Category: Blue Note

Chet, Miles, Zoot, Sonny Clark

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Back to eBay with a few more recent jazz vinyl auctions, starting with: Chet Baker, Chet, Riverside 299. This looks to be an original pressing in VG+ condition. It sold for $337, which is the highest price we’ve ever recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide (although, admittedly, this is not one that have have often followed). Why such a high price tag for this one? It’s got to be the presence of Bill Evans on piano, right?

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is an original West 63rd pressing listed in VG+ condition with some minor scratches and EXC for the cover, which seems to be equivalent to VG++ based on the seller’s description. It sold for $760. It used to be records had to be in near mint condition, or close to near mint, to fetch those kinds of collectible prices, but no more. There is a huge demand for any of these high-end collectibles in any condition, and certainly in any condition that will give you a good listening experience.

How about another Blue Note:

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A Pair of Blue Notes, A Pair of Prestiges

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Monday morning, so let’s catch up with some jazz vinyl auctions we were watching over the weekend, starting with a couple of Blue Notes: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original pressing in Ex condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $987. Long-time readers will know that this one is still near the top of my want list and also that I would never pay $987 for a copy. It’s nice to have holes in the collection so that there always remains excitement in the hunt, at least for me. Just filling in all the blanks by paying top dollar on eBay is a valid way to build a great collection, and it’s probably a great investment as well, given how prices for collectible jazz records keep rising. But it’s never been my choice in how to build a collection. This following record, in fact, is one I had in my collection and sold because one of our readers here at Jazz Collector made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This looks to be an original West 63rd Street pressing with the promo stamp. It was listed in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,078.99.

From Blue Note to Prestige:

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Five For the Watch List

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I just spent some time perusing jazz vinyl listings on eBay and, my, I was able to fill up my watch list quickly. Here are some of the items, starting with: Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, et al, Motor City Scene, Bethlehem 6056.  This is a rare one you don’t see very often. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing a copy of this record in any store or any collection. This one is in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. It closes in a couple of hours and the bidding is at $450.

 The Return of Art Pepper, Jazz West JWLP 10. This looks to be an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG or a little better for the cover, based on the seller’s description. It also closes today and the bidding is in the low $200 range.

Temptation is back: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This looks to be an original pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There are two days to go and the bidding is in the $250 range. Father’s Day is in a few weeks. Hmmm.

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A Picture is Worth a Few Hundred Bucks

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Let’s look at a few more jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay. Here’s why it’s good to show a full range of pictures with the listing: Helen Merrill, Emarcy 36006. This one had the drummer logo, deep grooves, etc., and I am pretty sure the seller thought it was an original pressing, even using the djukikian term “megarare.” The record was probably in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. The thing is, it did not have the blue writing on the back cover, so the bidding topped out, reasonably I would say, at $335. It did not sell, however, because it failed to meet the seller’s reserve price. Without the picture, my bet is that someone takes a chance and bids several hundred dollars higher, perhaps reaching the reserve price.

There was no confusion about this one: Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original pressing with the ear, deep grooves, and West, 63rd Street address. It was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $565.55.

I guess some of the Miles Davis Columbia records are becoming more valued by collectors:

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Nice Records, Quite High Price Tags

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Let’s catch up on some rare jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching, starting with: Gene Ammons, HiFi Jam Sessions, Prestige 7060. This was an original New York yellow label pressing. The record and cover were in M- condition. You may recall I posted on this last week when there were no bids and a start price of $200. I was speculating about whether it would sell at all for that start price, and my prognostication was that it would sell. Indeed, it did: for $607. Quite a nice price for a Gene Ammons Prestige, which don’t often sell for such quite a lofty figure. The seller SweeDeeDee had quite a week, with several of his records selling for quite high prices. Here are a couple more: Horace Silver and Spotlight on Drums with Art Blakey and Sabu, Blue Note 1520. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It sold for $681. Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins, Work, Prestige 7169. This is a New Jersey yellow label pressing, but the record is a reissue, an early reissue, but a reissue nonetheless. It was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $293. Wow.

 

 

Someone Is, Indeed, Out To Lunch

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One of our perplexed readers sent me this: Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, Blue Note 84163. This was in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $93, okay for a stereo copy. Except this was not a New York USA pressing or even a Liberty. It was a United Artists pressing, circa the mid-1970s, early 1980s. This happens once in a while, doesn’t it, where these United Artists pressings fetch collectible prices. The buyers are either 1. ignorant; 2. careless; 3. desperate; or 4. all of the above.

This one also came in from a reader, perplexed I think as well, from the high price considering the condition: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was a not-quite-original original because the picture clearly shows the absence of the New York 23 on the label. Beyond that the record is graded VG+, with an audible ticking noise, and the cover was graded VG to VG+. It sold for $2,500.

A Few Jazz Vinyl Delegations

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Lots of nice jazz vinyl sitting on eBay now. This is one you really don’t see very often: Paul Chambers, A Jazz Delegation From the East, Jazz-West JWLP-7. This is an original pressing listed in Ex condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It’s closing in about four hours and is now in the $900 price range. Here’s another rare one on the same label from the same seller: Kenny Drew, Talkin’ and Walkin’, Jazz-West JWLP-4. The record is in VG+ condition and the cover is VG. It closes in about seven hours and is in the $340 range. I do have a question looking at these two listings from Atomic Records. Which one of the records is in better condition? I’m assuming Ex is better than VG+?

Gene Ammons, Hi Fi Jam Session, Prestige 7060. This is an original pressing with the New York address and yellow label. The record and cover are in M- condition. There are four days to go and the start price is around $200. Think it will sell? I do.

And now for some Blue Notes:

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The One I Left Behind?

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Some interesting 10-inch LPs, 78s and other items on the new eBay auction from the Jazz Record Center. Here’s a few to watch, starting with Red Mitchell, Happy Minors, Bethlehem 1033. This is an original 10-inch pressing In M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. There’s writing on the back, but the writing is from the previous owner, Thomas Stewart, who also wrote the liner notes for this record. So it has some interesting provenance. It also has the presence of  Zoot Sims and Bob Brookmeyer, which can’t hurt. The start price is $200. My own story with this record: I used to travel to Palo Alto all the time for business. There was a book store that also sold records and occasionally they would get some nice jazz. The prices were a bit high for the time, but not unreasonable. I remember a mint copy of this record sitting on the shelf for $50. I had it in my hand, put it down, had it in my hand, put it down, looked at a few other records, picked it up again. This went on for a while. In my memory I wound up buying the record for $50. Except, I guess I didn’t. I just looked on my shelves and, alas, no Happy Minors. My hope is that I have the record, but I just misfiled it or something. So later, or this weekend, I will go through all of my 10-inch records in search of the one I may have left behind. It’s probably a great record, right?

A few others from the Jazz Record Center: Read more

Feeling Groovy?

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Now that we’re back home catching up, here’s an update on some jazz vinyl we were watching on eBay, starting with: Red Garland, Groovy, Prestige 7113. This was an original New York yellow label pressing. The record and the cover were in M- condition. It sold for $516, quite a large number for a Red Garland Trio record. Does anyone out there have knowledge and/or a theory why this one would be so highly prized by collectors. The seller was Atomic Records, so I could have visited the store and waved goodbye to this one last week.

The Amazing Bud Powell Volume 2, Blue Note 5041. This was an original 10-inch pressing. The vinyl as probably VG, based on the seller’s description, and the cover was VG+. Great cover. It sold for $317.

Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $799.99. I mentioned that I was perhaps interested in bidding for this, and I do believe $800 is a fair price. But paying top dollar is not how I’ve ever chosen to build my collection, and no sense starting now.

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Now Hear Thi$$$$$

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Sorry to disappoint so many of you who sent me advice and good wishes, but I spent two days in Los Angeles and did not visit a single record store. I did go to the pier at Santa Monica, where the sights were lovely, and I did attend my first baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Perhaps next time the allure of jazz vinyl will be too compelling to pass up. I also apologize once again for the infrequency of my posts. Now that I am back home again and off the road, I will try to be more consistent in meeting my normal objective of at least one post a day. While I was gone, CeeDee was vigilantly watching eBay and sent me a note with a “did you see thi$$$$$” subject matter. The object of thi$$$$ email was: Freddie Hubbard, Hub-Tones, Blue Note 4115. This looked to be an original New York pressing in what looked to be VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $602.25 and CeeDee was obviously quite surprised. To me, this is the new normal. Watching eBay prices soar over the years and, in particular, watching the increasing prices of records in the 4100 series, it is only a matter of time before records such as this start approaching the $1,000 mark. There’s a limited number of these original pressings in nice condition and collectors want them.