More Today on Ebay: Jutta, Jazz West, Trane
Here are a few more nice items to watch today on eBay:
Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House, Blue Note 1515. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The current price is $630. I’m keeping an eye on this because I have a copy in my collection in similar condition and I’m thinking about selling it. Perhaps I’ll offer it first on Jazz Collector before going to eBay.
Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, Jazz West 8. The record is listed as VG+ and the cover is VG. The current price is $360.
To this listing we say “ugh.” It’s another copy of John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. It’s quite reputable seller, but somehow this myth of the bulls-eye label is being perpetuated. The seller lists this as
an original pressing, yet describes it as having the “strobe” label. Anyway, it looks to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The current price is in the area of $100, so perhaps people are catching on that this is not really an original. Original black label mono pressings of Giant Steps have been selling for much more, according to the Jazz Collector Price Guide, and a couple have surpassed the $1,000 price tag.
I personaly think this is one of the most beautifull covers that blue note issued, as an original it is too expensive for me.. but I have never seen reissues of this (these 2) records.. does it exist as anybody knows?
whatever happened to Jutta??
I must say that i ve rarely seen so much heavy collectibles auctionned at Ebay than this summer. Amillionnaire could build his collection in a few clicks
There are Japanese reissues of the two Jutta Hipp Hickory House LPs, both King (1983) & Toshiba (1983? & 1994) pressings. Check out http://microgroove.jp/bluenote-jpn/ for info on Japanese pressings.
The last copy of Hickory House (Vol 1 Lex DG not sure on condition) on ebay in the uk went for £179 (c$300 at today’s exchange but sterling was a lot weaker back in May when this sold).
From the same seller, a copy of Johnny Griffin’s Congregation (47W63/DGs/No R)in Ex/Ex condition ended today for £401.55. I see from Al’s price guide that last year it was going for double that.
I also have a United Artists copy of the Jutta Hipp record with Zoot, and I think the Hickory House LP was also put out with a United Artists label. From what I understand of these United Artists pressings, they were issued in the 1970s and were originally intended for the Japanese market, but somehow wound up being available in the states. But I can’t swear to that.
Al: I think you overlooked something in Atomic Records’ description of Giant Steps: they say ‘with the “transitional” strobe label’. What does that imply? The transition between the (original) black label and the later orange/purple label. Atomic is non-equivocal about this and gives us the tools to end this discussion.
Jutta Hipp: I had one volume with the UA label and the other with a Lex Ave label/cover. The Lex Ave was not flat edge and the cover was not kakubuchi. I sold both for a good price some years ago. I still have the one with Zoot, Lex version.
The purchase price of both was between one and two bucks. Nobody wanted the record!
What Al mentions re:UA pressings is accurate as far as I know. I picked up a number of mine-DIAL S FOR SONNY,STAR BRIGHT,A DAY AT THE RACES among them-in the late 70’s. Most had clipped corners(bad),but were nice-sounding mono(good)-avoiding the horrific “rechanneled for stereo” moniker that once was all the rage. And,if I recall correctly,they were selling for about $8 each. As opposed to the $800 an original might run today(VERY good). I passed on the Hipp lps,though-to my regret.
Maarten asked what happened to Jutta. I quote from the 1960 edition of Leonard Feather’s “New Encyclopedia of Jazz”: Stud. painting at Leipzig Acad. of the Arts during W.W. 2; …her style underwent a change from a Tristano to a Silver influence and lost much of its individuality, she slipped into obscurity and in ’58-’60 was working mainly in non-music day jobs….
My personal opinion is that Hipp was a typical Cold War product. I quote from Feather’s liner notes on the 10″ Blue Note 5056. “when the Russians occupied Leipzig and closed the Academy of the Arts, her family had to flee to Munich…”
Did he mean to say: when the Soviets liberated Leipzig from the Nazi regime and closed the Academy of Arts for de-nazification, the Hipps felt themselves threatened and rushed towards Munich?
Anyway das Mädchen aus Leipzig, who fled Communism (brave girl!), was a nice propaganda tool for Lion and Wolff who fled Germany for other reasons.
N.B. do you know that good old André Previn is back in the old country? For a very obvious reason: the charming and talented violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter, his new wife.