Highlights from a (sold) Estate Sale

A reader sent me a link to this estate sale with a note that it was being sold as a complete collection: The Estate of Alan J. Javorcky: Noted Trombone and Jazz Musician.  I received the note around 3 p.m. yesterday and went immediately to the site.  First thing I saw was a note that the jazz collection had been sold and was no longer available. I decided to look anyway, and I suggest that you do the same before they take the pictures away.Go all the way down to lot #212. First you’ll see a batch of EPs. At first blush, I thought these were 10-inch LPs erroneously listed as EPs, but I’m pretty sure they are EPs. Maybe someone can confirm. The picture is from that group of EPs It’s a challenge because the EPs and 10-inch LPs often used the same covers. Move down to 310 and you start with LPs of the 10- and 12-inch kind. Read more

Blue Notes Galore

Lots of Blue Notes caught my eye as I was perusing eBay this afternoon, so let’s dig right in, starting with Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4032. This looks to be an original deep-groove, West 63rd Street pressing. The record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The start price is about $500 and so far there are no takers. This would be a major gap sealer in my collection, since once owned a mint copy that I bought for five dollars and subsequently traded away before I even had a chance to even listen to it. Just the thought makes me shudder. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who has, at times, reached that level of stupidity. Read more

The Musings of Me

Just yesterday morning I finished writing a book that I have been co-ghost writing along with my business partner, Mike. It is nothing too exciting and has nothing to do with jazz, unless you could somehow make a connection between cybersecurity and jazz, which I could not do, nor would I ever want to do. I was thinking, perhaps, that working somewhat diligently on the book was both a reason and an excuse for my recent absence from Jazz Collector and my paucity of posts over the past couple of months. Perhaps that is partly true but, of course, it is not the whole story. Sometimes when you are writing intently and intensely for work, the idea of writing for fun becomes less appealing.

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Another Jazz Vinyl Potpourri

Time once again to clean out many of the older items sitting in my watch list. Let’s start with this nice 10-inch French Vogue LP: Henri Renaud Quintet with Gigi Gryce and Bobby Jaspar, Vogue 174. This was an original pressing in Ex condition for the record and near mint for the cover was sold by the seller fiftiesjazz, better known among Jazz Collector aficionados as Rudolf, who is an expert on the French Vogue label, as evidenced by this article from our archives of about 10 years ago, “A Comprehensive Guide to French Vogue.” This copy sold for about $202. From the same auction was Thad Jones, Mad Thad, Period 1208. This was an original pressing listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $1,569.44. One more: I have to admit, I have never seen this record: Bill Hardman Quintet, Saying Something, Savoy 12170. This was an original pressing with the blood red label. This copy looked to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $362. Read more

Collectible Jazz Vinyl on a Summer’s Day

Here’s a pretty cool jazz collectible that is closing today on eBay: J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record is in VG+ condition, or perhaps even better. The cover has an autograph by J. R. that looks authentic to these eyes, but I am no expert. The cover is probably in VG or VG+ condition. This is a nice collectible with or without the autograph, which, to me, enhances the appeal, although some collectors differ on that account. Anyway, the bidding is in the $950 range with about 10 hours left on the auction. Read more

For Lady (and Everyone Else)

Time to get back to eBay, starting with Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This is an original New York yellow label pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. I’ve always had a soft spot for this record because it was one of the first yellow label Prestige originals I ever owned and because it was, and is, quite a lovely record. It was, I presume, also my introduction to Webster Young and Paul Quinichette, two very fine, very underrated players, IMHO. Writing this post, I just talked myself into putting this on the turntable next time I have time to listen mindfully. The bidding for this one closes in more than for days from this writing, with a top bid now of about $245. Read more

Catching Up (And We Mean Up!) on Rare Jazz Vinyl

Here are a couple of nice $1,000 records we were watching on eBay: Dizzy Reece, Progress Report, Tempo TAP 9. This was an original U.K. pressing that was listed in excellent condition for the vinyl and great condition for the cover and, even though those terms are not precisely Goldmine-approved, you get the sense from the description and pictures that the record was in extremely nice condition. This one sold for about $1,025. Also, Lee Morgan, The Cooker, Blue Note 1578. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing listed in M- condition for the record and cover. We said “under normal circumstances” this record could set a new high water mark for the Cooker. What we meant was that we felt the pandemic would perhaps be dampening prices for high-end records. We were wrong. This record did set a new high at $1,625. So much for my theories and hypotheses—so far at least. Read more

More Adventures, More Obsessions

Sorry, I need to complete the story. Given that it was an online auction and many of the bidders probably never saw the condition of the records, I was pretty surprised at some of the prices. For example, Waltz for Debby sold for more than $1,000. Bill Evans Trio Sunday at the Village Vanguard seemed to sell for more than $500, if I recall. Kenny Drew 10-inch Blue Note was more than $300. When I went to pick up my records I asked Kendra, the woman responsible for the auction, if the buyers for those records had visited  the house and seen them on site. Nope, she said. They were bidding based just on the pictures from the auction. Very brave, I thought, but having seen the records myself, I figured the buyers would be pleased. The one record I would thought I could steal, the Art Farmer Quintet Featuring Gigi Gryce, Prestige 7017, just eluded me. Read more

Another Adventure in Jazz Collecting, 10-inch Edition

After buying, curating and eventually selling the Ornette Collection from Dee, I felt myself gripped in that very old, very familiar, somewhat obsessive feeling of wanting more. Not necessarily more records because, Lord knows, I have enough records. No, it was all about wanting more action. So, I reached out to my friend here in The Berkshires who is planning to sell his collection at some point, but he said he isn’t quite ready yet to part with them. Then, out of the blue, another friend up here sent me a note with a link to an online auction of jazz records that was being conducted locally. The site was something called Caring Transitions, so I clicked the link and this is one of the pictures I saw:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Miles, Morgan, Monk and More

Today we will view some random jazz vinyl from my eBay watch list, starting with Miles Davis, Volume 2, Blue Note 5022. This is an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing. The record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition. Bidding starts at around $100 and so far there is no auction action. The auction closes in about three days. This record caught my eye, even though I already own it, because it is such an awesome cover and because I recently view a collection loaded with 10-inch records. At this point I have passed on purchasing the collection because the seller has it over-priced, but I am hoping he comes back to me when he realizes I made a fair offer. Will keep you posted. Read more

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