Author: Al

Tracking a Blue Note Quartet

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Been light on the posts again lately. Super busy with real work. Here are a few high-priced jazz records, all Blue Notes,  we missed on eBay:

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $1,531.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This too was an original pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover was probably VG++. The price was $1,500.

Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. Another original pressing, of course, this one in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. This one sold for $1,250.

Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing in M- condition from the seller who had access to the Leon Leavitt collection. This one sold for $900.

 

A Jazz Vinyl Trio for the $1,000 Bin

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Here’s some high-end jazz vinyl we’ve missed in the past couple of weeks:

Marty Paich Quartet Featuring Art Pepper, Tampa 28. This was sold by the same seller who claimed exclusive access to the best of Leon Leavitt’s collection and was selling some other high-end items a few months ago. This one was an original pressing with the red vinyl and it was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,000, on the nose. Hmmm.

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was listed as an original pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for an even $1,300 and there was only one bid. Hmmm.

Dave Bailey Sextet, Bash!, Jazz Line. This one is quite rare, with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano. It was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,111. No Hmmm for this.

Gary Bartz, John Coltrane, Jazz At Lincoln Center

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So the other day I’m sitting home working and I get a forwarded email from The Lovely Mrs. JC about a John Coltrane Festival taking place in New York between October 18 and November 3 and on that very night there will be something called a “listening party” with the saxophonist Gary Bartz and it is free and it is three subway stops away at Jazz At Lincoln Center at Columbus Circle. So I do a quick search on the Internet and it turns out that Bartz has a new album out called “Coltrane Rules: Tales of a Music Warrior,” and at this listening party he will discuss the album and play some tracks. Now I am a big fan of Gary Bartz, ever since I saw him three nights running at Bradley’s down on University Place at least 20 years ago and was blow away by his sensitive, passionate and inventive playing, the closest thing on alto to Sonny Rollins. So, I went down to Jazz at Lincoln Center and I went to the listening party and it was terrific. There were maybe 30 people in the place, a small studio with folding chairs, and at the front there were Bartz sitting on a chair with Read more

A Day For Rare Blue Notes

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Here are a few rare jazz records we’re watching this week on eBay. Today’s version will focus on Blue Notes, starting with: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This has the West 63rd address but no deep grooves. This one is always confusing and I don’t have the Fred Cohen book in front of me. It’s an original with either one side DG or no sides DG, right? Anyway, this one is in excellent minus condition, which is, what, VG+ in our terms. The price is nearly $300 and there are still four days to go.

Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This looks like an original mono pressing with the New York USA address, as well as the ear and Van Gelder in the dead wax. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is VG++. The record closes within a day and so far there are no bidders at a $189 start price.

Here’s a 10-inch Blue Note with a very cool insert:

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Mobley, Evans, Jackie, KD and A Cool Autograph

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Let’s catch up with some of the items on this week’s auction from the Jazz Record Center, starting with one of the real big ones: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing described as being in “near-new” condition. That’s pretty nice condition, I would say. You would expect this to sell for quite a bit and it did: $2,926.

This record reached a new high for the Jazz Collector Price Guide and almost cracked into the $1,000 bin: Bill Evans Trio, Explorations, Riverside 351. This was an original blue label pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover, which was actually described as being in “extraordinary” condition. Looks like four bidders got into a bit of a war and knocked the price up to $910.01.

Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This was an original New York pressing. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was probably VG+. The price was $758.

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& a Few More For the Jazz Collector Price Guide

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You’ll be happy to note — or at least I’m happy to note — that I actually did update the Jazz Collector Price Guide yesterday. The Guide was stuck for a long time at 4,971 records and is now at 5,240 records. There were a lot of interesting items that went into it yesterday, many for the $1,000 bin. I had forgotten about the Joe Henderson Page One that sold for $2,000 and the Donald Byrd Byrd in Hand that sold for more than $1,900. Well, they are now part of the permanent record, so to speak. Here are a few more that will eventually find their way.

Presenting Ernie Henry, Riverside 222. This was an original white label pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cove was similar. The price was $371.18. Those white label Riversides are a nice find, when you can find them.

Eric Dolphy in Europe, Debut 136. This was the original Danish pressing. The record and cover were both in M- condition. The price was $2,311.

And here’s one I’ve never seen before:

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A Few For the Jazz Collector Price Guide

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Just clearing out my eBay watch list of jazz vinyl as I prepare a long-awaited update of the Jazz Collector Price Guide. I realize I’ve been stuck at 4,971 records for awhile. Hopefully we’ll see that go up soon. Here are some records that will eventually be added to the guide:

Jon Eardley Seven with Zoot Sims and Phil Woods, Prestige 7033. This was an original New York yellow label pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $442.68. Get a look of Phil and Zoot in those pictures. They look so young.

Charlie Mariano, Bethlehem 25. This was an original red-label deep groove pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover looked to be VG++. The record sold for $341.

Roland Kirk, Third Dimension, Bethlehem 6064. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price was $124.75. I’ve never seen or owned this record. I was a big fan of Roland Kirk — he was an amazing performer in front of an audience. A great musician as well. If I were buying records more active these days, perhaps this one would have been on my shelves by now.

 

Tracking Jazz Vinyl From The Jazz Record Center

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Sorry to be so inconsistent with my posting schedule. Lots of real work, the paying-the-bills kind, these days. Anyway, back on eBay and I see there’s a new auction from the Jazz Record Center with some choice items, including:

Bill Evans Trio, Explorations, Riverside 351. This is an original blue label pressing in what looks to be M- condition for the record and “extraordinary” condition for the cover. The pricing on this one starts at $200, there is already a bidder and the auction closes in four days.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is also an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $1,500 and, as yet, there are no bidders.

This one seems headed for the $1,000 bin: Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This is an original pressing in “virtually new” condition, M- for both the record and the cover. The bidding is already in the $700 range and there have already been eight bids.

One more: The Unique Thelonious Monk, Riverside 209. This is an original pressing with the white label. It is also in “near new” M- condition for the record and the cover. The price is now in the $425 range.

 

 

A Few Non-Blue Notes; A Flat Market?

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Is it just me, or is there a softness in the market these days? To expedite my posting I  sometimes do a search of jazz records for sale filtered through the highest prices first. There are often $1,000 records and many in the $500-plus category. Lately, however, the searches in that range have been coming up short. Are prices relatively flat at this point or is there just less good stuff on eBay now? These things go in cycles so I wouldn’t put any meaning into it either way. In the meantime, here are some of the rare jazz records that came up on my latest search.

Red Rodney, Signal 1206. This is an interesting one because of the condition. There’s a nice clear picture of the cover, which may give the impression that the cover is in nice condition. However if you look closely and read the description, the cover is in only G condition. And the vinyl is only VG. Despite the condition issues, however, the bidding is already more than $400. I guess this LP is in greater demand than I would have realized.

This is another one that’s getting up there in price, somewhat to my surprise: Booker Little, Time 52011. This is an original mono pressing with the deep grooves and gatefold cover. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The bidding has already topped $250 and the auction closes later today. Perhaps my previous comment about a soft market was premature.

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Sonny Rollins: “Jazz is a Meritocracy”

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Somebody sent me this interview of Sonny Rollins by Dave Pehling that came out today in SF Weekly. I will skip the intro, figuring anyone here knows enough about Sonny’s history, and go straight to the interview, in which Sonny is quite open and thoughtful

Q: You initially played piano and alto saxophone before settling on tenor, but from what I gather, that was because an alto horn just ended up in your household?

Sonny: No, my mother bought me an alto. I was an aficionado of the rhythm and blues band of Louis Jordan, and he played alto. He played tenor too, but mainly he played alto. So at that time I just wanted a saxophone, and it didn’t really matter until a few years later when Coleman Hawkins’s “Body and Soul” was the big sensation. Then I wanted to play like Coleman Hawkins. I wanted to get that tenor sound.

Q: Had you played piano much before you got your first horn?

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