Let’s try to find a few records that will actually be sold. Here’s a great one: Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580.This is an original West 63^rd Street pressing, famous not just for the music, but also for the cover art by Andy Warhol. The record is listed in Excellent Plus condition and the cover is listed as “brilliant EXCELLENT++.” There are 28 bids, the bidding is in the $1,300 range and there are four days left in the auction. I would suggest a price north of $3,000 is where this record will end up, and I may be underestimating by a lot. We’ll see.

Here’s another gem from the same seller: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This looks to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing. Interesting note on the labels – a previous owner wrote in the times for each track. Going to go back to the Johnny Griffin record and see if the same thing happened there. And the answer is . . . yep, same owner. Lots of Excellents and Plusses in the listing for the condition of the vinyl and the cover. Bidding is in the $860 range and this one will surely end up in the $1,000 bin, unless there’s a separate $2,000 bin, and it may end of there.

All right, one more. Oh, here’s another Warhol cover and a listing from our friends at the Jazz Record Center in New York: Kenny Burrell, Blue Lights, Volume 2, Blue Note 1597. This is listed as a RVG-stamped West 63^rd street pressing, with no deep groove. The record is listed in “excellent” condition and the cover is listed in “new condition – immaculate in every respect.” Bidding is in the $380 range with more than five days left on the auction. If you are interested in perusing other auctions from this listing, just click here for the Jazz Record Center.

This is one of interest to me: Fred Astaire, the Astaire Story on Mercury. This is the original 1952 limited edition boxed set, number 224 out of 1,384, signed by Fred Astaire. The seller has listed the entire package in M- condition. The start price is $700 and the auction closes a few hours from whence I am typing this. There is a buy-it-now price of $1,000. So far there are no bidders. When I first started collecting jazz, this was a highly desired piece, often selling for more than $1,000 back when $1,000 could have bought you several rare Blue Notes. Times change. Fred Astaire was once an icon. Now, who knows, is there any name recognization for a star whose career peaked in the 1930-to-1950 time frame? And the music on this package is not going to wow anyone interested in the 1960s Blue Note catalog. Ah, well. I have my copy and I intend to keep it.

Finally, below we have a cartoon, courtesy of my friend Danny (he didn’t do it, he just sent it):

Speaking of Kenny Dorham and 10-inch LPs, there is this: Sonny Rollins Quintet Featuring Kenny Dorham, Prestige 186. I type this with a pang of disappointment, for this is a record that has always eluded me, and it would be very nice to have a copy, especially in my pared-down collection, where each record has a little more meaning. But, alas, the cover is just too beat up for me to be pleased with the record, even though the vinyl is listed in VG+ condition, especially at the start price of $300 or the buy-it-now of $390. I pass.

This one seems to be in really nice shape: Miles Davis, Volume 1, Blue Note 1501. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record is listed as VG+ and the cover as VG, yet I look at the pictures of the cover and it looks pretty nice, save for some damage at the bottom of the sleeve opening. If I didn’t have a clean copy, I’d take a shot, with a start price of $355 and a buy-it-now of $455.

Curtis Fuller Quintet, Bluesette, Savoy ST-13006. This looks to be an original stereo promo copy with the red label. I noticed the Savoy logo on the cover is unusual. Is that a logo they adopted for stereo pressings? In any case, the record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG+ with a spine repair. Bidding is in the $200 range and the auction closes in one day.

The post Jazz Vinyl Gems, Some With a Little Tarnish first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/jazz-vinyl-gems-some-with-a-little-tarnish/feed/ 8 9209 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/jazz-vinyl-auctions-for-the-road-and-beyond/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/jazz-vinyl-auctions-for-the-road-and-beyond/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:07:09 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=9125 I’ll be off line for the next week so I won’t be able to post. Not that it will be any different than a normal [...]

I’ll be off line for the next week so I won’t be able to post. Not that it will be any different than a normal period between posts, but this time my absence will at least be planned. Everything’s fine. Just enjoying a little holiday. In the meantime, I will leave you with a large batch of records to watch so you can all comment to your heart’s content. Let’s start with one of the records that would still be on my want list, if, indeed, I had a want list: Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This looks to be an original deep groove pressing listed in M- condition for the record and EX+ for the cover. Bidding is in the $200 range with almost three days left on the auction. I have no idea how this record has eluded me all these years, but it has.

Here are some records closing in the next day, starting with Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198. This looks to be an original New York USA label. The record is probably in VG+ condition and the cover is graded a strong VG. The seller says he is a strict grader and is only interested in records in VG+ or better condition. I would suggest, based on the pictures, that this one may have slipped through the cracks because strong VG is not the cover that I’m seeing. Bidding is close to $400.

From the same seller: Hank Mobley, Roll Call, Blue Note 4058. This one has the West 63^rd Street labels, but no ear and no deep grooves that I can tell from the pictures. Plus it is in shrink wrap. What would that make it? Liberty pressing using older labels? The record and cover are listed in M- condition. Bidding is in the $550 range.

One more from this seller: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This looks to be an original deep groove west 63^rdStreet pressing. The record is either in VG or VG+ condition and the cover is listed as strong VG+, although I don’t understand where strong comes in based on the pics. Bidding is close to $900.

Also closing today: Richie Kamuca Quartet, Mode 102. This looks to be an original pressing The record is listed as VG+ and the cover as G+. Start price is $155 and so far there are no bidders.

Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy 12091. This is an original red label pressing. The cover has punch holes on the side. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is probably VG, based on the pictures. The auction closes in about three days and so far there are no bids at a start price of about $450.

Clark Terry, In Orbit with Thelonious Monk, Riverside 271. This seems to be an original deep groove pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $130 range with more than two days left on the auction. The seller, vinyl-house-uk, has a lot of other items on eBay this week, including the Rollins record on Period as well as Lee Morgan, Lee Way, Blue Note 4034. This is a weird one, with the West 63^rd Street label on one side, the New York USA label on the other, and deep grooves. The seller describes it as an original first pressing, which doesn’t seem to be the case. But what is it? In any case, the record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition and the bidding is in the $140 range with nearly three days left.

One more for the road: Sonny Rollins, Newk’s Time, Blue Note 4001. This looks to be an original pressing of the vinyl with the West 63^rd Street address and the deep grooves, but it has the second, dark blue cover. The record looks to be M- and the cover VG++.  The start price is $1,000 and so far there are no bidders with more than four days left on the auction.

The post Jazz Vinyl Auctions for the Road (And Beyond) first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]>

Whilst on the subject of Lee Morgan, I got this note in my inbox the other day from a reader named Andy:

“Hi there. Just wanted to say hi and I’ve been enjoying your blog for the past year. Been listening to vinyl for a long time but just started getting into collecting older jazz albus recently. As a listener first and collector second I’ve been wondering: How rare are these older Blue Notes? Or how many do you think are in circulation? Say, for instance Lee Morgan’s Candy. Are there 100 in VG+ condition? Any knowledge on this is much appreciated. Thanks.”

My reply:

“Hi, Andy. Thanks for the kind words. There’s no way of really knowing how many original copies of any record have survived in VG+ or better condition. Based on what I’ve seen on eBay over the many years watching, plus my own experience in record stores and with other collectors, I would guess for a really rare record like Candy, there are maybe 300 or so copies in collectors of floating around between collections. It’s a good question and I will ask it of the broader audience when I do a new post. Cheers.”

So there it is. You have my educated guess. What’s yours.

Speaking of rare original Blue Notes, there is Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is an original deep groove pressing with the New York 23 labels. The record and cover are both graded in VG+ condition, so this copy would fit Andy’s criteria. Do you think there are 300 of these out there? Maybe, maybe not. I know I don’t have an original pressing, and I’ve been collecting jazz for more than 50 years. Anyway, the bidding for this one is in the $600 range with more than four days left on the auction.

Finally, there is this: Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 12-241. This is not an original pressing. An original would have the white label, and this one has the blue label. But it is quite interesting because right on the front cover is Sonny’s signature, with the following note: “To Morrie. Sonny Rollins. Best wishes.” I don’t need Don Lucky to confirm that this is Sonny’s signature because I have other examples, and this is clearly Sonny, no doubt about it. Plus, the seller, who happens to be Morrie, has a great story to go with it, including a ticket from the concert where Sonny signed it, and even a copy of the set list. I know if my name was Morrie I’d be all over this one, even though the start price is $500. I still find it very cool, knowing the story and the details about how, when and where Sonny signed it. It’s funny, all those years of seeing Sonny live, it never occurred to me to ask him for his autograph. I know he would have signed, especially on those nights late in the middle of the week when the clubs were pretty empty and you could just go up and talk with him, which we often did. But asking for an autograph always seemed intrusive to me, or, better yet, it just didn’t seem cool. But, looking back, perhaps I could have been less concerned with seeming cool because I sure wouldn’t mind a copy of Tenor Madness signed “To Al. Sonny Rollins. Best wishes.”

Donald Byrd, Byrd’s Word, London C15039. This is the UK version of the U.S. Savoy. The record and cover are listed in VG+ condition. Bidding is in the $80 range with more than two days left on the auction.

Lee Konitz, Jazz at Storyville, Volume 1, Vogue LDE 129. This is a U.K. pressing of the 10-inch LP. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover as VG. The start price is about $60 and so far there are no bidders with nearly two days left on the auction.

Finally, I received a note and some pictures from a reader who is looking to sell a couple of early Miles Davis songbooks. I don’t know anything about these, but I’m sure they would be of interest to some Jazz Collector out there. Pictures are below. You can let me know if you are interested, and I’ll pass it on to the seller.

The seller of the Pepper record fared better than some of these other sellers, who’s records did not attract the minimum bids. Of course, the minimum bids were quite high for each of these records, starting with Leo Parker, New Trends of Jazz Volume 5, Savoy 9018. This was an original 10-inch pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and probably the same for the cover. There were no bids the first time around at $400, but the seller has it relisted for the same amount now.

Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This looked to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was listed as VG, with a pretty beat up back cover. The starting price was $650 and, like the Leo Parker, this one is back again on eBay at the original starting price.

Eric Dolphy, Far Cry, New Jazz 8270. This looked to be an original purple label deep groove pressing listed in VG condition for both the record and the cover. Similar situation as the others: High original starting price of $575, no bidders, back on eBay for the same amount.

Is it worth it to keep listing at the same start price, or is it more effective to lower the price to try to attract interest? An existential question for the ages, I imagine.

This is a weird article: 5 Minutes that Will Make You Love Bebop. I guess it’s part of a series from The New York Timesdesigned to drive online traffic. The very concept that 10 clips of 30 seconds could get someone to love music as complex as bebop is ridiculous on the surface, so I would normally have just ignored it, but several people sent it to me – family and friends, not readers of Jazz Collector, most of whom, I would think, share my opinion. But, perhaps not?

Someone sent me the following clip from Youtube with the following subject and note: “First video of Mobley playing found! In case you didn’t see it, the larger community should know.” And now you do. Sounds pretty awesome, and the comments from listeners are practically orgasmic.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this, but a few years ago I started this process of putting a label on each of my records, denoting the condition and whether it is an original pressing. I also put an estimate of the value. Not to be morbid, but the purpose of this is to give my kids a sense of the value of the records so they don’t get ripped off when I die. Anyway, my maroon copy of Booker Ervin Cookin’ is in M- copy. When I put the label on a few years ago, I put the value at $40. I guess I will have to change that now. The odd thing is that the second pressing that just sold is now the highest price ever recorded for this record, according to Popsike.

Back to non-Blue Notes: Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This was an original New York Yellow label that looked to be in VG+ or VG++ condition, depending upon how you feel about “light ticks” and “non-feelable scratches.” I don’t get too hung up on “light ticks” because I’ve found even new, unplayed records can have a tick or two here and there. This copy sold for $1,137. From the same seller there was Art Taylor, Taylor’s Wailers, Prestige 7117. This was also an original New York yellow label and seemed to be in better condition than Jackie’s Pal, with fewer ticks. The cover was listed in VG condition. The final price was $685.85.

Taylor’s Wailers reminds me of something I did recently. I’ve been really listening to a lot of Trane lately. All Trane, all eras, all the time. So, to ensure I have the broadest selection when I want to listen, I put all of the records featuring Trane in one place. So Taylor’s Wailers is now on the same shelf as all of my other Trane Prestiges, plus the Red Garlands, Mal Waldron, Gene Ammons, etc. And Blue Notes, Whims of Chambers, Sonny’s Crib, A Blowing Session. And the Cannonball on Mercury and the Wilbur Hardens on Savoy and the Art Blakey on Bethlehem. I’ve never done this type of organization before, but it’s been a couple of weeks and, so far, I’m loving it. The simple pleasures we can get from our hobbies, right? And totally awesome that I have all of these records to organize and reorganize according to the Whims of Perlman.

This one, also on the Savoy label, caught my eye because of the weirdness of the listing: Milt Jackson – Terry Gibbs, Savoy 15058. The seller listed it as a “78 RPM shellac record.” If you look at the picture, it is clearly not a 78 RPM shellac record and looks to  be just a standard 10-inch LP with the heavy vinyl typical of a 1954 pressing, which this is. It looks to be a compilation LP with Bags on one side, Gibbs on the other. It also looks to have a Milt Jackson signature on the back, which is probably legitimate. So, somehow, the seller manages to put “shellac” in the listing, but does not put in “autographed by Milt Jackson.” The seller clearly does not have experience selling jazz records and did not say much about the condition, other than the word “good.” The starting price was $102, the buy-it-now was $204 and there were no bids. To my knowledge it was listed twice already and is back on eBay once again. Maybe three times will be a charm, now that the record has been publicized at Jazz Collector?

In looking through my own Watchlist, I’m seeing several very high priced records that I was watching from a few weeks ago and failed to include in posts on Jazz Collector. I feel like I should go back because the prices seem support the idea of some new market dynamics, perhaps inspired by the pandemic, perhaps by Instagram, perhaps by a combination of these and other forces. Recent jazz vinyl sales include:

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 final price was $3,700.

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1595. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $3,250.

Curtis Fuller, Bluesette, Savoy 12141. This was an original red label promo copy. The record was listed in Ex condition (VG+) and the cover was just VG. The final price was $1,228.

Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition, and the cover was probably VG- with an ugly tape mark along the entire length of the back. The final price was $1,418.82.