December, 2014 | jazzcollector.com

Jazz Vinyl For The New Year

December 31, 2014 Al 14 comments

When last I left you, these were some of the jazz records I was watching on eBay:

Wes Montgomery, Full House, Riverside 434. This was a mono pressing with the white labels, which I assume is a promo pressing. There don’t seem to be deep grooves, but I’m not sure if that has anything to do with whether this is a first pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+, with some wear on the cover. It sold for $310.

Curtis Fuller, Bone and Bari, Blue Note 1572. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing with the deep grooves. It was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The bidding reached $855, but it did not surpass the reserve price set by our friend Serge.

These two also did not sell, but they have since been re-listed at the same price, and are still not getting any action:

Updating the $5,000 Bin (and More)

December 21, 2014 Al 31 comments

Michael posted this as a comment in earlier post, but it’s worth a mention all on its own: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This was an original pressing probably in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $5,156. There were 13 bids and eight bidders. In the last minute the bidding went from $1,888 to $3,767 to $5,056 to $5,156. I’d be curious to know to which country this record is going, but I don’t think you can discern that from the eBay listing, can you? This is a new one to the $5,000 bin.

It looks like there will be some additions to the $1,000 bin as well: John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York 23 one one side. It is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Despite the condition, the record has already been bid up to $1,385 and the bidding will close in about two hours from the time I am typing this.

The bidding on this one is more than $1,200 and there are still SIX DAYS to go on the auction:

Review: Rosemary Clooney Mosaic Boxed Set

December 17, 2014 Al 7 comments

Let’s move off jazz vinyl for a day. I’ve been listening to a recent Mosaic release: The Rosemary Clooney CBS Radio Recordings 1955-61. This is a five-CD set of 104 songs recorded by Clooney for three CBS radio shows produced by Bing Crosby. Why have I been listening to these CDs when I could have used the same time to place original Blue Notes or Prestiges on my beautiful refurbished Lynn Sondek turntable? Two reasons:

One: I happen to be a huge fan of Rosemary Cooney—not her work in the 1950s when she was a pop icon, but the series of albums she made for Concord Jazz starting in 1977 and ending with her death in 2002. These, in fact, are some of my favorite vocal records in my collection, particularly Everything’s Coming Up Rosie, Here’s to My Lady, Rosie Sings Bing, For the Duration, and Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Irving Berlin. I like them all, to be honest. It helps that on these albums she is typically accompanied by top-flight jazz artists such as Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Nat Pierce, John Oddo, Chuck Israels and many others too numerous to name. But it’s not the accompaniment that knocks me out. It’s the singer. The simple, clear, moving and heartfelt presentations of the songs, each one sung as if the singer had lived and experienced them deeply—and had also experienced quite a bit of life along the way. Which, of course, was exactly the case with Rosemary Clooney.

Jazz Vinyl and a Touch of the Poet

December 17, 2014 Al 6 comments

Been a while since I did an update from the Jazz Collector inbox and, so we shall do so today and close with a little bit of jazz vinyl poetry, courtesy of our friend CeeDee. This one came in from Michael with a simple note: “Nice one.” And it is: Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This is an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,900, with 29 bids. It went from about $1,900 to the final price in the final seconds. Frankly, I’m surprised it didn’t sell for a higher price. How many M- copies of True Blue do you think there are left in the world? How many ever come up for sale? Not a lot.

Somebody also sent me this completed listing: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 labels. It was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The seller had a buy-it-now price of $1,250 with the option of accepting the best offer, which he did. So we don’t actually know what it sold for.

As for the jazz vinyl poetry:

Seven for the Jazz Collector Price Guide

December 16, 2014 Al 5 comments

Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Hank Mobley Quartet, Blue Note 5066. This one was in just VG condition for the record with what the seller described as “some feelable scratches.” It apparently plays well for the condition, but the condition isn’t so great. The cover was VG+. It was, of course, an original 10-inch LP with a very cool cover. This one sold for $665.

Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original pressing with the purple labels and the deep grooves. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG-. It sold for $711.07.

Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. I had thought this was an original but in an earlier post Earl corrected me and noted that only one side has the New York 23 cover, so perhaps it is not a first press? It’s definitely an early press. This one was listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,344. As for those other Sonny Clark records we were watching:

Jazz Vinyl To Check Out

December 13, 2014 Al 6 comments

Back on eBay and, of course, there is much jazz vinyl of interest, starting with: Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205. This looks to be an original purple label pressing. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is Ex+, which I imagine is close to M-. The bidding is in the $130 range with three hours to go and it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve price. I would think this would get a bid of at least $200, being quite a rare record on quite a collectible label, so we’ll keep an eye and see if this sells.

This one is from the same seller and has also not yet met the reserve price: Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This looks to be an early pressing, but is it an original? I’m not seeing deep grooves in the picture or on the listing, but this is one of those that was issued right at the borderline of whether Blue Note pressings still have deep grooves. I’m sure someone the question will be answered in the comments. The record is listed at M- for the vinyl and Ex for the cover. The bidding is currently in the $190 range with less than three hours to go.

Dial Jazz Collector For Blue Notes

December 5, 2014 Al 34 comments

Yes, that copy of Sonny Clark Cool Struttin’ sold for $2,400, which was the buy-it-now price. Do you think it was a reader of Jazz Collector? I do. This would be a week to fill in those Sonny Clark gaps in your Blue Note collection, if you were inclined to spend a small fortune to do so. Also on eBay: Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This looks to be an original West 63rd pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. We would, of course, expect this to sell for well more than $1,000, and perhaps entering into the $2,000 bin. Right now the bidding is at $811 with more than four days to go. Also on eBay: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This also looks to be an original pressing. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. This will also be a record that will sell in the four figures, I would assume. Right now the bidding is at about $350, but there are five days left on the auction.

While we’re on the subject of Blue Notes, here are:

Blue Note

What’s Going on With Jazz Vinyl Prices?

December 3, 2014 Al 19 comments

I finally got back onto eBay yesterday and I did a search and came up with a bunch of nice Blue Notes, including a nice copy of Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, and it was interesting because none of the Blue Notes had any bidders. They all have several days left, so I’m expecting that the action will pick up. The thing that did surprise me was the one record that was getting a lot of action was this one: Anita O’Day Sings Jazz, Norgran 1049. This has the black label so it’s not even an original pressing. There are already 10 bids and the price is more than $150. The record is in M- condition and the cover looks to be VG++. I can’t quite figure out why the strong interest in this record. Norgrans are not particularly hot, and neither are Anita O’Day records. Any theories?

This one closes in six days, but if someone wants to swoop in and grab it, there is a buy it now price of $2,400: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This looks to be an original pressing listed in Ex condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $1,400 and so far there are no bidders.

Here’s another nice one with no bids: