Four From The Jazz Collector Want List
I had my eye on a couple of lesser-condition Blue Notes from my want list, starting with Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This was an original New York 23 West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG- and the cover was VG++. I’m always afraid of VG- because it often means I wouldn’t be comfortable putting the record on my turntable. This one sold for $687.54. I still have my 1970s UA copy to listen to. The same seller was offering Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This was also an original New York 23 pressing. The record was also VG- and the cover was VG+. The final price was $408. Thank goodness for those UA pressings.
Then there was Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This was an original New York pressing listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The final price was $559. I’ve seen a lot of records from this seller in Thailand, many of which either don’t receive bids or receive bids that seem below market value, such as this one. He has 100% feedback with more than 1,400 transactions. I feel like I’m missing something.
This one closes in a couple of days: Thelonious Monk Plays the Music of Duke Ellington, Riverside 201. This is an original pressing with the white label and original cover, quite hard to find in good shape, the first of the Riverside 200 series. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is Ex. Bidding is now in the $250 range. I remember maybe 25 years ago I had a copy of this in my hands at the Jazz Record Center and Fred offered to sell it to me for $100, a very generous gesture even at the time. But, alas, money was tight and/or I still had an issue paying more than $30 or $40 for any record, so I passed. Needless to say, in all of the collections I’ve purchased and the stores I’ve visited over the intervening years, I haven’t found another copy yet. But I’m still breathing, which means I’m still looking.
Monk plays Ellington: many generations lived happily with the Rousseau front cover issue which was beautiful indeed and widely sold in Europe. I think the initial photo cover made it never to Europe, only to the UK where London had the good idea to issue it with this cover design. Very often they would change the cover art for Riverside issue, whereas Atlantic and U.A. would always remain unchanged.
Monk plays Ellingtion just sold for $1,730.55!!!
I was waiting to see what it went for before checking on the condition of mine. My record is VG+/+
but my cover looks like mice has chewed on several corners. I bought it many years ago at a show for cheap as the cover looks basically G+ (the plus is wishful thinking). Was hoping to upgrade the cover some day but didn’t realize then how rare it really was.
I also wanted to mention that I have never seen the laminated version of this first cover design before. This is probably partially responsible for its current state of preservation.
ILYA: I doubt this cover was laminated. Early Riversides were typically unlaminated.
Rudolf: My copy is laminated also..it’s not like the thicker laminated covers that came a little later but it’s definitely laminated not like the brushed polished paper surface of other Riversides from that time period I’ve seen.
Thanks Woody for this info. Riverside is a label of which not all details have been put on the map. One is always learning.
Rudolf, I know, there’s all kinds of discrepancies in I’ve come across over the years that I’m still trying to find an answer to. Over the years I’ve found quite a few Riverside records with a drill hole through both the cover and label. My theory is that that’s how Riverside was sending out some promo’s but I’m not sure. It’s a phenomena that seems to only affect the Riverside label so I don’t think it could have been from a company in the cut-out business. They would cut corners or notch the jacket, not drill through the cover and label.
What do you think Rudolf?
Well, to add some words to what Woody stated regarding cover/label drill/punch, Chess/Cadet/Argo out of Chicago would drill hole through cover/label and oftentimes missing the label and going into the grooves. Gave a new meaning to “occasional surface noise.” Ran across a few of those in my time.
Drill holes through cover and record are kind of cut-outs. Seen such treatment on the Prestige family too, including the Bluesville series.
Drill holes through the sleeve and the label is rather drastic. I have seen it only once at Riverside. The Dick Johnson album. In my view it was a C/O devise, the Johnson being a typical non-seller. Those who have the album will second my opinion that the album is gorgeous, fine Tristanoite themes and blowing, with the incomparable Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe propulsing the group. At the other hand, I have seen C.O. stamped in red on a few, later, Riversides.
I have seen the drastic cut-out approach, drill hole through sleeve and label, also at EmArcy, drummer label.
I think it really depends of the circumstances.
I was in Prestige’s warehouse in Bergenfield in 1969. The warehouse keeper, Al Johnson,
(he contributed several photos for Prestige sleeves) was busy going through stacks of returned records from dealers in the greater Manhattan area (several thousands). His job was to pierce the sleeves with small holes at the four corners. He explained that the albums were to be destroyed later on. He invited me to select whatever I found interesting. I found some 50 albums with the NYC adress, early N.J. and New Jazz, already pinch holed. His price was 50 cts. He hid them in the trunk of his car, without Bob Weinstock knowing of course, and I collected them later at his home in Teaneck.
Rudolf, thank you for that Prestige warehouse story, all the behind the scene back stories are what i live for!
Yes, reading Rudolph’s story was amazing. I suppose in today’s language of vinyl hunters, that experience could be called an “ultimate dig”.