Collectibles in the Eyes of the Beholders
Here’s some more jazz vinyl from our watch list, starting with Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. When I first saw this record the bidding was in the $200 range and I thought it might be something worth considering. The copy I have is a Liberty pressing with an original cover. I did some mixing and matching myself on that, don’t remember the circumstances. Anyway, when I looked at the listing for this I was surprised to see that this was a Liberty pressing with a Liberty cover. The record was in just VG condition, and the cover was VG+. I guess anything with a blue and white Blue Note label is in high demand these days, whether Liberty, United Artists or second/third pressings. This one sold for $272.34.
Here are a couple more from the same seller. Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This was an original 6-eye red label listed in EX condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $790. Another record that keeps going up, up, up in value. This is one I never viewed as particularly “collectible,” but in my view anything that sells for $100 or more is still in that category: The Max Roach Trio featuring the legendary Hasaan, Atlantic 1435. This one had a red and purple label. Frankly, I have a hard time distinguishing what is an original pressing during this period of Atlantic releases. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and cover and sold for $125.50. The cover had a cut-out hole, which means it was likely relegated to the bargain bins at one point. I haven’t listened to this record in years, but I have it, so perhaps in my new random listening phase I will put this on the turntable to see if I agree that Hasaan was, indeed, legendary.
Here’s one that is closing in a couple of days and is already in the $1,000 bin: Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra Visit Planet Earth, Saturn/Enterplan LP 9956 11A. I never got into collecting or listening to Sun Ra and I am sure I’ve been missing something great. This one is in VG++ condition for the record and the cover and is already at $1,480. Hoping Clifford or others familiar with this music will provide some insight.
I have a clean mono original of that Sun Ra title but my copy has red labels. I have no idea whether blue or red is first? Either way it’s one of the few Saturns I’ve kept as I have grown to love this early period of Sun Ra best.
There are two Atlantic Max Roach albums that have started rising in esteem and value: The mentioned Hasaan (a great review can be found here: https://www.madeleinebyrne.com/in-praise-of/2016/12/28/the-max-roach-trio-featuring-the-legendary-hasan-max-roach-and-hasan-ibn-ali-atlantic-1965?rq=Max%20Roach) and ‘Members, don’t git weary’.
I do not profess to be an expert on Sun Ra but with the help of Robert L Campbell’s book and a rush re-issues in recent years I was able to at least follow Sun Ra’s progression from the 50’s Jazz to outer space. The Planet Earth LP was recorded in 1956-8 and along with We travel the spaceways (1959-60 )was a step towards exotic as opposed to the straight jazz of the Transition recording (1956) and Jazz in Silhouette ( 1958) .All of which are great albums .The major problem trying to follow his musical progress from here is that when Ra got the money from the ESP recordings in 1965 it was used to release a bunch of titles on Saturn in 1966 that were of earlier years and not representative of what he was doing around that time. For example the Planet Earth and Spaceways LP’s were not released until 1966 I understand. Of the period up until the ESP recordings I would also highlight Rocket number nine ( Interstellar low ways) and When sun comes out as worth exploring.