A Jazz Vinyl Christmas?
I did my usual eBay searches last night and there is a lot of really, really nice collectible jazz vinyl available now. These things tend to go in cycles. Perhaps the Christmas season brings out the inner retailer in some of us. Here is just a sampling of the jazz vinyl we’re watching now:
Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This looks to be an original pressing in not-too-great condition. Record looks to be VG or VG+ and the cover is rated as VG. The auction closes later today and the bidding is in the $150 range. I have a United Artists pressing of this record and would love an original, even one in VG condition. But this will probably sell for somewhere around $300, so I think I’ll wait.
I’m still surprised to see these Benny Golson LPs selling for such high prices, although I’ve always been a fan myself: Benny Golson, Gone With Golson, New Jazz 8235. This is an original purple label pressing and it is listed in M- condition for the record and Ex for the cover, which is probably VG++? There are more than two days left on this auction and the bidding is already nearing $400. Speaking of which, here is a copy of my favorite Benny Golson record: Benny Golson, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256. This is an original deep groove blue label pressing that is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is well less than $100 at this point, with a few days to go. If you don’t know this record, it’s one to check out. Really nice arrangements, some great Kenny Dorham, and a fantastic rhythm section with Paul Chambers, Max Roach and Wynton Kelly. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Here’s another favorite, with a great cover:
Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This is an original purple label pressing with the deep grooves. The record is graded in EX condition — again, is that VG++? — and the cover is graded VG++. The current price is around $80 with a couple of days to go. There is, however, a reserve price that has not yet been met.
Benny Golson, hitherto unknown on the Continent, came in the limelight when he made his Jazz Messengers tour as a musical director in December 1958. Riverside albums were not officially imported on the Continent, in the U.K. some rare Riverside albums made it to the London label.
My surprise was big when I was lured into the backroom of a classical record shop in 1959 to be shown their own private import of two Riverside albums: “the Sound of Sonny” and “the Modern Touch”. Ever since these two albums have been in my collection. “The Modern Touch”, is a beauty, a jewel, really a must have for any serious hard bop collector, even if Benny is less hard than Sonny.
Re: Cycles in selling.. I notice that a lot with Sonny Clark records. I can go for a year without seeing an original pressing of Cool Struttin’ and then suddenly ten copies pop up within a week of each other. Recently it’s been Grant Green’s ‘Idle Moments’.. five mono copies have gone recently for well over $400 a pop.
It’s like one pops up, goes for something big, then a few others see that as their moment to catch all of the sore losers from the original auction.
I don’t think of Golson in the top tier of tenors as much as I think of him in the top tier of hard bop composers. Many of the Jazztet records are available at a very affordable price, I have all and never payed more than $25. There is a lot of great stuff on there. I have an OJC CD of “the modern touch” that is at least 15+ years old and doesn’t play well. I tried to rip it to my computer a year or so ago and it had digi noise all through it. You have reminded me I need a new copy. So no one else bid please ;-).
Thankfully my “Sound of Sonny” original pressing and SACD are in great shape. If I had to choose well… I’m happy I don’t ever have to make such choices.
This Benny Goson is not an original: it has a small label. Original title in this catalogue number bear a large DG.
michel, teh one in the auction looks fine to me. It has deep groove and purple labels. Should the label be smaller you think?