Free Jazz (And More) At a Price
Like many of you, I was closely watching the auction last week from the seller Carolina Soul. There were some items in my wheelhouse, such as Lee Morgan Indeed and Tommy Flanagan The Cats, but what caught my attention were the free jazz and other jazz records that were outside my normal area of interest and expertise. I will leave it to others to flesh out more detail – thank you, Clifford, in advance – so I will just share some of the highlights, starting with Don Pullen/Milford Graves in Concert at Yale University. This copy had a hand-painted jacket, the likes of which was unfamiliar to me. The final price was $9,515.
This is one with hand-drawn shower curtain labels: Sun Ra & His Arkestra Featuring Pharaoh Sanders and Black Harold. Yes, the likes of the shower-curtain labels are unfamiliar to me as well. This one sold for $6,089.98.
There were dozens of records getting really really high prices, many of which remain out of my interest or expertise, including the two above. I’ll offer one more, but it’s worth going to the site to see for yourself: Infinite Spirit Music, Live Without Fear, Ancient Afrika Records. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+, with no hand painting or shower curtains (to my knowledge). The final price was $2,025.
Among the jazz vinyl we watch more regularly here at Jazz Collector, there was Lee Morgan Indeed, Blue Note 1538. This looked to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG condition for the record and VG- for the cover. Despite the less-than-stellar condition, this copy sold for $1,828. And there was Curtis Fuller Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This was an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing listed in VG condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $1,113.55. And Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original purple label pressing that looked to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $810.
Yeah, there were some interesting ones in this list for sure. I have Infinite Spirit Music as a reissue and it is a really nice album. I had the opportunity to buy a really nice original copy once; it was cheaper than the one auctioned but still well north of what I was comfortable shelling out.
Regarding shower curtains, the front cover also has shower curtain plastic encasing/covering the hand-drawn artwork. This is a beautiful example. Many more can be found in Sun Ra: Art on Saturn published by Fantagraphics and edited by Chris Reisman and Irwin Chusid.
The hand-painted Pulled-Graves LP is gorgeous. No more than 100 were produced; the version with the gold paste-on is more common, at a few hundred examples (that’s what I have, and the music is great too).
Pullen* -Graves
I don’t understand – who precisely painted the LP album cover?
The Cats could as well have been a second issue. The original $ 3.98 price lacks and the RW stamp was used for copies sold as cheap re-issues. But sometimes they rounded up odd original copies lingering around and sold them at a reduced price. The structure of the sleeve also looks like a second print.
Those Pullen/Graves and Sun Ra covers look like beautiful works of art but I’m very conscious that this is an area of collection fraught with complexity and the need for extreme knowledge to identify genuine artefacts. Maybe one day I’ll be ready to take that plunge.
In the meantime, I feel on much safer territory with Tommy Flanagan’s The Cats. Al, you may be interested to know that this is another US recording that got the UK Esquire Records treatment and that version comes with a nice alternative cover. That’s the pressing I have and it’s saved me from angst about the risk of a hissy recycled vinyl New Jazz pressing.
martin: this is why, as a huge sun ra fan, i have but one of the custom pieces. and not a very notable one, but i have almost all of his work for ‘proper’ labels. it takes an afternoon to do the research needed to make the call on a sun ra custom piece.
the Pullen-Graves is pretty hard to replicate and once you’ve seen a few you can pretty easily make the call, especially given the old-style black textured pocket they applied acrylics to.
Regarding the hand-decorated Ra’s from the 70s and 80s, maybe they are a bit easier to bootleg but honestly, what looks like it was made a few years ago probably was. I think one can pick out the minimal, repeating patterns or the garishly psychedelic or the amusing riffs as done by Sunny or one of the band members, especially given the frequency of typewritten and scotch-taped back liners, which were obviously printed pre-Laserjet. Once you’ve examined a few up close, I think you can take a punt on one. The shower curtain material is also thin and ages into stiffness, definitely not contemporary, and the inks and paper fade and get age-toned.
Re: who painted the album cover on the Pullen-Graves, they traded off painting them. The more outlandish ones tend to be Graves’, as evidenced by the designs that also appear on his drumkit, so the one sold was more than likely one of his creations. It’s beautiful, I’ve seen it in person.
Watch the Milford Graves documentary on Netflix. The cat was far-out.
Yes, it’s a beautiful documentary. Feel very lucky to see him play quite a bit between the late ’90s and his ascension.
I have a copy of Graves/Pullen complete with carbon copies. Found outside of Toronto for $30 in VG++ condition. Think it is time to sell!
I too have the Pullen-Graves. Purchased it in the 80’s. I once had two copies. (I know, I know) I have always heard there were under a hundred copies however I once heard that number is much closer to two hundred.
I too have the Pulled-Graves, purchased in the 70’s. Indeed, I once owned two copies. (I know, I know)
I was told by a reliable source that the number of copies is closer to two hundred than one hundred. I also owned the second pressing as well as “Nommo”- equally rare, equally exquisite music from the same concert but, without the fab cover, it goes for a much saner price. Well, not sane, but not $9,000.
Edit: Pullen-Graves. Thank you auto-correct.
Interesting — in the course of working with the exhibition/s on Graves the number I was given was a lot smaller (albeit coming from Graves, who might not have remembered exact data).
I won the auction on the Lee Morgan Indeed record.
It is an original Lex w/ frame cover, and your grading assessment is accurate (though happily the vinyl itself plays great, better than VG). A very enjoyable listen.
I may have paid a bit too much for this copy! I don’t see them come up too often and I’ve been looking for some time (can’t afford/spend $4-$6k for a really nice copy) and, at least IME it is a hard record to find in my price range.
Anyway, it found a good home…
I would like to buy a copy of the Graves/Pullen Yale concert (part 1) either plain golden cover or with hand-painted artwork. Hit me up if you find one or are interested in selling.
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