This week’s theme: Ballads. Some of the musicians: Dexter Gordon, Bobby Hutcherson, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk
This week’s theme continues the random playlist from the Clef, Norgran and Verve catalogues. Some of the featured artists are Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Art Tatum, Johnny Hodges, Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz and many, many more.
This week’s theme: Ella
Here’s a pretty cool jazz collectible that is closing today on eBay: J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record is in VG+ condition, or perhaps even better. The cover has an autograph by J. R. that looks authentic to these eyes, but I am no expert. The cover is probably in VG or VG+ condition. This is a nice collectible with or without the autograph, which, to me, enhances the appeal, although some collectors differ on that account. Anyway, the bidding is in the $950 range with about 10 hours left on the auction. Read more
Here are some rare jazz records we are watching on eBay, starting with a few from our friends at the Jazz Record Center, including: Lester Young, The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Norgran 1054. This is an original yellow label pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and the cover. This is my personal favorite out of all the Lester Young records on the Norgran and Verve labels, both musically and for the David Stone Martin cover, which looks especially nice in this photo. The bidding on this copy is in the $165 range with about four hours left in the auction as of this posting. Read more
Time to close the books on the latest round of stories and sprees that sprung from my first visit to Spike’s Record Rack in Castkill, NY a few weeks ago. You may recall that I purchased about 15 records, which I somehow found to be more than somewhat rejuvenating in terms of listening to music and appreciating the breadth and depth of my collection. After I got home from that first visit to Spike’s with the 15 records, I did what I typically do, which is clean the records, listen to a few and sort out which ones may be duplicates with records I already own, so as to ensure that I keep the copy in best condition for my own collection. In this case, I was surprised to see that I did not have a copy of Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin on Clef. Certainly I’ve had one in the past, but I must have weeded it out based on the condition. I gave it a quick listen and it was about what would be expected, perhaps even a bit better because the sound quality was quite good and the condition was excellent.
Here’s a jazz vinyl potpourri for today, starting with John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse 77. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the Van Gelder stamps in the deadwax and the orange labels. The record is in VG++ condition and the cover is in Ex. The bidding is getting close to the $450 range with a little more than a day left in the auction, as of this writing. Although A Love Supreme has pretty much always been regarded as a masterpiece, I really saw it as a big collector’s item until the last few years. Sort of like Kind of Blue: Even though there may be more copies of these records than some others, there is also much greater demand for original pressings. These records not only appeal to collectors, but pretty much to anyone with a love for jazz.
I find this one really interesting:
Just browsing eBay and came upon a few items I’ve never seen before. I’m always impressed, after more than 40 years of collecting jazz records, that there are still records that are new to me, for example:
Perhaps I’ve seen this before, but I dont’ recall it: Miles Davis, Porgy and Bess, Fontana 662.036. This is a French pressing and the seller says it is a 10-inch record, which makes sense if you look at the number of tracks per side. Why were the French issuing 10-inch LPs in the late 1950s, when those wars had already been fought and the 12-inch format had won? And look at the cover — it’s the same picture that’s on the American Milestones. I have to say, this looks like a pretty cool item to me. It has a start price of about $100 and is listed in M- unplayed condition.
Speaking of French pressings: Pierre Michelot and his Orchestra, Round About Bass, Mercury 125 500. This is an original French mono pressing and is listed in EX+ condition for the record (VG+++ in our terms?), and EX for the cover. This is from the same seller as the Miles LP and is also in the $100 range with no bids yet.
This an American record, and I assume it’s jazz because it is listed under jazz on eBay and because it is right in the midst of the Atlantic jazz series, but I’ve never seen it:
I logged onto eBay last night, found a number of interesting records to watch and, with great pride, was able to go to sleep without slipping into the temptation of placing any snipe bids. Progress, right? Anyway, here is some of the jazz vinyl we were watching that closed yesterday:
John Jenkins, welcome to the $1,000 bin: John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing and it was in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. It was a reputable seller, there were 11 bids and more than 450 page views and the price was $1,136.55. Not bad in a soft market if, indeed, this can be called a soft market.
Actually, perhaps in retrospect I should have put in a snipe for this one: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4034. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Quite a fair price, depending, of course, on what VG+ means to the buyer and seller. As we’ve learned long ago, VG+ is in the eye of the beholder. I had this record once upon a time but traded it away in a lopsided trade that favored the other guy. Not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I’m more knowledgeable now. So this is one that got away. Getting it back for $283 or so, which is what this one sold for, would be quite a coup in my eyes.
Another day, another couple of thousand jazz records on eBay. Here are some of the ones we’re watching:
Hank Mobley, No Room For Squares, Blue Note 4149. This looks to be an original pressing, with the New York USA label and the ear, and it is listed in M- condition for the record and what looks to be VG++ for the cover. You may recall that a recent copy of this record sold for $1,009. I’m sure the seller here, Atomic Records, noticed as well. This one is currently in the $130 range but has yet to meet the seller’s reserve price.
Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This is an original pressing with the West 63rd label, deep groove, etc., and it is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The current price is around $425 and there is still one day left on the auction.
This one doesn’t usually go for a big price, but it is in nice condition and it is a promo copy (it’s also a fantastic record, musically): John Coltrane, Live at Birdland, Impulse 50. This has the white promo label and is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It has one bid, but the price is $198.
