Playing Favorites

No sooner did I empty the Jazz Collector eBay watch list did I fill it up again, starting with two of my all-time favorite records from the same seller: Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This is an original New York yellow label listed in M- condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover, based on the description and the pictures. Maybe VG for the cover. I know the seller and he is very reputable. The auction closes in about three days and the start price is about $450 with no bidders yet. Another of my favorites from this seller Benny Golson Sextet, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256. This looks to be an original pressing with the blue label and small logo. The record and cover are both in M- condition. This one also closes in about three days, with a start price of about $250 and no bidders . . . yet. Both of these records will sell, if not to anyone else then perhaps to me. Yes, I have copies. But the M- Golson is a strong upgrade for one of my top records. Love the arrangements and all the playing, especially an impeccable Kenny Dorham. Read more

Seconds Anyone?

Going deeper into the Jazz Collector eBay watch list, we have Mal Waldron, Mal-1, Prestige 7090. This was an original New York yellow label. The seller graded the record and the cover as VG+. Based on the pictures, I would grade the cover VG. The final price was $776. The same seller had this one: Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040.This was an interesting one, IMHO. No deep groove, no ear, no West 63rd Street address. So, was it issued by Liberty using old labels, or by the original Blue Note using old labels? In either case, it wasn’t an original. But it was in nice condition, M- for the record, close to M- for the cover. The final price was $760. This seller also had that later pressing Introducing Lee Morgan on Savoy that we spotlighted a few days ago How Many Original Copies of Rare Jazz Vinyl Have Survived (And Other Existential Questions). When we highlighted this record, the bidding was in the $400 range. The final price was $797.99. Perhaps I (and others?) will have to adjust my expectations of what a nice second pressing might command in today’s market. Good for the sellers, and good for the buyers if they are happy. Read more

Bewitched, Bothered and Befuddled

Time again to clear out some items from the Jazz Collector eBay watch list, whatever that is. Let’s start with Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This is an original pressing that was listed in Good condition for the record and Fair for the cover. The seller suggested that the buyer clean the record “multiple times” before judging the condition. OK. Also, I should mention that the seller’s rating on eBay is 97.7%. When I originally spotted this record, the start price was $1,000 and I was curious to see if it would sell. It didn’t. So the seller relisted it for $500 and it did sell. I don’t have an original copy of Cliff Craft in my collection, but I wouldn’t be interested in one of G/F condition, especially if I had to pay $500 for it. Very happy with my clean United Artists pressing, which I bought for $10 from Red Carraro sometime in the previous century. Read more

How Many Original Copies of Rare Jazz Vinyl Have Survived (and Other Existential Questions)

Let’s check out the Jazz Collector watch list on eBay, starting with Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy 12091. This is not an original pressing. It has the maroon label with no deep grooves. I was fooled at first because the label looks red in the pictures, but the seller is very clear about what it is. Also, it’s not an original Savoy cover, with the white frame. It is in nice condition, graded M- for the record and near mint for the cover. The auction closes today and the bidding is in the $400 range. Read more

Free Jazz (And More) At a Price

Like many of you, I was closely watching the auction last week from the seller  Carolina Soul. There were some items in my wheelhouse, such as Lee Morgan Indeed and Tommy Flanagan The Cats, but what caught my attention were the free jazz and other jazz records that were outside my normal area of interest and expertise. I will leave it to others to flesh out more detail – thank you, Clifford, in advance – so I will just share some of the highlights, starting with Don Pullen/Milford Graves in Concert at Yale University. This copy had a hand-painted jacket, the likes of which was unfamiliar to me. The final price was $9,515. Read more

Catching Up on Rare Jazz Vinyl

Let’s catch up on some items we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134.This was an original New York yellow label. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The final price was $1,610. Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This looked to be an original promo copy with the New York 23 label. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was listed as VG, but the pictures tell a different story for the cover. VG minus would be a stretch. Despite the cover, the record sold for $969. Read more

Blue Note Sunday

Back to the watchlist grind, starting with Donald Byrd, Byrd in Flight, Blue Note 4048. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the deep grooves, ear, Van Gelder, etc. The record is listed in Ex condition and the cover is VG. The start price is about $900 with eight days left on the auction. According to Popsike, there have been about 10 instances of this record in the $1,000 bin. We’ll see what happens with this VG cover. Another Blue Note: Fred Jackson, Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’, Blue Note 4094. This looks to be an original New York USA pressing, despite what the listing says. The record is listed as VG and the cover as VG+. The start price is $700 and so far there are no bidders, with the auction closing next week. High expectations for both sellers, IMHO, but we’ll see. Read more

Book’s Book, Cattin’ and Some Arts

My usual searches on eBay this week are coming up relatively bare. Just a quiet week, I suppose. We can start with a couple of Prestiges: Booker Ervin, The Song Book, Prestige 7318. This is a personal favorite of mine, Booker playing all standards and playing them quite well. This is an original yellow label pressing. The record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The start price is $200, the auction closes in seven days, and so far there are no bids. You can buy it now for $260. This record has sold for more than $300 several times in the past, although I would presume in better condition. This is another Prestige, sort of: Cattin’ With John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette, Esquire 32-101. This looks to be an original U.K. pressing, probably in VG+ condition for the record and the cover.  More than three days left on the auction and so far no bids at about $180. Read more

Worktime for Jazz Vinyl

Here’s another one of those cool original UK Esquire issues of a U.S. Prestige: Sonny Rollins Quartet, Worktime, Esquire 32-038. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the cover and VG+ condition for the record. The bidding starts at $400 and so far there are no bidders with more than four days left on the auction. I kind of love this cover, but in looking at it closely, does it make sense? Doesn’t look like work time for Sonny, more like nap time. Or maybe it’s time to wake up and get to work. In any case, trying to look too deeply into covers is often a fruitless exercise, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and, to these eyes at least, this one is a beauty. Read more

Dorham, Mobley, Trane and the Return of Moose the Mooche

Today we have lots of nice records from some of the more prominent eBay sellers so let’s get right to it, starting with Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This one is listed in VG or so condition for the record and VG for the cover, with a drill hole through the label. The bidding is in the $425 range with three days left on the auction. The seller, the-big-game-hunter has some other nice records for sale this week, although not necessarily in the best of condition. Here’s another likely to fetch a high price: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is a West 63rd Street pressing, listed in G+ or VG- condition for the record and a very generous VG for the cover. There’s also a big stain on the one of the labels. Bidding is in the $400 range with three days left. Read more

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