Blue Notes Galore, For a Price
Catching up on a recent interesting Blue Note auction from the Jazz Record Center. Lots of items for the $1,000, $2,000 and even the $3,000 bin, starting with Lee Morgan Volume 3, Blue Note 1557. This was an original New York 23 pressing that looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $3,248. This was not the highest price ever for this record, but it’s close. A couple of years ago a similar copy sold for $4,177, according to Popsike. We’ll keep going on these for a bit, continuing with Curtis Fuller, The Opener, Blue Note 1567. This was an original West 63rdStreet pressing that was listed in Mint condition for the record and “virtually new: condition for the cover. This one sold for $2,638, also close to a record high, but not quite reaching the $3,051 for a copy in 2015.
Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. Original West 63rdStreet pressing, Mint condition for the record and the cover, $2,425.
Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. Original West 63rdStreet pressing. Mint condition for the record and the cover, $2,413.
Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. Original West 63rdStreet pressing, Mint condition, $2,137.
Sabu Martinez, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. Original West 63rdStreet pressing, promo copy, Mint condition, $1,580.
Kenny Burrell, Blue Lights Volume 1, Blue Note 1596. Original West 63rdStreet pressing with the Andy Warhol cover. Mint condition for the record, perhaps slightly less for the cover, $1,221.
Lou Donaldson, Wailing With Lou, Blue Note 1545. Original New York 23 pressing, probably VG++ condition for both the record and the cover, $1,225.
That’s it for now. I could go on, but my fingers have gotten sore from typing in all of those numbers.
What can be said? The Blue note market is going strong….
shaft, i agree. autocorrect could write this article at this point (no offense to AL) with the current trends for blue note.
These prices are actually chump change compared to what people pay for watches, baseball cards, or antique cars. Just imagine if you had a white collar job with a healthy 6 figure salary and liked collecting Blue Note records – you wouldn’t bat an eye at paying a couple grand for a clean vintage Blue Note.
Just a thought…
Mark, well how many watches would you buy then? The problem with the Blue Notes is that they are all good and you want them all 😉 I’ve bought some of the best but I don’t think I will be able to buy them all – at least not at these prices. There are so many new collectors on facebook groups etc. so the market is clearly groving I think.
That seems accurate to me.
Hello all from Toronto, Canada
The Toronto Raptors lost tonight so what did I do ?
Put on a Original Mono Turquoise Capitol Label – Serge Chaloff “Blue Serge” and just like that felt great again ! You should try it.
🙂
Hi Joseph. Greetings from San Francisco. So happy the Warriors won, but they’re dropping like flys! I needed some ultra high energy so I put on Blakey’s Free For All. Music Matters 45.
Bill – Raptors ahead and heading in to tomorrow.
Time for – Blue Mitchell – “Blue Soul” Riverside 12-309
🙂
Great pick Joseph, but I’m listening to Bill Evans – Theme From Mash.
Bill – I Feel a NBA Title Coming to Toronto……..So , so many to choose from….
Hank Mobley -Mono BN- 1550 I will throw on.
Joseph – Good choice although I think it’s the Warriors who have their Funk In Deep Freeze. That Kawhi Leonard is one bad man! I’ve been playing Ray Charles, particularly Drowinin’ In My Own Tears. I think you might want to get out Miles Davis Four And More and Dizzy Gillespie or Jimmy Smith The Champ (but please no Queen).
A Pyrrhic victory tonight. Playing Kenny Dorham – KD’s Blues!!
Joseph – Congratulations. You get to call the tunes for the next year.