Author: Al

Tracking New Auction From Jazz Record Center

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We’re watching a few interesting jazz vinyl auctions on eBay now, including a new one from the Jazz Record Center that is ending tomorrow. Here are some of the items, starting with Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is probably VG++, with some repairs. The start price is $1,500 and there is already a bidder, so this one will certainly sell. The question is whether it will break the $2,000 barrier or even the $3,000 barrier. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide, we’ve recorded at least two instances of this record selling for more than $3,000, so it will be interesting to see what the late action brings. Jazz Record Center is also offering some nice Bud Powell 10-inch LPs, including: Bud Powell Trio, Roost 401. This is described as the “ultra rare” original deep groove pressing on the green and silver labels. When this seller describes a record as “ultra rare” you can bet it really is ultra rare. This one looks to be in beautiful M- condition and has so far been bid up to $461.

Updating the $2,000 Jazz Vinyl Bin

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I’ve been checking out some of the recent higher-priced jazz vinyl auctions on eBay and came across some interesting items, including this one, which is completely new to me: Jazz Quintet 60, Metronome 15124. This is an original 1962 Danish pressing featuring Bent Axen and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (he must have been a teenager) along with Bjarne Rostvold, Allan Botschinsky and Niels Husum. Don’t know anything about the record, other than it must be highly collectible. This copy was in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover and sold for $2,392 with nearly 350 page views. The seller was SweeDeeDee, who had a bunch of nice items on eBay last week.

Here’s a beauty from my friends at Infinity Records on Long Island: Sonny Clark, Dial S For Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd address, deep grooves, etc., and it was listed in M- condition for the vinyl and what looked to be VG+ for the cover. It sold for $2,100.

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A Young Jazz Singer Worth Checking Out

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I mentioned the play Central Avenue Breakdown the other day and what a pleasant surprise it was. If any of you goes to see it, let us know what you think with a comment on the site. I had another pleasant musical surprise a few weeks ago. I was up at the house in The Berkshires and noticed that there was to be a jazz concert in my community. It was billed as the West 73rd Quartet doing the music of Kurt Weill. I hadn’t heard of the group and, while I have nothing against the music of Kurt Weill, I’ve never had a special affinity for it, compared to, say, Rodgers and Hart, Gershwin, Jerome Kern or Irving Berlin. But it was nearby and it was jazz and it was an interesting setting. So I went. The group, West 73rd, was a piano, bass and drums with a vocalist. The vocalist was Hilary Gardner and she was terrific. She has a pretty voice and a great jazz feel, whether on ballads of up-tempo numbers. She also had a strong stage presence and did a nice job talking about some of the music and bringing it to life. She apparently gigs a lot in the New York area, so you should definitely check her out and see her if you can. The rest of the band was quite strong as well, Frank Ponzio on piano, Saadi Zain on bass, and Vito Lesczak on drums. The music was carefully thought out and arranged and it was quite inventive without taking away from the beauty of the melodies or the message of the lyrics. As for the Kurt Weill music, Read more

WFMU Record Fair Coming in Two Weeks

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The annual WFMU Record Fair is coming up, for those of you in the New York Metro area or planning to visit the New York area. The dates of the show are October 28, 29 and 30 at the usual location, The Metropolitan Pavilion on West 19th Street.  I’ve gone to this show for many years, sometimes as a dealer, and it’s definitely one of the better record shows anywhere, certainly the best in New York. You get jazz dealers from all over the country and they always bring some good stuff because they know there will be a lot of other dealers there, particularly some of the dealers from overseas. Last year I brought several original Blue Notes and Prestiges, doubles from my collection, and they were pretty much sold before the official opening of the show on Friday evening. If you’re going to go and if you’re really seeking the heavy duty records you should

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Tracking Some Rare Beauties on eBay

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Couple of interesting jazz vinyl auctions taking place now from sellers who would be quite familiar to the Jazz Collector audience. First up is collossus3: He’s the one who had access to the Leon Leavitt vault and was, he says, able to pick and choose the best copy of each of the rare records. Among those rare records now available on eBay are: Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040. This is an original pressing and it is described as being in pristine condition, M- all the way fro the record and the cover.  There is a reserve price, which of course is undisclosed, as well as a buy-it-now price of $2,500. So far the bidding has not yet hit the reserve price and is in the $250 range. We’ve seen this record sell for as much as $1,500 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so we’d certainly expect the bidding to top $1,000 at some point. Whether that will be enough to hit the reserve price, we’ll see, assuming no one gobbles it up at $2,500. From the same seller comes Horace Silver, Six Pieces of Silver, Blue Note 1539. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the flat edge. It is not only described as being in extraordinary immaculate condition, the vinyl even has  a”jewel-like” finish. Gotta love it. In any case, this one is still under $200 with a couple of days left on the bidding and it hasn’t reached the reserve price either.

The other interesting auction we’re watching is from the seller Sweedeedee from Stockholm, who often has nice pieces for sale on eBay. This week some of his listings include:

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Jazz Vinyl Update: A Smattering of 10-Inch LPs

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Let’s catch up on some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Thelonious Monk Trio, Prestige 189. This looked to be an original pressing, a 10-inch LP, of course, and it was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $227.50.

Here’s another 10-incher: Howard McGhee, Volume 2, Blue Note 5024. This one was VG+ for the vinyl and between VG++ and M- for the cover. When we were watching it it was in the $150 range and it didn’t really move from there, selling for $159.50.

This 10-incher didn’t sell at all: Lester Young and his Tenor Sax, Aladdin 706. This one was in VG- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price was $99.99 and there were no bidders.

May as well stick with the 10-inch theme today: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Volume 3, Blue Note 5039. This was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the vinyl and sold for $229.

Check It Out: A New Musical With a Bebop Theme

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If you’re in the New York metro area this week I can recommend a very interesting jazz-themed play for you to see called Central Avenue Breakdown. The play is a musical and it is affiliated with the New York  Musical Theatre Festival 2011 and is only playing through Sunday at the Signature Theater on West 42nd Street. The story is centered on two jazz-playing brothers in Los Angeles in the mid-1940s, around the time of the birth of bebop. The older brother is a swing-oriented player, on tenor, and the younger brother plays alto and is influenced by the new music. The story touches on many themes and  the jazz backdrop and the very strong playing by the band will make it a natural for the Jazz Collector audience. The music is all original by Kevin Ray, who is clearly quite talented, and, to my extreme pleasure, the depiction of the bebop sound was spot-on. They could have used real bop numbers such as Groovin’ High or Hot House but instead chose to use original music that accurately captured the sound. A special tip of the hat to the alto player, Mike Migliore, who was quite Bird-like while also being quite original within the bop medium. Most of the music is not bop, but is a cross section of sounds, from R+B to bop to scat to straight-ahead blues, with a couple of nice ballads thrown in as well.  But when it bops, it really bops.

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Jazz Vinyl Today: 2 Prestiges, 2 For the $1,000 Bin

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay this way, starting with this beauty: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address and it looked to be in almost pristine condition, with a promo stamp on the back cover and the original rice paper inner sleeve. This one sold for $648.80. I remember once having a duplicate of this record and offering it to a dealer, who offered me $35 for the copy and was insulted when I refused to sell it to him. That was pre-eBay, of course.

The other nice Prestige we were watching wound up not selling: Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This was an original New York pressing in at least VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The top bid was $477, which failed to meet the dealer’s reserve price.

This one broke into the $1,000 bin, again: Lee Morgan, Indeed, Blue Note 1538. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing and it was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,358.77. Also entering the $1,000 bin, again, was:

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Enjoying a Hard Bop Classic

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There was, the other day, an odd confluence of events that is prompting me to post a piece of music on Jazz Collector. I was reading Rudolf’s comments about the Elmo Hope LP and his statement about it being an obligatory piece in any hard bop collection and I realized that I never actually thought of my collection as being hard bop, although, of course, that tends to be the predominant music. The thought was kind of roiling in my brain when I got in the car for a couple-hour ride to Boston and I plucked an old CD/playlist I had made a while ago and had simply labeled “Favorites.” And the first song that came on was this Hard Bop Classic and I smiled because I always smile when I hear this song because, to me, it just wonderfully captures that early stage of the hard bop era. So I thought I was play it for everyone, and put a smile on all of your faces, especially when you hear the wonderful, creative, brilliant trumpet solo. And I will imagine that most of you will know the song and the album and the musicians because, as Rudolf would say, it is also an obligatory piece in any hard bop collection. And, for those that don’t know it, enjoy it here and I’m sure one or more of our good loyal readers will tell you more about it.

Jazz Vinyl: Jackie-ing, Hope and McGhee

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay. Jackie is back: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This one is from a reputable seller and is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. VG+ is always a risk, but this one is play-graded and sounds like it is in pretty good shape. The bidding has already topped $1,000 on its way to . . . . we’ll see. Also on eBay now is one of my favorites, Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd address, deep grooves, RVG, ear. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. Start price is $650 and, with a day to go, there are no takers so far. For a high start price like that, I think most buyers would appreciate pictures of the labels, for what it’s worth, although I’d be OK bidding on this record if I was inclined to pay that high a price for it in any condition, which I’m not.

This one is tempting:

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