Blue Notes on A Summer’s Day
On this warm, sticky, hot, sweltering summery day in New York, let us take a moment to catch up on some collectible jazz vinyl from the recent annals of eBay:
Here’s a nice Blue Note for what seemed to be a pretty reasonable price: Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This was an original pressing from a reputable seller. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $460.75, and this is quite a fine record, indeed. There was a second copy of this record for sale. The record and cover were VG++ and the
starting price was $199. It did not get any bidders and it did not sell. Hmmmm.
We were watching this one and it also came up on Rudolf’s excellent treatise on French Vogue: Here Comes Frank Foster, Blue Note 5043. This was an original 10-inch Blue Note in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $427, which also seems quite reasonable given recent market conditions. Perhaps this is a trend.
Whilst we’re on the Blue Note subject, that copy of Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568, that was mis-listed was actually relisted and sold for $1,925. It was an original pressing. The record seemed to be VG++ in our lexicon and the cover was VG.
Al, it was NOT an original. This copy has an “R” and “Inc”. on label !
I guess I didn’t look carefully — the Donaldson was not an original?
Just to add to the mystique of the ever illusive (and expensive) Hank Mobley 1568, I went to Blue Note expert Larry Cohn to shed some light on the subject of how many copies were actually pressed originally and here is the response:
“For 1568 the number commonly used, by Cuscuna and myself is 600 copies total pressed, including test copies and review/promotion/audition copies. That is a reasonable estimate, and I once queried Orrin Keepnews about rival Riverside Records’ quantities from the period and he proved the most helpful on the subject. He had produced a Bill Evans record for Riverside in 1957, and he told me they pressed and sold 700 copies. When Bill Evans became famous with Miles’ group soon after they decided to press an additional 900 more copies to capitalize on that publicity, and Orrin said that turned out to be too many –it was very slow and difficult to sell the additional 900. Now Bill Evans was always more famous (and popular) that the minor echelon Blue Note artists (e.g., Louis Smith, John Jenkins), so his fellow Miles sideman Mobley would have sold even less albums than he.”
Thanks again Larry !
Don-lucky, thanks for your post and investigation. This is info i LOVE to hear to put the word “rare” in perspective.
Unbelievable that so few first pressings where being sold.. i mean less then thousand.It is a number that, in this globalized world with its million-album-seller-artist’s , sounds almost pervert.
….it really boggles the mind: Bill Evans couldn’t sell more then a 1000 copies….pppfffff? I think i’ll keep forgetting that jazz(records) is a niche in the entertainment and art world, back then and now.
Great info D-L!
Yes the Donaldson ! Swing and Soul. Was a second press.