I’ll point out one more from the Carolina Soul/Chick Corea auction: Donald Byrd, Byrd in Hand, Blue Note 4019. This is also an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record is listed in VG/VG- condition and the cover is graded as VG+. Bidding is at $325, and the auction closes later today. If you’re interested in cool stuff, bidding or just watching, you should take a look at the full auction by Carolina Soul.

Another big eBay seller, the Jazz Record Center, also has an auction going this week, including Mal Waldron, Mal/2, Prestige 7111.This is an original yellow label pressing with the New York address. The record looks to be in VG++ condition and the cover is probably VG+. Bidding is in the $260 range, with the auction closing on Monday. This one features John Coltrane. I have a Japanese copy, not an original. Could I be a bidder? One never knows.

One more: George Wallington Quintet, The Prestidigitator, East-West 4004. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ for the record and VG++ for the cover. This one features JR Monterose on tenor sax. My dad owned this record and, fortunately, I still have it. He must have bought it in the bargain bin somewhere, probably spent about a dollar or two on the record. Thanks, Dad. Bidding on this one is at $100, with more than a day left on the auction.

Speaking of Coltrane on Blue Note, Funkyousounds also had a copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This one had the New York 23 label on side one, but not on side two. I guess that makes it “less” of an original?  The record was listed in M-/VG++ condition with a slight warp. The cover was VG+. The final price was $1,542.79. For comparison, a copy of Sonny’s Crib with New York 23 on both labels has sold for as much as $3,500, according to Popsike.

Jackie McLean, New Soil, Blue Note 84013. This was a deep-groove stereo pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $510. I suppose I noticed it because it is pretty early in the Blue Note catalogue for an original stereo, assuming it is original.

Finally, we have Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. Another with Coltrane as a sideman. This was an original deep-groove purple label listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,204. I can’t look at the cover of The Cats without thinking about the alternative cover that our friend Maarten Kools created for my dog Moose the Mooche. I still crack up each time I see it. Thanks again, Maarten.

Speaking of 10-inch Blue Notes, here is Jutta Hipp, Jutta, Blue Note 5056. This looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is a bit over $500, with more than three days left on the auction. The seller is The Jazz Record Center, which is back with another cool auction, this one focused on 10-inch LPs, including a copy of Miles Davis Volume 2, mentioned above, but without added attraction of the blue note story insert. The JRC version looks to be in very nice condition, probably VG++ for the record and cover. No takers so far at $100.

Whilst on the subject of The Jazz Record Center, let’s get back to some of the records we were watching previously, specifically those lovely Sonny Clark’s:

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. Final price: $4,49.44. A new record. Well, not a new vinyl record, but a new record high, topping the previous high by more than $1,000, according to Popsike.

Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. Final price: $4,052. Another record high.

Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. Final price: $2,703. Surprise: Not another record high. Popsike had a copy selling for $7,300 back in 2018, but I seem to recall that one was in dispute as to whether it sold and at what price. But there was also a copy that sold for $3,601 in 2022.

Sonny Clark Trio, Time 70010. Final price $1,525. Not quite the highest price ever recorded for this record, but the second highest. In 2013 a copy sold for $1,875, again according to Popsike.

Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was not an original pressing, lacking the New York 23 on the label. Still, a lovely pressing to own. The final price was $1,247. A few years ago, I traded a similar copy, in lovely condition, for an original copy of Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd. And I wrote about it here Shades of . . . . . I do remember being slightly admonished by one reader (Mark, if you are still out there) for not getting the right value for my trade, but I think time has shown that they were both of probably equal value based on condition, not to mention that I had two copies of Sonny’s Crib (including an original) and had been searching for an original of Shades of Redd for 40 years.

Moving on . . . as I mentioned at the top, my watch list runneth over, so I should be doing another post over the weekend. I should say that I’m enjoying being back on eBay and posting more regularly, and not just the Jazz Collector Live as I was doing for a while. BTW is anyone listening to the podcasts? I hardly get any feedback.

A couple of other items before I bid adieu. A reader recently sent me a note asking if the listings in my Price Guide are actual sales or just listings. Here is my reply: “They are actual sales. I haven’t updated the Price guide in years because there is a much better site for that.

If you are not familiar with Popsike, you should check them out. They track everything on eBay and are current. I was doing it manually for years, but they have developed software that is far more efficient.”

I also heard from a young reader (age 22), who is looking to make contact with jazz fans who saw live jazz in the 1950s. If you are interested in sharing your experiences – Rudolf? – you can comment on this post or send me an email, or, if you’d like, write a post about your highlights and I will happily publish it here at Jazz Collector. I was born in 1953, and while I did see some jazz in the 1950s — because my Dad was a bit of a nut and took me to jazz clubs before my seventh birthday — I have no real recollections, other than seeing George Shearing and wondering how anyone blind could play the piano, and possibly seeing Miles Davis, which would have meant I may have also seen John Coltrane. But who knows if that is a real memory or just wishful thinking.

The post Lots of Cool Stuff in this Post first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/lots-of-cool-stuff-in-this-post/feed/ 4 9559 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/a-jazz-vinyl-christmas-on-ebay/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/a-jazz-vinyl-christmas-on-ebay/#comments Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:31 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=9545 Merry Christmas! Let’s look at some jazz vinyl from eBay that may be on the wish lists of Jazz Collectors everywhere, starting with: Sahib Shihab, [...]

Merry Christmas! Let’s look at some jazz vinyl from eBay that may be on the wish lists of Jazz Collectors everywhere, starting with: Sahib Shihab, Sahib’s Dance Party, Debut 141. This looks to be an original Debut Denmark pressing listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The bidding is in the $500 range with nearly four days left on the auction. There are already 13 bidders and more than 30 bids. This record has sold for more than $1,000 several times, with a high of about $1,600, according to Popsike. I’ve never owned a copy of this record, let alone listened to it. I take it the high value placed on the record is a tribute not just to its rarity, but to the quality of the music as well?

Kenny Burrell with Art Blakey, On View at the Five Spot Café, Blue Note 4021. This is an original Blue Note West 63^rd Street pressing. It features a great band that also includes Tina Brooks, Boby Timmons, Roland Hanna and Ben Tucker. The record is listed in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. Bidding is close to $400 with four days left in the auction.  I was recently talking with a jazz fan who had just turned 90, and he was reminiscing about going to the Five Spot almost every night in the late 1950s, particularly when Monk was playing there regularly. I was hoping to buy some records from this particular gentleman, or at least to peruse his collection. He assured me he had a bunch of original Blue Notes and Prestiges. But he lived in a large house and, after about an hour of searching, we never did find the records. True story.

I see my friends at Carolina Soul are back with an auction, including Dexter Gordon, Go, Blue Note 4112. This is an original New York USA pressing, listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Cover looks fantastic in the pictures. Bidding is at $400 with more than four days left in the auction. When I worked with Carolina Soul a couple of years ago to sell some records from my collection, there was a copy of Dexter Gordon Go in the batch. It was a duplicate, of course. Don’t remember what it sold for, but I do know these original Blue Notes are constantly going up in value, or in the case of a certain Freddie Hubbard LP going Up, Up, Up.

The post A Jazz Vinyl Christmas on eBay first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]>

Not to be outdone, the Jazz Record Center also  had a mono copy of The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, Riverside 320. This was the original deep-groove pressing with the blue logo and small reels label. The record was probably in M- condition and the cover was EX, with some minor marks. This one sold for $1036, more than $300 more than any previous Wes Montgomery record has ever sold for, again according to Popsike.

J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was not an original pressing, and I extend my thanks to the reader JazzFan for pointing this out. Granted, it had the Lexington Avenue address on the labels, but it didn’t have the deep grooves. In my experience, this meant that Blue Note had some Lexington Avenue addresses left over during a later era, typically Liberty, and slapped them on a later pressing. I had a Herbie Nichols LP of the same type and tried to sell it on eBay for $100 a few years ago, but there were no takers. This J.R. Monterose record sold for $1,898.90

I was shocked to see one of the Monk records on Columbia sell for more than $1,000: Thelonious Monk, Criss-Cross, Columbia 2038.The record and cover looked to be in M- condition and the final price was $1,237.12. The rationale, such as it is, was that this was a white-label promo copy. My guess is that the folks at the Jazz Record Center were fairly surprised as well, since they only had a $75 starting price for this one.

What about this one: Thelonious Monk, Big Bank and Quartet in Concert, Columbia 2164. The cover was in the original shrink wrap and the record sealed in an inner sleeve, which is something Columbia seemed to do in those days. The record sold for $510. It had never sold for more than $100 before.

Something’s happening here, what it is ain’t  exactly clear.

Not a good start as I pore through some of the higher priced jazz vinyl. The first is Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This is an original pressing with the West 63^rd Street address. Great record. I, for one, have never owned an original pressing of this record, but I did purchase a United Artists copy from my old friend Red Carraro for $10 back in the 1970s or 1980s. I still have it. This copy on eBay looks totally beat. The seller didn’t have the nerve to describe the condition. But he did have the nerve to put a price of $1,500 on the record.

Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The seller has graded the record as VG+ or VG++. He’s also graded the cover at near mint. The picture shows a cover that is probably closer to VG, with a seven-inch seam split. So, looking at the cover and the seller’s grading, I, for one, would have a hard time being confident that the record is either VG+ or VG++. But the seller says he has lowered the price by $500 and $300, so for just $1,150 this could be yours.

Finally, after passing United Artists Blue Notes at prices of $1,000, here we come to a seller who knows what he is actually doing: The Jazz Record Center. I like this one J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is already past $500 with five days left to go in the auction, and more than 125 views in the past 24 hours.  This record has sold for more $2,000 in the past. Based on the condition of the record, and the reputation of the seller, I, for one, wouldn’t be surprised to see it get up there once again.

OK, now that I’ve found the Jazz Record Center auction, let’s see what else they have.

Thelonious Monk, The Unique, Riverside 209. This is an original white label pressing. The record and cover seem to be in around VG++ condition. I don’t know if I am pleased or displeased to see this listing. The copy I have of this record stinks. The record has surface noise and the cover has tape. I’ve played several tracks on my radio show/podcast and have always been disappointed. I promised my listeners, assuming I have listeners, that I would replace my copy with a better one. So I should be pleased, right? I mean, here’s a nice copy from a reliable seller. But, man, I haven’t bought a record on eBay in years and have always tried to avoid paying top dollar. A conundrum, no? I have a feeling I know what I’m going to do with this one, especially with Christmas coming up. And please don’t remind me that I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas. MYOB.

This is another weird “only one in the world” listing, but the seller seems to have specific knowledge and credibility and his asking price is “only” $2,000 as opposed to $250,000. I will use the headline from the listing: Rare 78rpm Machito ‘No Noise’ Outtake c. 1948 – Possibly One of a Kind. The seller explains that he is a collector, salsa musician and possible expert on records issued in this era. He claims that this is an alternate take disc that was mistakenly issued by Mercury. He also claims that most copies were recalled and/or destroyed for being the “wrong” take. Interesting. Not something I’ve ever heard of but, based on his knowledge and description, I have no reason to question his version and veracity. I guess the question I would have is, even if it is true and this is the only copy, is there a Machito or Flip Phillips completist collector out there who would have to own this record and would be willing to pay $2,000 for it. I guess the answer is maybe? Stranger things have happened. Perhaps not as strange as paying $250,000 for a Lester Young LP on Norgran, but somehow I don’t think that will happen either.

Here’s another record by a seller who’s chutzpah you have to admire: Hank Mobley, Prestige 7061. This looks to be an original New York yellow label. The seller lists the record in VG condition and the cover in VG+ condition, but with caveats all around. First, the seller says he has his own grading system. He wants to make sure you don’t miss this point because there are a couple of dozen exclamation points scattered in the listing. For example: “IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH THE PICS AND OR GRADING SYSTEM DO NOT BID!!!!!!!!” I, for one, do not agree with the grading system. When I look at the pictures of the cover, what I see, rather than a cover in VG+ condition, is a cover that I would generously describe as G+ to VG- (on a good day). Weird enough. But what threw me over the top with the claim that the record was VPI cleaned and play graded “WITH MY OWN INVENTION OF REMOVING 90% OF NOISE AND DIRT ON MOST LPS.” I like that 90%. It has a nice ring to it. There is also the warning that all records might have a slight warp and surface noise, manufacturing defects and flaws. The bidding starts at $350 and the buy-it-now price is $1,200. So far there are no bids.

Back to the world of LPs, this one just sold: McCoy Tyner, Nights of Ballads and Blues, Impulse A-39. This was a stereo pressing with the orange label and, we assume, the Van Gelder stamp. The record and cover were in VG+ condition and he final price was $225. The values of these McCoy Impulse records always tend to surprise me only because they were pretty common on the shelves when I first started buying jazz LPs and you could usually just go into any store and get one for $4.99 or whatever the going rate was. Fortunately, that’s precisely what I did. The same seller, carolinasoul, also had this one: Joe Henderson, Mode for Joe, Blue Note 84227. This was an original stereo pressing that was in VG- or so condition for the record and the cover. The final price was about $170.

I will stick with this seller for the remainder of the post because, in looking at recent completed listings, I noticed a bunch of 78-RPM records. As loyal readers will note, I do have a nice collection of 78s, and I love having them, although I don’t seek them out in the same way as LPs. So I typically don’t look at eBay listings and I’m not on top of market prices and trends as I am with LPs. Having said that, I was quite surprised at the prices of these records, to wit:

Thelonious Monk Sextet, Let’s Cool One/Skippy — $154.72

Thelonious Monk Sextet, Hornin’ In/Carolina Moon — $164.01

Sonny Rollins Quartet, Mambo Bounce/This Love of Mine — $46

Miles Davis Sextet, Ray’s Idea/I Waited For You — $142.49

Miles Davis, Yesterdays/Chance It — $219.18

There are plenty more to review. Check them out at completed listings here. These prices are flooring me. Honestly, even with the Blue Notes, I had no idea there was such a strong interest from collectors.

There were some nice 10-inch LPs in that auction as well, including The Eminent J.J. Johnson, Volume 2, Blue Note 5057. This looked to be in M- condition for the record and at least VG++ for the cover. It sold for $750. Also Julius Watkins Sextet, Blue Note 5053. This also looked to be in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The final price was $565. And The Cool Britons, New Sounds From Olde England, Blue Note 5052. This looked to be in M- condition all around, record and cover. The final price was $260. Guess the Britons weren’t quite as cool as the Americans.

I had my eye on this one from a Brazilian seller and I’m surprised it didn’t sell: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 4003.This looked to be an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and Ex- for the cover. It seems to have an Art Blakey signature from 1977. The ask price was $350.

And finally for today there was Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. This was an original Mono pressing that looked to be in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ condition or better for the cover. It sold for $660. A far cry – with a nod to Mr. Dolphy – from the $7,300 price tag from last year (Leapin’, Lopin’ and Lunacy), and did any of us confirm whether that particular sale actually went through?