess I got my copy just in time. Rudolf, could you ever have imagined that your jazz records would bring this kind of annuity? How about this one: Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 4140. This was an original mono New York USA label. The record was listed in EX+ condition and the cover was EX. The final price was $941. Read more

The New Abnormal?

Interesting article in The New York Times yesterday about how the pandemic has created a spike in the market for collectibles (Here’s How Bored Rich People Are Spending Their Extra Cash). While I think the headline is not quite accurate and designed to attract eyeballs rather than inform (hey, I am still a journalist/editor at heart), the premise of prices going up for collectibles certainly pertains to our jazz vinyl market here at Jazz Collector. Although records are not one of the collectibles mentioned in the article, a lot of our recent posts have been about skyrocketing prices. Perhaps it’s a phenomenon of the pandemic and will wither a bit when the world goes back to some kind of new normal, or maybe it’s indicative of a market that seems to know no ceiling. Whatever it is, it’s becoming more and more tempting to get back in the game and start selling records again. Let’s see why, starting with J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing listed in Ex condition for the cover and record. Based on the pictures of the cover that Ex would translate into VG (at best) if I was looking to buy. The final price was $2,650. Read more

The First Blue Note, Anyone?

Perusing eBay this morning and came upon this listing: “Ridiculously RARE Blue Note Number 1 Meade “Lux” Lewis Pink and Black label.” It stopped me in my browsing tracks because this is a record I have never had the opportunity to own or even to see in person, only as random and rare listings on eBay. It would be nice to own, the first Blue Note release, but the price tag is quite steep. This copy is listed in E+ condition, which is great for a 78. The start price is at $700 and so far there are no bidders, but I’m sure that will change over the course of the next six days until the auction closes. The seller says there were 200 copies pressed with this label. I don’t doubt him, just wondering where the information came from. Just a couple of weeks ago there was this article about this record on Discover Music, The First Blue Note Record is Released: Meade “Lux” Lewis ‘Melancholy Blues.’ Looking on Popsike, the high water mark for this record in the past was about $2,000, and there have been at least four other recorded instances of the record selling for more than $1,000. Pretty cool. Read more

Condition Still Counts (At Least For These Records)

Normally my eBay watch list is filled with records I am watching to fulfill my mission here at Jazz Collector. There are very few occasions when I actually bid on records and, if you’ve been keeping track, even fewer occasions when my bids are successful. One of the records in my watch list that was for both Jazz Collector and potential purchase purposes was this one: Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 84140. Somehow in more than 50 years of jazz collecting, this record has never made it onto my shelves, and it is a classic, isn’t it, with Blue Bossa and Recorda-Me and Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson? Anyway, this is an original stereo pressing and, I was thinking, perhaps because it was stereo and not mono, the price might be in line with my sensibilities. The record is in VG++ condition and the cover is M- and when I first spotted the record it was in the $200 range. We are now two hours from closing as I write this and the price is close to $600. I expect it to sell for a bit more than that, so I will just keep looking. I still don’t know why I don’t have a copy. I mean, back when I started collecting I probably could have gotten a Liberty pressing for $5 or so at any of the local record stores. Read more

Back To Blue Note, Prestige and Fond Memories

Just logged onto eBay for the first time in a couple of weeks and my searches led me very quickly to a wide range of Blue Notes and Prestiges currently up for auction, almost all of which seem destined to sell for pretty high prices, indicative that the demand is continuing to be as strong as ever for rare and vintage jazz LPs, particularly for records on these iconic labels. Here are a few that I’ve put into my watch list, starting with Jackie McLean, New Soil, Blue Note 4013. This is an original deep-groove West 63rd Street pressing. The record and cover both look to be in M- condition and that cover looks particularly nice, with an important caveat (see the Lee Morgan record below). The bidding is currently at $350 and the auction closes about two hours from the time I am typing this. There are 10 bidders and 24 watchers and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see this record enter or approach the $1,000 bin. But what about that cover?

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Trumpet Treasure and a Bird Call

My friend Dan sent me a couple of interesting items in email this past week. First is this poster from Club Ruby on Baisley Boulevard in Jamaica, not that far from where we grew up. It is from May 1966 and features a one-night only jazz memorial tribute to Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown and Booker Little. Get a load of the lineup of trumpet players, not to mention Joe Henderson as the guest soloist. Imagine this in a small club in Jamaica, Queens? Dan sent it to me because one of our favorite local record stores, Greenline Records, is mentioned and we have quite a load of nostalgic memories of the owner of Greenline, Ben, as well as one of his employees, Larry. I will save the Greenline/Ben/Larry stories for another day, but wanted to share this cool poster.

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