Blue Notes and Brubeck
Following up on a few of those heavy hitters we were watching on eBay, starting with Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 labels, listed in M- condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover. When we first wrote about this record the bidding was in the $500 range and we predicted it would eventually sell for between $1,000 and $2,000, if not more. Didn’t quite make it to $2,000 but came close at $1,809. The same seller had Lou Donaldson, Lou Takes off, Blue Note 1591. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and EX for the cover. The final price was $1,425.
Then there was Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that looked to be in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $1,553. In looking over this listing, as well as the others, you see that it’s good we collectors have a common language around the world for terms like “deep groove” and “Van Gelder.” Otherwise, it would be hard to decipher what the seller is trying to get across as English is definitely not his first language. Not complaining. If I had to sell records in Korean, I’d have no chance at all.
Going back a little deeper into my watch list, I found a couple of interesting items sold by our old friend bobdjukic. How about Dave Brubeck, Time Out, Columbia 1397? This was an original white promo pressing. The record looked to be in VG++ condition and the cover was probably VG+. The seller implied that the record may have been owned by Nat Hentoff, although there are no markings or anything to indicate that would be the case. And if so, so what? The record sold for $478.79.
From the same seller came Duke Pearson, The Right Touch, Blue Note 84267. This was a Liberty pressing. It was listed in M- condition for the record. The cover was listed as VG++, which is a joke, based on the picture. I would say VG. The price was $415.
The photo of Pearson looks like he’s trying to remember if he left the oven on or not.
Price on that Pearson is probably down to … well, that old Bobdjukic magic of course, but also due to it being mono, which, credit where credit’s due, he justly mentions as being very rare.
At least Bob didn’t lie this time when he listed this as an original pressing … that’s progress!
GST : you made my friday night
Although the D.P. Record cover says that the disc is STEREO ,the l.p. Is mono. Is this what makes the price$$$$$$. In the past25 Years this would reduce the price. You guys would know the answer. Thanks in advance.
Art, by the time the D.P. was released Blue Note was only manufacturing lps in stereo. They did a very small mono run primarily for AM radio promo copies. Blue Note used the stock stereo covers with the “Audition MONO Lp, Not For Sale” sticker covering over Stereo on the cover.
The Promo Liberty RVG mono’s are first pressings and very limited in number therefore desirable.
Yes, those mono promos are not too common. I own a few. They were like $15-20 items in the late 90s. And the regular stereos were $5-15 at any record show in NYC.
Ilya – “I own a few.” Pretty prescient to figure out they would be worth something someday. I’m impressed.
Unfortunately, cannot tell which ones I own as they are still sitting at my place abroad. Have not seen them in the last 10 years. I only brought back some of the rarer (or so I thought) BNs, like the 1500 and 4000 series, and the 10 inchers. Who’d think these late monos would be multi-hundred dollar items. The point I was trying to make was that back then, almost no sellers would have paid any special attention to them. Maybe guys like Fred Cohen or Armand Lewis did. But for most shops, show and flea market dealers they were just another copies of the late 4200 series, where truly scarce record was the Ghetto Music but not the Right Touch.
Ilya, you’re right about jazz dealers in the mid/late 90’s didn’t consider Liberty Promo monos as collectable. Jack Brown told me then it was because the Japanese dealers would pay top dollar for first pressings (more than any other collectors) but didn’t care about promo/white labels. They wanted mint originals and any promo stamp or white labels etc that looked different than a clean stock copy were a negative.
Japanese dealers would leave these behind after cherry picking a collection and I was able to buy some in the $20 range.
Woody, Which ones do you have?
BTW, this is exactly why I once was able to pick up a few Prestige and New Jazz white label test pressings from Jack. His Japanese clients left them behind. And yes, they were in the $20 range.