Going in the opposite direction, I received an email with the subject line: NJ RECORD BASH SIGNOFF. This was a long-time event, nearly 50 years, according to the email. It was usually held in June at a motel or hotel in New Jersey. This is another one I used to attend regularly, back in the 1980s and 1990s. I remember one time getting there early and setting up a table and the guy next to me was setting up and he had a pile of original Prestige Swingville records in mint condition and I bought the entire pile for about $5 each. I still have those records. Sorry to see the Bash go, but the financial model must be a challenge these days, what with eBay and social media and people no longer getting together to socialize as they used to.

I’m on the mailing list for the labels doing reissues, such as Craft and Blue Note, but unfortunately I’m not on their promo lists for review copies. In any case, the email in box had a promo for new issues from the Original Jazz Classics series from Craft, including Introducing Lee Morgan, The Young Lions from VeeJay, and This Here is Bobby Timmons from Riverside. Blue Note is taking orders for a three-LP Tone Poet set of The Complete ‘Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia from Kenny Dorham. This would comprise the original Blue Note 1524, plus the two Japanese LPs issued in the 1980s.

Out of the Blue and Landslide were replacements for records that I had let slip through my fingertips over the years. I had an original mint pressing of Out of the Blue that I bought for $5 maybe 40 years ago – and immediately traded for a record that was not equal in value. It has been a hole in my collection ever since. With Landslide, I had one of those Liberty pressings with the white cover, and I just never took to those pressings and wound up selling most of them when I pared down my collection a few years ago.

I figured I could replace those records and check out the Tone Poet Series and also share my observations here, killing a few birds with two purchases of about $39 for Landslide and $28 for Out of the Blue. The records arrived in the mail with promotional material on the outside promising wonderful things once opened: “Cut Directly from The Original Analog Tapes; Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder; Reissue Supervised by Joe Harley; Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio; Manufactured at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) on 180 Gram Vinyl.”

I quite like the packaging on the Tone Poet Series. These two records have slick gatefold covers. On the inside are Francis Wolff photos from the original sessions. The covers are the “originals,” although there was no real original pressing of Landslide since it was not released at the time it was recorded. Both records have the original liner notes on the back, Landslide being from the 1980 issue. I’m not an audiophile by any notion, although I have a great system, and to my ears these pressings sound great. If I was starting out as a collector today and couldn’t afford original pressings of Blue Notes – who can? – I’d certainly be pleased with these pressings.

Same goes for the two records I bought that were part of the Classic Vinyl Series, Roll Call and Serenade to a Soul Sister. I never had an original pressing of Roll Call – although I think I’ve just fixed that with a new purchase (more to come later). I had a copy of Serenade to a Soul Sister, but it wasn’t in great shape and I sold it a few years back hoping to replace it. As with the Tone Poet Series, this reissue is a suitable replacement. It has the original packaging, cover, liner notes, and it sounds good to these ears. The promo on the cover speaks to it: “Audiophile Vinyl Reissues from the Finest in Jazz Since 1939. Mastered from The original Analog Tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio; 180 Gram Vinyl.”

Finally, the promo on the shrink wrap of the Horace Silver discovery tells a it all:

“Previously unissued fiery live sets with powerhouse Horace Silver Band in 1965. Deluxe 180-gram LP transferred from the original tapes and mastered by Matthew Luthans. Stunning broadcast quality recording captured 60 years ago! Liner notes by jazz scholar Bob Blumenthal, and statements by Roger Humphries, Randy Brecker, Alvin Queen and Sullivan Fortner.”

Fiery and powerhouse. Quite a combination. Quite a package as well. In addition to the record, there is a 16-page booklet with all of those liner notes described above. It is a great set and it is well recorded, so if you’re a Horace Silver fan, I would definitely recommend it. It’s the quintet that featured Silver on piano, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dipped a few toes into these new waters, so if any of the regular readers and commenters are out there, I would definitely be interested in hearing your opinions.

The post Old and New Vinyl, Blue Note Style first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/old-and-new-vinyl-blue-note-style/feed/ 2 9945 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/catching-up-on-ebay-jazz-vinyl-auctions/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/catching-up-on-ebay-jazz-vinyl-auctions/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:51:48 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=9803 Want to catch up on some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay. First off, that whit-label promo copy of John Coltrane, A Love [...]

Want to catch up on some of the items we’ve been watching on eBay. First off, that whit-label promo copy of John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77 wound up selling for $2,275, which put it close to the top price ever recorded on Popsike for any copy of A Love Supreme. Also had an eye on Lou Donaldson, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5021. I know I had a copy of that record and I know that I don’t have it any longer. For the life of me, I can’t remember why or when I sold it, but I do know I would really like to have it back. This one was listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, although part of the listing on eBay described the cover as G. I think that was an error because the cover looked pretty nice. The final price was a reasonable (IMHO) $304.22. If I’d been paying closer attention I might have actually made a bid on that one. But, alas, I was not, which I take as a good sign that perhaps I have learned to be less compulsive and obsessive in my golden years.

It isn’t often these days that I run across a jazz record that I haven’t seen before, but here’s one: Rene Thomas, Meeting Mister Thomas, Barclay 84091. This was an original Mono pressing from France. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The final price was $227.50

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This week’s theme: Tina Brooks as sideman and leader n Blue Note. Featured artists include Tina Brooks, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones, Clifford Jarvis, Freddie Redd, Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Drew, Arthur Taylor, Johnny Coles, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins, Art Blakey.

I am not going to reveal the Top Ten list here in this post, but, instead, will wait until I do the actual radio show/podcast, which means I have to figure out the best way to bring the music into the studio. Here is how I’m progressing on that. I realize I have in my collection Japanese versions of Art Blakey Blue Note 4003 and Reddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. As for Dexter Gordon Our Man in Paris, Donald Byrd A New Perspective, Art Blakey Buhaina’s Delight, and anything by Horace Silver, I’ve already brought them into the studio and nothing happened, so I’ll be comfortable with them.

John Coltrane Blue Train, I’m not so sure. Maybe a CD, to be on the safe side. Perhaps CDs or alternate versions for a few others  as well. For example, if I were to include anything by Tina Brooks, I have the Mosaic boxed set on vinyl.

In case I go for Sonny Clark, I just ordered The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions on Mosaic. It was unavailable for a while and recently made available again. I have no idea how that works, but it’s not an issue for me to worry about.

The Sonny Clark is a CD set. I figure it’s a good one to have in case I ever want to bring any Sonny Clark recordings into the studio for the radio show or if I ever fall into an irreversible coma and my family wants to sell my original copies. Of course, I’d rather them pull the plug on me before selling my original Sonny Clark LPs, but at that point I’ll be in no condition to make any demands. Once the Sonny Clark CD set arrives in the mail, I’ll be able to do the show. Whilst we wait, you are all free to speculate and to include your own lists as well.

First was the AI overview. It started out like this: “A list of ten favorite Blue Note records can be compiled from various jazz enthusiast lists, such as one from HifiZine, which includes titles like Wayne Shorter’s Adams Apple and Horace Silver’s “Cape Verdean Blues.”

OK, fair enough.

Here’s the next sentence: “Another source, jazzcollector.com, presents additional favorites, often highlighting specific artists and albums based on expert recommendations.”

All right. I feel like I made it to the big time. AI and all that. Right at the top.

Not only that, there was a link in the AI overview to a Jazz Collector article from February 2010. I’d forgotten about the article completely. Even better, the very first reference sited in the Google search was that very same article from February 2010, titled “More Blue Note Favorites, Courtesy of Downbeat.” And If you click on the link, as I did and as you should do as well, you will find the article describing a Downbeat issue from March of 2009.

While I had the general gist right, the premise was a bit off: It wasn’t a list of my TEN favorite Blue Notes, it was a list of MY FAVORITE BLUE NOTE ALBUM. As you will see if you clink the link, they asked a bunch of jazz musicians. Fascinating replies, with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Horace Silver leading the way. In that post, I was the one who corrupted the concept by listing my seven “Finalists” for my favorite Blue Note, but not necessarily making a decision on a single one. There are also 13 comments on the post. And perhaps we will get more comments here, if anybody is still watching.

Anyway, that solves one of my challenges in doing the show on my 10 Favorite Blue Notes. I’m make progress on solving the other challenges as well and I hope to be doing the show on the radio in the next few weeks. How am I resolving those challenges? Choosing the 10 records and playing them in the studio?

Stay tuned.

I h

Here’s an interesting beauty: Lester Young, Norgran, 1022. This is an original deep groove yellow label pressing, with a “For Demonstration Only Not For Sale” stamp placed prominently on the beautiful David Stone Martin cover and again on both sides of the labels. The record is graded in M- condition and the cover is Ex. The auction closes in a couple of days and the start price is about $775, with no bidders yet. I’ve always found the Norgran/Verve Pres records to be hit and miss, music wise, although the packages are always attractive. I came across a Sonny Rollins interview on YouTube the other day where he was talking with reverence about this stage of Pres’s career, so it is causing me to re-assess. Check out the clip – Sonny talks about Pres playing Three Little Words and how Sonny used to play it every single night. I can vouch for that, because in the early and mid 1970s, I used to go to see Sonny every night at the Vanguard or the Half Note in midtown, and every single night he would play Three Little Words.

In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been posting as frequently as I used to at Jazz Collector. 🙂 A few weeks ago in a post called Random Notes from the Jazz Collector Inbox, I posed the question: “What’s the verdict on the current crop of OJC” pressings from Craft recordings. I received a thoughtful reply the other day from reader Alun Severn from the UK. He writes as follows:

“What’s the verdict on the current crop of OJCs? Maybe I’ll pick one up, just to report back to you all. 

Well, it’s a confusing situation, I think. I can see no real logic evident in what gets pressed as a premium Craft OJC at around $35+, and what gets pressed as a bog-standard OJC reissue at around $20 or so. The premium ones I refer to are the Kevin Grey/Stoughton-jacketed ones with the obi strip.

In my experience, the premium obi-stripped ones are superb. I have bought a number and have yet to have a problem of any kind. The bog-standard OJC reissues are another matter entirely. I have returned at least one because it arrived warped and dirty. I can clean dirty records, and do, but I will not accept warped records. I’ve had one or two that certainly sounded no better than a mid-80s Fantasy distributed OJC, and possibly not as good. And I’ve had a couple (Moonbeams and How My Heart Sings come to mind) that to my ears sound excellent.

Conclusion:  I have become very wary of the bog-standard OJC reissues but if here in the UK I can find the premium obi-stripped ones at not too inflated a price then I get them without hesitation knowing that they will be as good and as any of the premium remasters Kevin Gray is currently involved with.

I hope this helps. Regards,   Alun”

Thank you, Alun. Very helpful, indeed. At least to me.

The post A Jazz Vinyl Potpourri: Blue Notes, Pres, OJCs first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/a-jazz-vinyl-potpourri-blue-notes-pres-ojcs/feed/ 9 9691 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/golden-grabs-in-tokyo/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/golden-grabs-in-tokyo/#comments Sun, 01 Jun 2025 14:30:35 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=9669 A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader named Stuart Levine asking if he could write an article for Jazz Collector about [...]

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader named Stuart Levine asking if he could write an article for Jazz Collector about his latest experience at Disk Union “Jazz Tokyo.” Stuart has written some interesting posts in the past and, with me more focused these days on my radio show/podcasts rather than doing regular posting, I figured it would be nice to get another voice in. I was definitely intrigued by the opportunity.  A couple of weeks later, Stuart sent me a photo of Blue Notes galore. A few portions of the photo appear here. Last week, Stuart sent me the article and asked me to title it “Golden Grabs in Tokyo,” which, as you can see, I’ve done. Regarding the title, Stuart wrote this: “This pertains to the fact that it happened during Japan’s “Golden Week” holiday.  I assume you still have the image of all those Blue Note album covers for a Wow factor.” He also sent me a picture of his friend who, he said,  “made off with two Mobleys, 1550 and 1568. You’ll see the 1568 right next to one of your favorites.” So, without further ado, here is the article that Stuart sent me:

By Stuart Levine

I recently attended a big jazz vinyl record sale held by “Jazz Tokyo,” the flagship store of Japan’s Disk Union retail chain. They do this twice a year during Golden Week, a holiday in Japan, and again at the end of the year. The store had accumulated hundreds of used Blue Notes, putting many on the wall but most in the racks. Gems were at hand and serious crate digging commenced upon the store opening at 11:00 am. My friend, Charles Pearlman, who is the eBay seller known as “Strictly Headies,” flew out from Portland, Oregon. Together, we dug and came away with some impressive titles, two of which were Mobley 1568 and 1550. As for the condition, I’d say 1568 VG+/VG+ and 1550 NM-/NM-

I do believe luck played a part in our successful day there at Jazz Tokyo. You see, I had carried with me a paper fortune earlier acquired from a visit to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood where I live in Japan. As Charlie and I waited among many others outside the store for it to open, we received random numbers, giving us our positions in line. I got #8 and he #15. Well, since he had traveled such a long distance, I just had to give him my lower number, right? Suffice to say, his favorable position and digging prowess got him the two Mobleys.

But I would be remiss not to mention a box of records Charlie bought on another day from a private collector. There was a pristine stereo Waltz for Debby, Saxophone Colossus with a turquoise-tinted cover (first?) and Jackie McLean’s the New Tradition on Ad Lib. You know the one – with that gorgeous cover.  And clean! Charlie says, “It plays quiet as a mouse pissin’ on cotton.” Damn if they don’t have the records in Japan.

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Following up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we were watching on eBay. Here are a few from the Jazz Record Center auction

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. Original pressing, M- or VG++ for both the record and the cover. Final price $3,839

Lee Morgan, Indeed!. Blue Note 1538. Original pressing. Probably M- for the record and VG++ for the cover. Starting price at $2,000 and did not sell.

Lee Morgan, City Lights, Blue Note 1575. Deep groove, West 63^rd Street pressing.  Probably M- for both the record and the cover. Final price $1,600.

Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. Lexington Avenue pressing. Probably VG++ for the record and M- for the cover. Looked new in the pictures. Final price $2,682.69.

Lee Morgan, Lee-Way, Blue Note 4034. Original West 63^rd Street pressing, review copy. Probably M- condition for both the record and the cover. May VG++ for the cover, depending upon the anality of the buyer. Final price $1,160.

This is one I was watching that also did not sell: Charlie Parker, For Collectors Only, Alternate Masters, Volume 2, Dial 905. This one looked VG for the record and the cover. Opening bid price was $900 and the buy-it-now price was $1,170. This is another Bird Item I would like to have in my collection. Someday, if the price is right . . .