Category: Impulse

Back on eBay: Vintage Blue Notes and a Coltrane Autograph

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I just spent a little time on eBay. There are a lot of nice rare vintage records from the Jazz Collector Era and I’m not noticing much of a drop in demand or prices since the pandemic. Here are some of the items I put into my watch list, starting with a few vintage Blue Notes: Lee Morgan, The Cooker, Blue Note 1578. This looks to be an original West 63rdStreet pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The auction closes in three days and there are already 37 bids and 13 bidders. The price is in the $500 range. This record is a regular in the $1,000 bin, with a top price of about $1,600, according to Popsike. Under normal circumstances I would expect to see this record easily top $1,000 and perhaps set a new standard, given the condition of the record and cover. Let’s see what happens. Read more

A Love Supreme, Woodlore and a Dash of Vinyl Envy

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Watching this item on eBay:John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77. This is an original mono pressing with the white promotional label. You don’t see too many of these. Thus one is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The bidding is in the $900 range with more than three days left on the auction. We have seen a promo copy of A Love Supreme sell for as much as $1,358, according to Popsike, and it would not be surprising to see this record fall somewhere in that range as well.  This listing is one of many nice items from the seller Carolina Soul, now and over the past few weeks. Read more

Random Rarities

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Randomness from an eBay watchlist. John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse 77. This looks to be an original mono pressing. The record and cover are both graded as M-, although the picture seems to show wear on the cover, unless that is just a reflection from the camera. In any case, there are five days left on the auction and the bidding is already in the $325 range. Out of curiosity, I popped over to Popsike to see if A Love Supreme had ever made it into the $1,000 bin and the answer is that yes, indeed, it has, a few times, maxing out at $1,225. You kind of get the feeling because the album is such an icon, that the value will continue to go up. Is this the highest price we’ve seen for any Impulse? I can’t think of one off the top of my head.  I put it in this post primarily because I wanted to show a picture of the cover, which always puts a smile on my face. Read more

A New Coltrane Studio Recording. Really.

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I was taking a break from work earlier and, as I am wont to do, I opened up my iPad to The New York Times to find out what latest assault on our democracy is being inflicted by our president and his cohorts and, lo and behold, I was greeted, to my great surprise, right at the top of the page, by a picture of none other than John Coltrane. Now this, of course, piqued my interest and the story that accompanied the photo piqued my interest even more, as I’m sure it will for most of you out there in Jazz Collector land. The article is titled Lost John Coltrane Recording From 1963 Will be Released at last and the crux of it is that there is actually a NEW studio recording from the classic Coltrane Quartet that was recorded by Impulse in 1963 and somehow, someway, was never released. It’s hard to believe such a thing was possible, given Coltrane’s importance, popularity and the reality that a record company would never lose an opportunity to make money, but it seemed to have happened nonetheless. According to the article, which you should all read, the recording was in the possession of Coltrane’s first wife, who we know as Naima, and was recently discovered by her family. Huh? It doesn’t seem to make any sense, but there it is.

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A Couple Of Records You Don’t See Every Day

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Several readers sent me the following link: John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse 77. This is a test pressing, dated Dec. 31, 1964. Look at it — it really does say “Ken” Coltrane. Anyway, it is in VG condition. And you can buy it now for a mere $20,000.

Here’s another really odd one I was watching: Miles Davis, Blue Note Volume 1. This is a Taiwan pressing with orange vinyl??? And it’s stereo??? I have no idea of the vintage or the motivation behind issuing an orange vinyl version of this record, but it was offered on eBay for $500 and did not sell. Can’t say I’m surprised. Stereo??? I don’t think so.

Listings and Musings on Rare Jazz Vinyl

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We’ll start with a rare Blue-Note-free day here at Jazz Collector: Jack Sheldon, The Quartet and the Quintet, Jazz-West 6. This is an original pressing listed in M- condition for the record, although it is probably closer to VG++, and probably VG+ or VG++ for the cover. This is a 1956 record that features Zoot Sims. The price is in the $200 range with about three days to go. I did a quick Google search and am happy to report that Jack Sheldon is still alive. 🙂 I remember him not only as a terrific player but also as a pretty good comedian, playing sidekick on the Merv Griffin show when I was growing up. You wonder about an artist like this in terms of both their legacy and the long-term value of their records in the collectors’ market. Read more

Back To Reality: Coltrane Time

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I plan on deleting the previous post this weekend, so if you want to comment on it speak now or forever hold your peace. Meanwhile, back to the real world, starting with one of the all time classics: John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77. This is an original mono pressing that looks to be in perhaps M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $435. I own both a mono and stereo pressing of A Love Supreme and I’ve never actually sat down and compared the two. Typically, I prefer mono pressings. For those of you out there who care about these things, which version do you find preferable?

Here’s a copy of Coltrane’s first album as a leader: Coltrane/Prestige 7105. This was an original New York yellow label pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $540.

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Albert Ayler, Sonny Murray and Coltrane Vinyl on EBay

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s-l1600Among the first jazz musicians to really get me excited about this music was Albert Ayler. I have great memories of hearing Bells and Spiritual Unity at the record store where a friend of mine worked back in the mid-1990s. The sound of his saxophone and his ensembles completely rearranged my brain and what I thought music could be. Coming from a perspective that was jazz-curious and a bit tired of the punk/indie landscape, Ayler was exactly the sort of aesthetic catalyst I needed. At one point it seemed like his records were relatively easy to obtain, if not always in their original form, and not necessarily desired by the “big-money” jazz collectors out there.

That’s changed somewhat, as seen in this first commercial issue of Spiritual Unity on ESP-Disk’ with the red-on-white silkscreened cover, booklet, and alternate take of “Ghosts (Second Variation).” It’s a beautiful piece of the recorded history of improvised music, and from what I understand one of the most sonically representative examples of Ayler’s sound. For a copy in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ condition for the cover (with what looks like slight damage to the upper left seam), the closing price was $800. Perhaps not Blue Note territory, but expensive nonetheless. I attempted to get in the fray but was quickly dispatched and will have to continue chugging along on a clean second-ish pressing (purchased for around $10 almost 20 years ago).

Another prime early Ayler side and a rare sideman appearance is on drummer Sunny Murray’s Sonny ‘sTime Now (sic), issued on poet LeRoi Jones’ Jihad label in 1965 or ’66. Though comparatively easier to find than a first edition Spiritual Unity and with a Japanese pressing circulating as well (which is what I have), it’s still an important 1960s jazz collectible. The seller of the Ayler above had one on offer in VG+ or VG++ condition for the vinyl and cover, including the mimeographed insert. The price at the end was $325.

And just for comparison to the recent auction of the test pressing of A Love Supreme, this seller also had an original mono of the iconic Coltrane album in very nice-looking condition, with the LP in VG++ condition and the cover also in probably VG+ or VG++ condition. The end price was $365, or $65 more than the coverless test issue. That’s a respectable price, if not top dollar.

As always, happy collecting and happier listening (we need the latter especially right now).

Here Are Jazz Collectibles You Won’t See Every Day

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test-pressing-jazz-vinyl-a-love-supremeTwo of our regular readers, Clifford and Michael, separately sent me links to this rare jazz collectible, wondering if it was legitimate: John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77, Test Pressing. Take a close look at it. Does it really say “Ken” Coltrane? Anyway, it looks legit to me. Unfortunately, it was only in VG condition and, of course, it didn’t have a cover. The final price was $300, which seems pretty reasonable to me for what I imagine is a pretty rare collectible.

One of our readers, Dave Sockel, recently was in touch with a relative of Duke Pearson and sent me a PDF of this very cool collectible — duke-pearson-session-book-1969-1970. It includes rehearsals, musicians and their fees, session dates, comments on the sessions and dozens of signatures from the various musicians, confirming their payments. Thanks to Dave for sharing and allowing me to post this on Jazz Collector.

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Trane, Pepper, Hank and Ike: Another Day on eBay

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A Love Supreme Jazz VinylThese are some of the rare jazz records we are watching on eBay now, starting with John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77. This is an original orange label pressing listed as “close to NM” for the record and probably VG+ or VG++ for the cover. The bidding is in the range of $325 and closes in more than two days. Following our popular Blue Note tracks list last week, we may follow up with other labels. Perhaps this whole album will appear on the Impulse list. The same seller has some other nice items as well, including Ike Quebec, Soul Samba, Blue Note 4114. This is an original New York USA pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is already over $400 with more than two days left on the auction. I’m somewhat surprised that the market for Ike Quebec Blue Notes has spiked so much over the past few years, but, then again, nothing in the world of Blue Note should surprise any of us anymore.

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