Rudolf’s point that today it’s more about the ‘magic’ surrounding these old collectibles than it is about the music makes perfect sense. It’s also interesting to think of a time when Blue Note was ‘just another jazz label’, though I do think those Blue Note covers would have stood out to me in a record store back then. I agree with Michel that Reid Miles’ role in Blue Note’s rise to cult fame might currently be being underestimated. True, he did covers for Prestige, but the Prestige covers often failed to boast the artist’s name in big block letters while being coupled by an intimate photo. In contrast, despite often being very attractive visually, the Prestige covers and album titles were quite random at times and thus failed to identify a ‘messenger’ for the message.

I also find the mythic contrast between the ‘jam sessions’ of Prestige and the ‘rehearsed’ sides of Blue Note to have some sort of base in reality. Generally speaking, Blue Note sessions do sound tighter, and on the contrary, though there are many Prestige sessions that I feel are well produced, I have heard just as many that have that jam session vibe, which at the end of the day doesn’t make as profound a creative statement to me. If I can tell that the band could have been better rehearsed I’ll probably still dig the album but I do notice when an album is well produced, and I’d say that Blue Note albums achieved this with an incredibly high degree of consistency. Put simply, I don’t think there’s any denying that Alfred Lion was a brilliant producer. (Rudolf: Despite the points I just made, I do understand what seems like your frustration with Blue Note’s singular cult status in the world of jazz).

Insane eBay prices never fail to make me laugh, but at this point in my time as a jazz record collector, they never, ever, ever surprise me.

PS: Loved Art Klempner’s post!

Another element to the rise in prices is premium reissues. The entities that have chosen to reissue classic titles have also brought additional attention to these titles and to the issuing labels. Many would prefer to own the original vs a reissue and have come into the market as a result.

There is no doubt that we are in a collectables bubble. Classic Cars, art, records…..all prices seem to be going up. Partly nostalgia driven, but there are many newly rich who now have the resources to indulge their passions. For some collecting is a status symbol, for others it is finally being able to afford what they could not afford when they were younger. How long can this play out ? We are in the middle late stages of Baby Boomer markets (retiring and moving to fixed incomes) and entering the middle stages of Gen X/Y driven markets (entering peak earning years and have disposable income). What did these people want when they were young impressionable and their tastes were being shaped ? For a certain segement, both in the US and overseas it was Jazz recordings. Either they didn’t have the money at the time (boomers), or product wasn’t available locally (lived in a rural area, or lived overseas), but now they have the cash and the internet puts the market on their computer screen. A few clicks and you can have that vintage BN title in your hand ! Boomers are retiring, but still see themselves as frustrated teenagers. They’ll continue to buy. X/Y now have more disposable income, and are getting the point where the kids are leaving the home. They will continue to come into the market.

Unless the bottom falls out of the world economy, don’t expect the bubble to burst. Growth may moderate, but growth will continue.

A myth is not necessarily based on a true story – but, if it work good among years and years it become a historical fact in itself.

I agree with you : Prestige and Riverside catalogue in the 60, were more diverse musically speaking. More all around as you stated it.
So, there s no central explanation of the Blue Note myth. Or maybe one : Blue Note label is a sort of synthesis of everything we expect in jazz.