New Jazz, New Heights

We promised some Prestige stuff today.  We’ll start with a couple of recent eBay sales and then later we’ll be posting an interesting question. First, to eBay:

Ken McIntyre, Looking Ahead, New Jazz 8247. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep grooves. It was in beautiful M- condition. The record features Eric Dolphy as well and the seller listed Dolphy first. That was probably a wise decision. This one sold for $260.

This one was from the same era, with a very similar framed cover: Benny Golson, Gone With Golson, New Jazz 8235. This was

Read the rest of this entry »

Tracking Rare Jazz Vinyl on Prestige

Not everything is Blue Note, right? Here are some Prestiges that we’ve just entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Dorothy Ashby, Hip Harp, Prestige 7140. This was an original New York yellow label pressing and it looked to be in nice M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was $193.

Miles Davis Plus Horns, Prestige 7025. This was a New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was M-. The listing lacked a little bit of detail — such as whether it was a kakubushi cover — and the price was $170.17. Just a few weeks ago we saw an M- version of this LP sell for $799.

Ray Bryant Trio, Prestige 7099. This was an original New York yellow label pressing

Read the rest of this entry »

Tracking Rare Jazz Vinyl That Didn’t Sell

Let’s catch up on a few odds and ends in the world of collectible jazz vinyl:

The Blue Notes continue to be getting top dollar, but there seems to be a drop-off in prices in the middle of the market, records that would normally sell in the $30-$150 range. I’ve noticed it with my own sales on eBay and I was talking with Steve at Round Again Records in Providence yesterday and he said he believes the market has fallen off by as much as 40 percent in the past couple of years. I was thinking about that when I looked at some of the records I’ve been watching on eBay that failed to get bids, despite what seemed to be reasonable starting prices. Here are a few:

Kenny Drew and his Progressive Piano, Norgran 1066. This was an original pressing from a reputable seller. The record was in nice condition, M-/VG++ and the cover seemed nice as well with a partial seam split. The start price was $74.99 and there were no bidders. The picture accompanying the listing wasn’t great and perhaps that dampened the enthusiasm.

Ken McIntyre, Looking Ahead, New Jazz 8247. This was an original pressing with the purple labels and the deep grooves. The record and cover were in VG+ condition and the start price was $99.99. This record, which prominently features Eric

Read the rest of this entry »

Jazz Vinyl Price Guide: Wallington, PC, 10-Inch King

Here’s one we missed for the $1,000 bin: Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,036.

This is a nice New Jazz LP with Phil Woods and Donald Byrd: George Wallington, New York Scene, New Jazz 8207. This was an original pressing with the purple labels and the deep groove. The vinyl was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $565.55. I remember walking into a local store and seeing this record for three bucks about 15 years ago. Needless to say, it didn’t last long in the store and is still sitting on my shelf at home.

Here’s another original Blue Note: Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This one looked to be in M- condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. It had the Lexington Avenue address, flat edges and

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Hank, Jackie, Farmer, Moody

Just spent the morning updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so there are a bunch of new records we’ve been watching, including these, all of which have been mentioned before:

Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Second Message, Prestige 7082. This was an original New York pressing. The record and cover were listed in VG++ condition and the price was $482.

Another nice Prestige: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was in M- condition and sold for $529.

Almost bid on this one: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing and it was in VG++/VG++ condition. It sold for $678.

Zoot Sims, Down Home, Bethlehem 60. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $435.

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing of this very rare record. It was

Read the rest of this entry »

Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 3

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

Read the rest of this entry »

On eBay: Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Hank Mobley

Ever think about how many jazz records are on eBay at any one time? When I was perusing the list this morning I checked it out: Today there are more than 142,000 jazz records on eBay, just 33 RPM. Of that, there are about 8,000 up for auction. Here are a few of them:

Here’s a record I didn’t know about: Johnny Griffin, Night Lady, Philips 48071. I should be more specific: I was aware of this record as a U.S. Emarcy pressing but, until seeing this listing, I didn’t realize it was originally issued in The Netherlands. This one looks to be in very nice condition and is at about $340 with several hours left to go.

This one will be getting a nice price: Art Farmer, Farmer’s Market, New Jazz 8203. This is an original pressing with the purple label. It looks to be in near mint condition and is already at more than $300 with a few more hours to go.

Here’s one that’s been bid up past $500 but still has not yet reached the seller’s reserve price:

Read the rest of this entry »

The Rise of the Second Pressing, Redux

We’d been talking a few weeks back about how second presses — and even third presses — are starting to get some traction as collectibles. Or, to put it more aptly, how later presses are starting to sell more often at collectible prices. Here’s one we happened to notice yesterday on eBay: Jackie McLean, 4, 5 & 6, New Jazz 8279. In the listing, the seller lists this as an “original” purple label pressing, which is somewhat accurate, I guess. It is an original version of this pressing, but the issue itself is a reissue of the original Prestige, so it is a bit of a stretch to call this an original pressing. Nonetheless, I’m not sure whether the description has that big an impact on the bidding because you would think the people bidding into three figures on these records would have some knowledge of what they are doing. Except, of course, those

Read the rest of this entry »

More Price Updates: Ernie Henry, Clifford Brown, Etc.

We updated Blue Note and Prestige earlier this week. Here’s an update on some other labels we’ve just entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Ernie Henry, Seven Standards and a Blues, Riverside 248. This was an original pressing with the blue label, deep grooves, etc. It was sold by a reputable seller and was in M- condition, for both the record and the cover. And it got quite a hefty price: $564.32.

Brew Moore Quintet, Fantasy 3-222. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $304.

Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This was an original red label pressing. The vinyl

Read the rest of this entry »

On eBay Now: A Few Prestiges, Plus

We’ve been spending some time cataloguing our records and making decisions about what to keep and what to sell on eBay. The result is that we’re putting some interesting records on eBay that are not duplicates, but are items from our collection. This week it turns out a lot of the records we put up are from the Prestige label, including:

Dorothy Ashby and Frank Wess, In A Minor Groove, New Jazz 8209. We saw a copy of this sell for about $150 a few weeks ago and figured we’d give ours a shot.  So far this one has no bids at $30 with just a few hours to go. If it doesn’t sell, we’ll be happy to keep it: We were quite ambivalent about selling it in the first place.  There aren’t that many jazz harp LPs to begin with, and this is a good one.

Thelonious Monk, Monk’s Moods, Prestige 7159. This one is similar to the Early Miles LP we also have up on eBay now. It’s an early reissue of classic music, with nice packaging and it’s part of the early yellow-label Prestige catalogue. As we had mentioned last week,

Read the rest of this entry »

On Ebay: Hope, Dex, Jackie & True Blue

Let’s take a break from all this Nautiluso stuff and get back to our real business of watching real records on eBay. Here’s a few that will whet your appetite:

Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This is quite a nice rare record featuring John Coltrane and Hank Mobley, later issued as Two Tenors. This is an original New York pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is listed as VG++. The current price is nearly $400, but it hasn’t reached the seller’s reserve yet. The seller has a few other nice items as well, including: Jackie McLean, A Long Drink of the Blues, New Jazz 8250. This one is listed as M- for both the record and the cover and is currently at about $115 — also still short of the seller’s reserve price. The same seller also has a copy of:

Read the rest of this entry »

Jutta Hipp Blue Note Tops The $1,000 Mark, But Jackie McLean Does Not Sell For $2,500

Time to catch up on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching this week at Jazz Collector:

Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205. This was an original purple label pressing in VG++ condition, both the record and the cover. It was sold by Euclid Records, which usually means it would get top dollar. However, in this case, we’re not so sure. This one sold for $153.50. We sold a copy of our own a few months ago for more than double that, even though it was in worse condition. We’re not sure what that means, other than the reality that prices on eBay tend to fluctuate for no apparent rhyme or reason.

Then there was this one from Euclid Records: Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House Volume One, Blue Note 1515. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,263. That’s the first time this record will enter the $1,000 bin in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. As we’re doing our Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown, this

Read the rest of this entry »

Prestige Day: Monk, Webster Young, Dolphy, Jug

Let’s catch up this morning on some Prestige LPs we’ve been watching. There was a time when we pondered the idea of owning the entire Prestige Yellow label catalogue but, thankfully, we’ve give up that particular obsession.

Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This was an original New York pressing with the promo stamp on the label. It was in M- condition and it was sold by the seller hershel78, who’s been selling some beautiful records lately on eBay. This one sold for $500.

From the same seller was this beauty: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was an original New York pressing and it too was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $482.77.

Here’s one that definitely set a new high price:

Read the rest of this entry »

Catching Up: Dex & A Few For the $1,000 Bin

Time to catch up on a few more jazz vinyl collectibles, including a few more for the $1,000 bin:

Dexter Gordon Quintet, Dial 204. This was an original 10-inch pressing. The record and the cover were both listed in VG+ condition. The price was about $240. I love these original 10-inch Dials, and the price on this one seemed pretty fair. But, alas, I was not a bidder.  Also from Dexter was this: Dexter Gordon, Dexter Rides Again, Savoy 12130. This was an original pressing with the deep groove and the red labels. The seller listed it in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $69.

For the $1,000 bin there were these:

Read the rest of this entry »

This Weekend on eBay: Dolphy, Dorham, Dex

Here are some of the interesting records we’re watching on eBay this weekend.

Eric Dolphy Live at the Five Spot, Volume 1, New Jazz 8260. This is an original pressing with the deep grooves and the purple label. The record is listed as mint and the cover is listed as “near mint minus,” which sounds a bit like a double negative, but we’ll assume it is either VG++ or M-. In any case, the record is selling later today and has a price in the $300 range.

Also from the great Prestige New Jazz label is this classic: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This is also an original pressing, with the purple labels and the deep grooves.  The seller has his own grading system, but this one looks to be at least VG++ and perhaps M-. The current price is about $800.

The seller Herschel78 is back with a few nice ones, including this beauty:

Read the rest of this entry »

Quickie Quiz

The other day we pointed out the Phil Woods 10-inch LP on New Jazz. This is a tough one: Altogether, how many 10-inch LPs were issued on the New Jazz label? For extra credit, you can name as many as possible. If you get desperate, the answer can be found somewhere on the Jazz Collector site.

Phil Woods & eBay Existentialism

I have a friend who is a big fan of 10-inch LPs and a big fan of 1950s Phil Woods. I was looking at eBay today and sent him this photo and this listing: Phil Woods New Jazz Quintet, Prestige New Jazz 1104. This one is only in VG condition, but I knew he would love it. Sure enough he wrote a reply: “You know me too well.” I love this one too, particularly the red and white New Jazz label, which you don’t see too often and, if I recall, doesn’t appear on 12-inch LPs at all. It is now in the $50 price range. So I’m picturing my friend now sitting at home pondering: To bid, or not to bid. The essential existential e-Bay question on a sultry summer day in New York. My bet on the answer? To bid.

One For the $2,000 Bin & One For The $1,000 Bin

We were watching a couple of new items that have crossed the four-figure plateau on eBay. They are:

Jutta Hipp, Blue Note 1530. This is the one featuring Zoot Sims. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The seller did a very good job of presenting it, with nice, clear, close-up pictures. It was listed in VG++ condition, for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,030.

Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original pressing with the purple label and the deep groove. It looked to be in nice shape: The record was listed as M- and the cover looked like it was VG+, based on the pictures. The price was $1,225.

Price Updates: Blue Mitchell, Beverly Kenney . . .

Another batch for the Jazz Collector Price Guide. These have already been entered, so you can go to the Price Guide to contrast and compare. 

Lou Donaldson, Sonny Side Up, Blue Note 4036. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record and cover were both in VG+ condition. The price was $246.

Beverly Kenney, Born To Be Blue, Decca 8850. This was an original pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $202.49.

Lorez Alexandria, Sings Pres, King 565. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition, record and cover. The price was $167.50.

Mal Waldron, Mal1, Prestige 7090. This was an original New York pressing. The record

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Kenny Drew, Hawk, Hank, Pres

We’ve been adding records to the Jazz Collector Price Guide and came upon another beautiful 10-inch LP that sold recently: The Ideation of Kenny Drew, Norgran 29. Look at this beautiful cover illustration by David Stone Martin. This record was in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $393.

Also for the Price Guide are:

Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Prestige 7038. This was a New York pressing with the second cover. The record and cover were in VG+ condition. The price was $165.20.

Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 84091. This was a stereo pressing with the New York USA label. The record and cover were M-. The price was $179.02.

Read the rest of this entry »

Some 10-Inchers For the Price Guide

There was a lot of discussion on Jazz Collector last week about 10-inch LPs and we said we’d keep track of some for the price guide. To be honest, based on these prices, we’re not sure if demand is diminished. We do know that prices tend to be inconsistent week to week, so it’s best to keep track over time, which is why we do the Jazz Collector Price Guide, which, so far, has been tracking prices over a five-year period. Anyway, here’s an update on some 10-inch LPs, all of which will go into the Price Guide later this week:

Elmo Hope, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5029. This was an original pressing in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $620.

Jon Eardley in Hollywood, New Jazz 1105. This was also in M- condition. It sold for $232.44.

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Thad, Clifford, Bird, Evans

Here are a few more for the Price Guide:

Chet Baker and Art Pepper, Playboys, World Pacific 1234. This was an original pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $318.

The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition, record and cover. Price: $565.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Bohemia Volume 2, Blue Note 1508. This was also a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition. Price: $162.50

Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original purple label pressing

Read the rest of this entry »

Price Updates: Blue Train, Bud, Miles and More

Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide over the weekend. If you haven’t checked out the Price Guide lately, it’s time to come back. We’ve added a new feature, where you can browse all of the records on one screen and sort it either by artist, label or price. It’s a lot of fun just to go through the lists and compare and contrast. It’s also very helpful when buying or selling items on eBay. Anyway, speaking of eBay, here are some recent sales:

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $710.

The Amazing Bud Powell, Blue Note 5003. This was an original 10-inch LP in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $380. 

Miles Davis, Miles, Prestige 7014. This was an original New York pressing. The record

Read the rest of this entry »

Ellington and Trane on Broadway; Plus Serge Chaloff With and Without Sonny Clark

Some more for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Impulse 30. This was an original white label promo copy. It was in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $326. We’ve actually seen this go for slightly higher before. Interesting — I went to a play with Mrs. JC the other day (Mrs. Jazz Collector, not Mrs. John Coltrane), and they were using 1960s mood music between scenes. One of the tracks was from this album, In a Sentimental Mood. After the fourth note, I was able to identify it. Not difficult really — it’s a very recognizable version. Excellent play, by the way: The American Plan. Worth seeing if you’re in New York.

We were watching these two LPs from Serge Chaloff and questioning how big a difference the presence of Sonny Clark was have on impacting the price. Quite a bit, it turns out:

Read the rest of this entry »

Sonny, Jackie, Miles & Bird for the Price Guide

Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide today: 

Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7029. This is an original New York pressing with the original Orange cover and the wrong catalogue number. It’s a very rare piece and this one was in M- condition, both record and cover. Price: $760

Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 264. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. Price: $294

Thelonious Monk, The Unique, Riverside 209. This was an original white label pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $161.50. Also from Monk: Thelonious Monk With Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG++. The price was $180.49.

Read the rest of this entry »