A Day for Sonny Clark (Not to Mention Sonny Clarke)
I’m back. The good news is the major book project I’ve been working on is finally complete and the book will be published in the next few weeks. That should free up more time for me to spend on Jazz Collector. The bad news is I’ve made promises like this before and failed to keep them. We’ll see how it goes. It’s only been in the last few months or so that I’ve really slacked off, so perhaps I just need a little inspiration, like buying a collection, maybe? Also, I’m wide open to other people writing for the site, as Clifford has done in the past, so if you’re interested you can just drop me an email, alatjazzcollector.com. In the meantime, I want to thank our loyal reader Japhy for reminding me to get back into the fray by sending me a link to the $7,300 Sonny Clark Leapin’ and Lopin’, which has already been the subject of a post here, but which made me realize how long it has been between posts for me. Anyway, on to rare collectible jazz vinyl on eBay.
Let’s start again with Sonny Clark: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This pressing has the New York 23 label on side one and a different West 63rd Street label on side two. Does that make it an original? I don’t have my Fred Cohen book here to corroborate. Anyway, this copy is M- for the record and VG+ or better for the cover. The start price — start price — is about $1,500 and there are no bidders with nearly two days left on the auction.
Looks like a lot of Sonny Clark today, as he is also featured on Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, East West 8. The seller chooses to emphasis the presence of Mr. Clark, listing the record as the Lawrence Marable Sonny Clark Quartet, which is not the case. Not only that, but the back cover lists the pianist as “Sonny Clarke.” I guess the seller was looking at the $7,300 Leapin’ and Lopin’ and looking for a bigger payday. Not that the Marable record on its own merits is not a gem: It has sold for more than $3,000 in the past and is a long-time member of the Jazz Collector $1,000 bin. Anyway, this copy won’t approach $3,000 and probably not $1,000. The cover is VG- and the record itself has a lot of condition issues, as acknowledged by the seller. He has put a start price of about $760 on the record and a buy-it-now price nearly $1,000 and, so far, there are no bidders.
That’s it for now. Hope to see be back posting again soon. Really.
HE LIVES!
Regular readers were worried.
Welcome back!
Tons of great 10” from fiftiesjazz, unfortunately i won now of them 🙁
https://www.m.ebay.com/sch/i.html?isRefine=true&_pgn=1&_nkw=seller%3Afiftiesjazz&_sasl=fiftiesjazz&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&_sop=16
Congrats Mr. Al on completion of book project and trust it will be a best seller and reap you beaucoup bucks.
Re Lawrence Marable lp, jeez Louise, that ain’t no candle burn, that cover looks like it was placed in the toaster oven and Dixie fried. You’d have to be desperate to lay out large coin for a copy in this condition. Back in the day when I had my store, an lp like this would go in the $3.99 “blem” bin.
Just “shows ta go ya” there’s one born every minute.
Lennib – My favorite part of the Lawrence Marble listing is where the seller states that, “It could very easily be repaired professionally so there will be no trace of it”. I’m surprised he didn’t suggest easily using steel wool to remove any surface blemishes on the vinyl.
How tf do you repair burnt cardboard?
Congrats on the book!
That Marable looks like it went through a fire.
I have a beat copy of sonnys crib and that cover would probably match it. Not that the price makes it like something I would waste more money on…..
Good to see Al back in action……
Al’s back !! Good news and congrats for the book !
That Lawrence Marable cover has been burned by James Clay’s fire playing
Clay’s solo on Minor Meeting is incendiary
Glad to see you’re posting again. I actually live in Florida and just went to NYC for the first time in my life. I was able to squeeze in a trip to the Jazz Record Center right before heading home which I first heard about on your site. I bought Fats Navarro Vol1 NYC label. I would have liked to spend more but I was tapped from the trip and had no room in luggage (I actually had to carry it on and lug it through 3 airports) but totally worth it. The photographs in the store alone are worth the trip, it’s like a mini museum. Anyway I haven’t posted in a while and just wanted to let you know I still enjoy reading the site.
It appears the “toasted,crispy ” Marable lp sold. Will wonders never cease.