Catching Up on Some Rare Jazz Vinyl
Here are a few jazz vinyl auctions we are watching from The Jazz Record Center. All of these auctions close later today. Clifford Brown Memorial Album, Blue Note 1526. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the frame cover. Record is listed as in “near new” condition and the cover is probably M- or VG++, depending how you feel about superficial “dings.” Bidding is at $500. On one of my Horace Silver radio shows/podcasts I tell the story of how Alfred Lion and Art Blakey drove down to Wilmington, Del., to hear Clifford Brown for the first time and brought him back to New York to record those legendary Blue Note records at Birdland. Great stuff.
Clifford Brown Memorial, Prestige 7055. This is an original yellow-label New York pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and the cover. The current price is only $200. I say “only” because this looks like the best condition you will ever find this record. Also, does any other artist have two “Memorial” albums? Not just two “Memorial” but on Blue Note and Prestige?
Here are a couple that are not from the Jazz Record Center, starting with Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets, Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. The record and cover look to be in VG+ condition. Bidding starts at $500 with no bidders yet and the auction closing in about two days.
Dexter Gordon, Dexter Calling, Blue Note 4083. This is described as an original New York USA pressing listed in M- condition for the record and cover. Start price is about $500 with no bidders yet for an auction that closes in about three days.
To follow up on some of the records we were watching:
Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that looked to be in V++ or so condition for the record and the cover. When we looked at this record, the bidding was in the $860 range. We knew it would break the $1,000 mark, and perhaps the $2,000 mark. It came pretty close, selling for $1,939.08.
From the same seller: Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. Again, this was an original pressing in “excellent/superb” condition, with the added benefit of a cover design by Andy Warhol. We anticipated a final price “north of $3,000,” but we were a bit off. The top bid was $2,823.08.
To no surprise, the two Lee Morgan records and the Chet Baker 10-inch record did not sell.
The Memorial on Prestige has a marvellous cover photo. What could be a better symbol than an abandoned playground? The second edition of the Wardell Gray Memorial has a photo from the same location. I have always wondered where it is but that is probably one of the things I´ll never know.