Another Adventure in Jazz Collecting, Baltimore Part 2

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailI had thought I was finished buying collections. I had gotten so much joy out of buying the Irving Kalus collection last year, I thought nothing else would compare. It was such a nice collection I didn’t think I’d ever be able to top it, so why try? I’d hardly bought a record at all in more than 18 months. I had passed on every inquiry coming in to Jazz Collector. I was happy and content with the collection I had amassed during the past 40-plus years of being a jazz collector. I am not a dealer, I am a collector, proudly so, and I have no aspirations to be a dealer. My site is Jazz Collector, not Jazz Seller.  It’s been about three years since I even sold a record on eBay. So what would I do with even more records?

Yet here I was with this list of records sitting in front of me. And it was an odd list.

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A Bird in Hand?

BirdHere are some jazz vinyl auctions to watch and record (for Jazz Collector) on eBay:

Charlie Parker, The Bird Blows the Blues, Dial 901. This is quite a rare find. I’m pretty sure we’ve established here on Jazz Collector that this was the first 12-inch jazz LP ever released, by Ross Russell at Dial as a promo with no cover. This particular copy is on red vinyl and is listed in VG condition with lots of scratches and no skips. The auction closes in less than two days and the bidding is in the $100 range.

Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House, Volume 1, Blue Note 1515. This looks to be an original pressing with the Lexington Avenue address and deep grooves. The seller lists the record and cover in VG+ condition, but if you look at the description in the listing it really reads a lot more like VG, with visible wear and audible noise. There are more than four days left in the auction and the bidding is in the $250 range.

Seldon Powell, Roost 2205. This is an original deep groove pressing. The record is VG+ and the cover is VG. The seller has a start price of around $350 and so far there are no takers. Think it will sell? I don’t. We haven’t seen it sell for more than around $220 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, and that was in better condition.

 

 

 

Five For the Watch List

I just spent some time perusing jazz vinyl listings on eBay and, my, I was able to fill up my watch list quickly. Here are some of the items, starting with: Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, et al, Motor City Scene, Bethlehem 6056.  This is a rare one you don’t see very often. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing a copy of this record in any store or any collection. This one is in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. It closes in a couple of hours and the bidding is at $450.

 The Return of Art Pepper, Jazz West JWLP 10. This looks to be an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG or a little better for the cover, based on the seller’s description. It also closes today and the bidding is in the low $200 range.

Temptation is back: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This looks to be an original pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There are two days to go and the bidding is in the $250 range. Father’s Day is in a few weeks. Hmmm.

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The Girls on the Vinyl

Saw this interesting movie yesterday called “The Girls in the Band.” It’s a documentary about female jazz musicians, not vocalists, from early jazz through today. So naturally, my reaction on walking out of the theater is that I wanted to write something about it for Jazz Collector and, of course, my focus would be on collectible records by female jazz artists.  I was taxing my brain to come up with the most valuable jazz record by female artists and all I could come up with were the Toshiko Akiyoshi records on Storyville and Norgran. So I got up this morning, did a search by price on the Jazz Collector Price Guide and the obvious records came up right away: The Jutta Hipp records on Blue Note, particularly Blue Note 1530 with Zoot Sims. Duh. I didn’t think of these immediately because, surprisingly, Jutta Hipp was not one of the artists mentioned in the film. After the Jutta Hipp records, what’s the next highest priced record by a female artist in the Jazz Collector Price Guide? Take a guess. Hint: It’s not one that I thought of.

Of Original Blue Notes and Shrink Wrap

Here’s some more jazz vinyl auctions we are watching on eBay, starting with: Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This looks to be an original West 63rd Street pressing, although there’s no New York 23 so perhaps not — where’s Fred’s book when I need it. This one is listed in VG condition for the record and the cover. The price is at $275 with more than four days to go. I find a couple of things interesting about this listing. One is the presence of some kind of plastic wrap around the record that the seller is claiming to be “original shrink” but I would be skeptical of that. Perhaps someone who was around in those days when these were new on the shelves would have more insight whether there was, indeed, any kind of shrink wrap and, if there was, whether it was this kind of loose shrink wrap as seen in the picture. The second interesting thing about this listing is in the questions, where there seems to a quite open discussion about selling the record before the auction is completed, even though there is no buy-it-now price listed with the record. That has always struck me as a bit of a breach of eBay etiquette. Or am I just being old-fashioned, having been a relatively early e-Bayer.

Whilst we’re looking Blue Notes, take a gander at these:

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A Day For Rare Blue Notes

Here are a few rare jazz records we’re watching this week on eBay. Today’s version will focus on Blue Notes, starting with: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This has the West 63rd address but no deep grooves. This one is always confusing and I don’t have the Fred Cohen book in front of me. It’s an original with either one side DG or no sides DG, right? Anyway, this one is in excellent minus condition, which is, what, VG+ in our terms. The price is nearly $300 and there are still four days to go.

Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This looks like an original mono pressing with the New York USA address, as well as the ear and Van Gelder in the dead wax. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is VG++. The record closes within a day and so far there are no bidders at a $189 start price.

Here’s a 10-inch Blue Note with a very cool insert:

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Catching Up With Some Jazz Vinyl Auctions

Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Bud Powell, Jazz Giant, Norgran  1063. This was an original yellow-label deep-groove pressing with the cover illustration by David Stone Martin. The record was listed in probably VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover, although you have to read the descriptions carefully to reach those conclusions. This one sold for $260.99, which is quite a nice price for a Norgran these days. I have a duplicate of this record, but it’s not in quite as nice condition.

Joe Henderson, Mode For Joe, Blue Note 4227. This was an interesting one: It was a factory-sealed pressing. It has all the makings of an original pressing, with the mono cover, the lack of anything remotely Liberty, the right address. But is it an original? Only the buyer will know for sure, presuming he eventually opens the LP to listen to it. This one sold for $215.63. Question to think about: Would it have sold for more money if it had been opened and the seller could guarantee that it was an original pressing?

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was the one we mentioned the other day:

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A Nice Batch of Jazz Vinyl For Today

Here’s a nice list of jazz vinyl now on eBay that would be a fine addition to any jazz collection:

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This is an original Lexington Avenue deep groove pressing. The record is listed in near mint condition and the cover is VG. The bidding is in the $200 range, there are two days left and it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve price. While we’re on the subject: Jutta Hipp, New Sounds From Germany, Blue Note 5056. This is an original 10-inch record. The record is in VG+ condition and the cover is listed as M-. There are five days left on this one and the bidding is now in the $140 range. It will go quite higher.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This is an original New York yellow label in what is described as M- condition for both the record and the cover. The seller does mention “three tiny clicks, barely audible,” which is honest of him to mention and perhaps doesn’t diminish from the M- grade. Can you listen to almost any record without three tiny clicks somewhere? This one is now in the $335 range and has not yet met the seller’s reserve price.

Here’s a nice jazz vocal LP I wouldn’t mind owning:

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Updating the $1,000 Jazz Vinyl Bin

Sorry for taking so long between posts. I had a ton of work on my real job, but no excuses. I promise to do better. So, let’s catch up on some of the records we missed while we were off in the real world.

I had my eye on this, but the price was too high even if I had been paying attention: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. I was looking at this with a couple of days to go and the price was relatively low. I thought, given the condition, perhaps it might be worth a snipe. It wound up selling for $1,125. However, I do have hope for acquiring this record in the future. I’ve got an idea I may be getting a copy for my birthday one of these days. How did I finagle that? I’ll tell you in another post this week.

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,602.77.

Whilst we’re perusing the $1,000 bin, here are a few more:

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Updating Some Jazz Vinyl Auctions

Tough to follow up on that great story by Rudolf, so we will just go back to watching eBay and catching up on some of the items we were watching last week, starting with: Paul Quinichette, On the Sunny Side, Prestige 7103. This was an original New York yellow label pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. When we were watching it last week it was in the $230 range and it wound up selling for $328. If you ask me, that’s a bargain for a nice original Prestige from the 7100 series. Of course, not as big a bargain as Rudolf may have paid, but a bargain nonetheless.  From the same general area was John Coltrane, Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. This was also an original New York pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and cover. It sold for $399.97. One more from that group of Prestiges: Eric Dolphy, Far Cry, New Jazz 8270. This was an original pressing that looked to be in beautiful M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $880.

Here’s a Blue Note that did not sell:

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