Category: Prestige

A Period Piece, and More

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Here are some updates on the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching, starting with: Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This is a pretty cool cover, don’t you think? The record looked to be in VG++ condition for the record and the cover, although the seller seemed to wanted additional emphasis by putting in a few more plus signs. It sold for $543. And while we’re on the subject of Sonny, that British Esquire pressing of Saxophone Colossus? It sold for $449.

Bud Powell, The Scene Changes, Blue Note 4009. This was an original pressing that as described in excellent condition for the record and the cover, which I will interpret to VG++ when I place this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, which I will do eventually. This one sold for $515.

Guess I’m not going to get a black-label copy of Giant Steps this week. This one had no bidders when we last looked, but wound up attracting three bids and sold for $284.99. C’est la vinyl.

 

 

 

Developing a Thing For European Prestiges

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Watching a potpourri of jazz vinyl on eBay now. Here’s another one of those European Esquire Prestiges I’ve never seen before: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Esquire 32-045. This one doesn’t have the classic U.S. Saxophone Colossus cover, but there’s something about the simplicity of this cover that I find quite appealing. I tell you, I’m developing a thing for these records, which is always dangerous. This one looks to be VG++ for both the record and the cover. The auction closes in more than two days and the bidding is in the $160 range.

Here’s another tempting one: Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney, Two Guitars, Prestige 7119. This is an original New York yellow label pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $160 range and the auction closes today. If I could get this for less than $250, hmmm . . . . .

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Three All-Time Classics

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’re watching today and this week on eBay:

Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This is an original New York yellow label pressing closing in a few hours. The record and the cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The current price is about $300.

Look who’s back, the seller bobdjukic, who is somewhat controversial among readers of Jazz Collector. This is one of his: Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the blue label and deep  grooves. There six days to go on this auction and there are already 17 bids and nearly 300 views. The guy certainly has a knack. Record and cover are listed in VG++ condition and the price is nearly $500.

Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This looks to be an early/original pressing that is in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price is close to $500 and the auction closes tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Watching Closely As an Auction Winds Down

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I happened to go onto eBay just a few minutes ago and this auction was closing: Miles Davis, Dig, Prestige 7012. The record and cover were both in extremely nice condition, just a notch below M-. I decided to just watch and see how the action transpired in the closing minutes. It was actually quite fascinating. When I started watching, with a few minutes left in the auction, the price was in the $150 range. This was quite low, I thought, although I never considered bidding myself. I actually own two copies of this record, both in beautiful condition. As I was watching and as the seconds dwindled down, it shot up to about $250 and then, in rapid succession as the action was closing in the last 12 seconds to $350 then the final price of $463, which is about where I would have expected it to land.  If you look at the bid history, there seemed to be four bidders in the final stages and my guess is that each of them was using sniping software. The second highest bid was $458, so the next highest bid had to be $5 more, for the $463. We’ll never know exactly what the top bid may have been, but at $463 for this classic Prestige original, I would think that both the buyer and seller would be quite pleased. Yes?

Catching Up on Some Rare Jazz Vinyl

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Let’s catch up with some of the jazz vinyl auctions we may have missed while we were caught up in our birthday euphoria, starting with: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad-Lib 6601. This was Rudolf’s listing in M- condition for the record and E for the cover. It long ago exceeded it’s reserve price and wound up selling for $2,247. We assume this was a duplicate.

Also for the $1,000 bin: Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,680.55.

John Coltrane, et al, Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. The record looked to be VG++ for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. When we first looked at this record there were no bids at a price start of about $100. Eventually bidders came along and it sold for $250, a relatively inexpensive price for a great record, IMHO.

 

 

 

 

 

Another Story

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So I said there would be another birthday story from yesterday and here it is:

About a week ago, you may recall, I posted an item about a lovely Phil Woods 10-inch record on the New Jazz label (Of Prestiges and Great Tenor Records). I mentioned that this would be of particular interest to a good friend, who has a passion for both 10-inch LPs and Phil Woods. That friend is the oft-mentioned Dan Axelrod and when he saw that post he emailed me a listing of yet another 10-inch Phil Woods record from the same era, and that was called Encores, the Phil Woods New Jazz Quintet, Prestige 191. And Dan told me that this is the record that has been at the top of his want list for years, and that it should also be at the top of my want list. Why? Well, in looking longingly at this record over the course of many years, Dan discovered that it was actually recorded on February 4, 1955. That was the exact date of my second birthday. Which was cool enough. But, in addition, there was actually a song on this record called “Toos Bloos.”  Get it: Too’s Blues and I was two on the day it was recorded. Well, to be honest, that coincidence didn’t do all that much for me, but for Dan it was a sign. I had to own this record. It was “my” record. And, if I had even one shred of a doubt, Dan told me one more fact that seemed to be the clincher that this was, indeed, a signal from a power far greater than any of us that this was “my” record and I must, at any cost, own it: Read more

Esquire vs Prestige: Is There A Difference in Sound?

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I think I’m developing a little thing for the original Esquire covers. Here’s the latest I’m watching: Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, Volume 1, Esquire 32-173. Having been based in the United States during my whole jazz collecting life, many of these records are absolutely new to me, even though many of them are at least 50 years old. I think that’s one of the great things that eBay has brought to collecting: Creating a market where just about every item you can conceive — or even those that you can’t conceive — will at some point make an appearance. Anyway, this one is in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The start price is $199 and so far there are no bidders with more than three days to go. The seller claims that this pressing has better sound than the original U.S. pressing. That sounds quite difficult to verify, but I imagine someone out there may have both pressings and could do a comparison. Rudolf? Speaking of Rudolf, it looks like this one of his has reached it’s reserve price and will sell: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This one is M- for the record and Ex for the cover. The price is now more than $2,000 and the auction closes in two days.

 

 

Of Prestiges and Great Tenor Records

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Prestige Day at Jazz Collector. This one is for a good friend who has a passion for 10-inch LPs, and for Phil Woods: Phil Woods, New Jazz Quintet, New Jazz 1104. Man, look at that cover. Phil looks like he’s about 15. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG to VG+. Start price is $250 and it’s closing in four hours. No bidders so far.

Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This is an original New York pressing. The record and cover were listed in VG++ condition. The bidding is in the $275 range with more than a day to go. Someone recently sent me a list of something like the 50 greatest tenor sax records ever. I quickly glanced at the list to see what was #1 (it was either Giant Steps or A Love Supreme). I looked to see where this record ranked, since it would have it in my top two or three. But it wasn’t on the list. I clicked my off off the link and never looked back. I’m sure a quick Google search and someone will find it and post it here. I would have it Tenor Madness had been on the list.

This is another great tenor record I listened to recently for the first time in years:

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Ebaying: Two of the Rarest of The Rare Jazz Vinyl

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I’m sitting at my dining room in the country, overlooking the snow-covered frozen lake, being warmed by a fire from my wood-burning stove, John Coltrane playing “Too Young To Go Steady” in the background.. If you’re going to be working, which I am, this is not a bad way to work. Now I am procrastinating between projects, always a good time to look at some interesting jazz vinyl auctions on eBay. Here goes, starting with: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. It’s always nice to see this record on eBay because it’s one of the really rare ones and it’s good to know that if you really, really wanted a copy, you could find it. I looked at this listing and realized the seller is our friend at Jazz Collector, Rudolf. This is in M- condition for the record and E for the cover. It’s early in the auction, the price is more than $400, and the reserve has not yet been met. I’m assuming this is a duplicate and not Rudolf’s only copy.

The seller of this one can use a better picture-taking methodology: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original New York yellow label pressing. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG+, although you’d never know it from the pictures because of the reflection off the camera’s flash. When I was listing records regularly, I’d run into the same problem, but I always tried other angles to get a more clear picture. Just a suggestion. This one has three days to go and the bidding is more than $550.

 

Blue Notes & Prestige: A Day at Jazz Collector

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Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching, starting with: Walter Davis, Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding was slow on this one, as you may recall, in the low $100 range with just one day left on the bidding. Well, it may have started slow, but it ended on a high note for the seller. The record sold for $919.99. There are no bargains on Blue Notes on eBay, are there, unless you get lucky with condition.

My friend Dan was urging me to get this record when the bidding was close to $400 with just a few hours to go: Sonny Rollins With Thelonious Monk, Prestige 190. Put in a bid of $700, he said. It’ll be your birthday present. I thought about it, but decided against it. Good thing I didn’t get my hopes up because I wouldn’t have won the record. It sold for $799.55. Speaking of my birthday present, the Lovely Mrs. JC says she’s only gotten one response so far to her request. There’s still time, but it’s running low — birthday is in two and a half weeks. Contact Mrs JC at mrsjc(at)jazzcollector.com.

I thought this one might reach the $1,000 bin, but it came up just short:

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