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Of Autographs, Promo Copies and More

January 16, 2015 Al 5 comments

So this is what we’ll be watching on eBay this weekend as we brave the chills of the lovely Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, starting with Phil Woods, Warm Woods, Epic 3436. This is an original pressing with the yellow label. The record and the cover are both listed in VG+ condition and the front cover has a nice clear autograph by Phil, apparently signed in 2000 at the Blue Note in New York City. Not a bad idea to get an autograph on one of these vintage records, if you like that sort of thing, as I recently did with my Herbie Hancock Blue Notes. This one is in the $80 range with one day to go and there is only one bidder so far. We’ve seen this record sell for more than $400 without an autograph (but in M- condition) in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so we’re curious to see what this goes for. For some collectors the autograph on the cover is a turn-off, which has always baffled me.

This one may be closed by the time many of you read this:

Missing Out on a Pair of Beauties

January 14, 2015 Al 7 comments

Our new friend Mr. Nobbyknucks had quite a week for himself, so, now that you are officially a commenter here at Jazz Collector, congratulations. Still, there were records on the list that I thought would go for more and, in retrospect, would have been worth a bid if I were so inclined. Specifically, these caught my eye:

Phil Woods, Woodlore, Prestige 7018. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. It was listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG for the cover. It sold for $351, which is a nice price, considering the cover. But my sense is that the cover was pretty nice and that the VG grade was super conservative. If you look at the pictures and description, I’d have no problem having that record in my collection, even for $352.

This one also would have filled a nice gap in the collection:

Insanity Check

January 11, 2015 Al 30 comments

Having taken note of what I considered to be the pretty high price on that stereo copy of Giant Steps, and having taken note that it was a listing by the seller bobdjukic, I wandered over to eBay to look at some of the other completed listings of his recent auctions because I am always impressed and somewhat taken aback by the prices he is able to get on most of his jazz vinyl listings. And, while there wasn’t that much jazz in these latest auctions, the prices continue to rise to the occasion, so to speak. Here are a few examples:

Thelonious Monk, Monk’s Dream, Columbia 1965. This is a two-eye pressing that is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover, although upon close examination of the pictures of the cover it would seem more like a VG+ on my grading system. This one was only listed as “very rare,” but it sold for $127.50, which is significantly more than we typically see for this album.

Duke Ellington at Newport, Columbia 934. This is an original six-eye mono pressing that is in shrink wrap, although, to be fair, they were not actually shrink wrapping records when this came out in 1957.

A Jazz Master Class

January 10, 2015 Al 8 comments

So last night I had a blast seeing some great live jazz. This is the story:

I was planning to go to dinner and a movie with The Lovely Mrs. JC when I sat down at the kitchen table at about 4:30 p.m. to do The New York Times crossword, which is always a challenge on Friday. I was able to get it done fairly quickly and decided to swing over to the listings to double check on the time of the movie. While there, I figured I would look and see what was doing on the jazz scene, not that I go to live jazz so frequently these days. I usually tell people I don’t go as often because most of the artists I would prefer to see are dead, but that is probably just a lame excuse for the reality that I am still working hard, still getting older and don’t stay out as late as I used to in my halcyon years. Still, there is some unfortunate truth to my rationale in that I much prefer seeing and listening to the artists and music that we write about here at Jazz Collector. And there are, unfortunately, very few of them left to actually see.

Features

Tracking Some Later Blue Note Originals

January 9, 2015 Al 10 comments

Here’s some more jazz vinyl we were watching on eBay:

Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176. This was an original mono pressing, still in its original shrink wrap. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. It sold for $255. This was among a bunch of later original Blue Notes I was watching from the same era. Others included Blue Mitchell, The Thing To Do, Blue Note 4178. This also looked to be an original mono pressing and was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $280. Also: Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This was also an original mono pressing and was listed in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover, with water damage and tape repairs. Nonetheless, it sold for $265. Here’s another one that seems destined to sell in the same range as these, perhaps even higher:

Blue Note

A Wailin’ Session (And More)

January 8, 2015 Al 11 comments

I was piling a bunch of very nice records into my Watch List folder and noticed that many were from the same seller, including Art Taylor, Taylor’s Wailers, Prestige 7117. This is an original New York yellow label pressing that looks to be in at least VG++ condition for both the record and the cover, and perhaps even better. The auction closes in three days and the bidding is close to $500. Interesting coincidence: Just a couple of days before noticing this listing I put this record on the turntable and gave it a close listen. I don’t think I’d ever listened to it and I was expecting one of those Prestige jam sessions. It’s not. It’s a well arranged, carefully conceived album with tremendous playing all around. The main group has Donald Byrd, Charlie Rouse, Jackie McLean, Ray Bryant and Wendell Marshall, in addition to AT. I have no idea why Prestige threw in another track by a separate group with John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers, but of course it’s wonderful that they did. Coltrane is in nice form, but it’s the rest of the album that is also quite impressive. I highly recommend giving it a listen for those of you lucky enough to own a copy.

Prestige

A Boxed Set, An Autographed LP, a Mega-Rarity

January 2, 2015 Al 28 comments

Don’t see a lot of Stan Getz records in the higher price ranges, and we’re seeing fewer Norgrans in there as well, so I have my eye on this one: Stan Getz at the Shrine, Norgran 2000. This is a boxed set with two LPs and a beautiful booklet and all of it looks to be in M- condition and original, with the yellow labels on the vinyl. The bidding is in the $240 range and there are more than three days left on the auction.

Here’s another one you’re not going to see too often: An autographed copy of Bill Evans, Portrait in Jazz, Riverside 315. The Bill Evans signature is on the back cover and it is dated from 1974. The record is an original pressing with the deep grooves and blue label and it seems to be in about VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the record. The auction closes tomorrow and the bidding is in the $150 range with 13 bids and what looks to be eight different bidders. Wouldn’t mind this one myself. Hmm — birthday is coming up.

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:

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