This is New; And So Is That
Pardon the interruption. Since I last posted, I’ve driven back and forth to Chapel Hill, written about a dozen papers for work and even tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. It’s been busy here and I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time on my records or on Jazz Collector. Having said that, I plugged back into eBay this morning and pulled a few records to share with you, starting with Kenny Drew, This is New, Riverside 236. This is an original white label pressing and it looks to be in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. This is a nice quartet/quintet record featuring Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley. Put it on Blue Note with this personnel from this era and you have a record that would be a regular in the $1,000 bin. On Riverside, the bidding is in the $275 range with the auction closing later today.
Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This is a weird pressing with the New York USA address on both sides and what appears to be a deep groove, at least on Side One. To try to identify the provenance – third pressing, fourth, whatever – would be a challenge; suffice to say, it one one end of the spectrum it is not an original, and not a Liberty or reissue at the other end. The record and cover are in VG++ condition and the bidding is around $85 with more than a day left on the auction.
Our friend Bill from San Francisco sent us a note under the subject “crazy Hank Jones bid on eBay,” with a link to Hank Jones and Oliver Nelson, Happenings, Impulse A 9132. This was a white label promo copy, listed in VG+ condition for the record and with a cutout hole on the cover. The craziness is that Popsike recorded this one selling for $2,500 with one bid. I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe it is legitimate for a second. Bill, do you? Anyone else?
A couple of more pieces you may have missed while I was away:
Nice interview with Sonny Rollins in The New Yorker, Sonny Rollins on the Pandemic, Protests, and Music.
Nice story on Ella and The Apollo Theater in The New York Times Style Magazine, in support of the new documentary that just came out, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things. Haven’t seen the documentary yet, but it is on my watch list for this week.
This is new, too, Palo Alto, a newly discovered concert by Thelonious Monk from 1968.
That “Happenings” bid could only be explained by two stupid people placing insanely high bids just to ensure a victory. And the round number result suggests that is not the case. I agree, it seems suspicious.
Hi Al—
I wrote to the seller about the Herbie Nichols LP. While it does have RVG and 9M in the run-out, there is no ear. I have one like this with the same markings, and no deep groove, but with Lexington Ave labels. I showed it to Fred Cohen and he thought it was likely an early Liberty pressing, using old stock labels. I think that’s the case with the one on auction now too. Sounds nice, beats the the later UA pressing.
Hope you’re doing okay—probably a lot more of us carrying the antibodies than anyone knows…
James
The Hank Jones seller has relisted the lp again….hard to believe it didn’t sell for $2500 the first time around:’)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HANK-JONES-OLIVER-NELSON-CLARK-TERRY-HAPPENINGS-A-9132-LP-PROMO-WHITE-LABEL-/193302344550
GTF, it shows there was only one bid and a start price of $2500. I’m willing to bet no money was ever exchanged.
There’s no “ear” or deep groove mentioned for the Herbie Nichols. His other out-of-focus label images show a deep groove pretty distinctly and I don’t see that here so my guess would be a very early Liberty issue.
The Herbie Nichols doesn’t have the ear and no DG. I have the same pressing, it also has NY labels and RVG in the runout. Definitely an early Liberty, which doesn’t pop up often of this title. The sound is fantastic and I’m very happy with my copy.
Yes, it seems the buyer had second thoughts on that Hank Jones. I wonder why? It was up for 6 months as a BIN, the first time. I’ll bet it’s there longer this time. Al, I’m happy to hear you are well. I hope everybody is well and staying safe. To paraphrase an old Chinese saying (or curse) we live in interesting times.
The Hank Jones seller has an Ebay store full of records with nutty prices
Al: congrats on your antibodies. That must be a comfortable feeling.
Re the Nichols. I have had a LEX/LEX non DG label 1519 with protective rim. The sleeve had the LEX adress, but was not frame/kakubuchi. A hybrid creature supplied to me directly by Blue Note around 1965. I am not sure if there was an ear. I sold it when an original came around.
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There is a special place in hell for sellers that “come into” a collection of music that they know nothing about-except that they want to get as much dinero as possible. That aside,I hope you and yours remain safe(and on the mend). And,of course,”wear a mask”.