Comments on: High Tide for Jazz Vinyl

By: rl1856

rl1856 — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 02:45:36 +0000

A rising tide floats all ships. When you can’t afford something but still have the desire to purchase, you look for the next best thing. I am glad to see Verve LPs start to appreciate. Norman Granz oversaw some wonderful recordings along with more pop oriented released. It is about time that collectors begin to re-appraise the Verve label. I have several yellow orange copies of 4003 ( and other Verve first pressings). All exhibit a degree of sibilance on Armstrong’s “S” consonants. I’ve heard digital versions of this title and the same sibilance is present, albeit lower in intensity, leading me to believe it is on the original master tapes. OTOH I have not heard later LP pressings. I understand that Verve recut several titles to be easier to playback on average home systems of the period, meaning later pressings will sound different. Back to 4003…..I remember when I purchased my first copy. I paid $25 for it, and my father chastised me for spending so much for an old LP ! The followup, Ella and Louis again, is an excellent LP in its own right, but suffers in comparison. If you want a real treat, look for Ella and Louis- Porgy and Bess ! OUTSTANDING ! And any of the 3 releases is an excellent way to turn one year into another.

By: gregory the fish

gregory the fish — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:44:17 +0000

Yes, but I am having fun.

By: Art Klempner

Art Klempner — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:00:00 +0000

The last comment is exactly what I have been preaching about for years. When a art form becomes the basis for investment then it is reduced to a object of value. Have we gone off the deep end ?

By: gregory the fish

gregory the fish — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 14:57:50 +0000

The Japanese revere jazz, and arguably more so than Americans do, in general. I for one am very glad someone out there is preserving these treasures.

I have also had many great experiences buying from Japanese record shops (the Coltrane live in Japan box sets come to mind) that are far more professional and respectful than any other American seller.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 01:24:30 +0000

Yes, there is a vast repository for rare Jazz records in Japan. Unfortunately it is very much a one-way flow. In the good old days of Ebay, it was possible to see exactly who the runner-up bidders were. I was always overjoyed when I was able to win a nice American jazz record, and prevent the runner-up Japanese bidder(s) from appropriating it.

By: gregory the fish

gregory the fish — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:04:56 +0000

A big problem with Discogs that seems to have somehow not happened on eBay is that the European market for collectible jazz (and presumably other things) is very different from the American one. Prices in Europe, even in the physical shops and even for European records, are MUCH higher. As such, European sellers will pay an American more for a record, and so are more likely to be able to buy collections. So a lot of big collectibles end up in Europe, at higher asking prices that might seem absurd to us but a bit more reasonable to a European buyer.

This is different from Japan, for example, where it seems there are not nearly as many people SELLING records, so much as COLLECTING them.

By: vinyl word

vinyl word — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 06:51:22 +0000

Just to add to the Discogs thing. With e-bay we focus on what an item sold for , the same approach can be taken on Discogs using Last Sold section . I also agree it is a great reference tool and have added many details and listings over the years. As for the “gangster” sellers , they are everywhere so just ignore them.
Got my pipe and slippers out now for a Ella and Louis session. Happy New Year everyone.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 01:32:48 +0000

Yes, I totally forgot about the reference part, which is of great value to collectors. Thanks for pointing it out.

By: gregory the fish

gregory the fish — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 14:21:44 +0000

Discogs is an amazing repository for information. It would be nice if that could be divorced somehow from the buying and selling.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 00:25:34 +0000

Discogs is a corrosive influence on jazz record collecting. Go there and search on jazz records by price, highest first. The asking prices are pure garbage. These are not serious/professional sellers. These records will never sell, and the crazy listings wreak havoc on any effort to arrive at a current consensus on the value of any particularly rare jazz record. For valuation we are forced to rely on old ebay auction results, which were previously our gold standard, but are rapidly being obsoleted.

I for one wish discogs a peaceful and quick demise. Short of that, a quick and violent demise.