Comments on: Comic-al, But not Very funny

By: Seth

Seth — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 22:18:40 +0000

I’m also a fan of free jazz. It wasn’t too long ago that I made inquiries to a rare jazz record dealer about buying some Coltrane first pressings from the 60s. To my disappointment, an employee said that they don’t deal with records worth less than $100! Now, perhaps six months later, I have seen the price of some Coltrane free jazz first pressings exceed $100 to a surprising extent. As atonality gradually became an accepted part of classical music, I now recognize elements of free jazz in contemporary jazz pieces.

My jazz education began with a trip to see the “Chicago Art Ensemble” at a place in Manhattan called Symphony Space. I don’t know if that wonderful building, with its ornate interior architecture, still stands. But my jazz education went backwards from free jazz to more traditional styles.

For some time, it was difficult for me to appreciate jazz that wasn’t a little out, so to speak. As I aged, I not only started enjoying older jazz styles, but developed great reverence for particular artists. I also realized that every stylistic change was considered radical by the traditionalists of the time. I believe that Jazz music has intrinsically been a venue for experimentation.

Even as far back as the music of the great Bix Beiderbecke, one can detect stylistic innovation. He has such a delicate, sweet sound that even comes through the poor recordings of the day. I would have been unable to appreciate Bix when I was young. His style was too radical for my then underdeveloped aesthetic appreciation!

By: DaveS

DaveS — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:25:43 +0000

I love the music, but it is the thrill of the hunt that has me collecting vinyl. I agree with others that finding a gem for $20 is more exciting than spending $1,000 on a known commodity, exchanged between like-minded parties. As long as I keep my top-end per record expenditure down to $100-200 once or twice a year, I feel that I can weather any downturn.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:24:27 +0000

I think the older albums are also about their journey,who originally owned them,where they came from and so on a bit sentimental i know. My own collection or most of them,had one owner he was a tenor sax player late 40s early 50s,and i know he bought them for the music it just so happens that some are now quite valuable

By: Shaft

Shaft — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:42:08 +0000

Well collecting should be all about the music…or IS it? I think collecting is in many cases not just about the music. The object is just as important. I mean there is a nice feeling about a first pressing but most people can get access to most music in acceptable quality by buying a CD or using Spotify. Some argue that a first pressing sounds better but is it worth $3000 BlueTraneDollars just to listen to a first original pressing that is bound to have some noise, pops and other distortions?

And speaking of objects which collector can honestly say that depreciation of the prices paid for objects does not bother them at all? Especially if the prices were quite steep to begin with. I myself have collected CDs since 1986 and sure I feel that it is sad that many of my CDS are worth next to nothing today. Sure the music is still on them but if they are ripped you create a digital copy that work just as good for most people.

By: Gregory The Fish

Gregory The Fish — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:35:57 +0000

I collect mostly for the music and the fun of having originals. I have never paid more than 30$ for a record, so I need to have extreme patience while waiting for certain things to pop up. I’ve come close to getting and original mono of Don Cherry’s “Symphony for Improvisers”, a favorite of mine, with the New York, New York label, and RVG stamp, for 25$ or so two times, but got sniped at the last second. It will come. “A Love Supreme” came, after all, for 19$ in pristine original condition. So I collect, but not at collectible prices. That’s my game. Slow and Steady.

By: ROB L

ROB L — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 12:04:14 +0000

I don’t think there was ever a strong collectors demand for big bands and dixieland. However there still is a serious market for rare blues and early jazz items and for some early modern stuff on 78 rpm records. So, in one way or another almost every era seems to remain attractive to small groups of avid collectors. The focus within those eras will sometimes shift though, so some of us can stay busy spending money. For example, the field of 50’s modern jazz saw a recent increase of interest in UK Esquire releases of Prestige/New Jazz material. In the future we might see a greater demand for alternative covers, in some cases a switch in preference from mono to stereo releases, a new fetish with a previously unnoticed detail with a certain label, a sudden upgrade in status of promo releases etc… The trick is to find one or more little specialties of your own before anyone else does. Whatever happens, the mind of the true collector knows no rest and will always come up with something new to keep us craving for more! Anyway, if you collect it should be for the pleasure of the music and the object, not for investing – at best monetary worth is a by-product, nothing more. And remember: buying less in demand but great records for little money is as much or actually much more a part of collecting than spending a small fortune on an ‘insanely rare item’.

By: Shaft

Shaft — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:07:59 +0000

Well this is an interesting subject that has been discussed before.

Myself I’m torn between thinking that Bop will go into oblivion like Big Bands and Dixie when the generation that grew up with Bebop will no longer be with us. Collections of Jazz LPs come out in the market regularly and the good stuff so far get sucked up really really fast. Will it continue?

I guess and hope that Miles and Trane etc. is timeless music that will continue to find listeners. I mean after all it is the best music in the world IMHO 😉

However I can agree with that less and less titles get to be really collectable and some artists just fade away like Bob Brookmeyer and Al Cohn. This is sad in a way but I guess that you have to be really into jazz and heard o lot of Miles and Trane to move on and discover these smaller artists.

By: Christopher Brown

Christopher Brown — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 03:53:06 +0000

I think that personal enjoyment of the music has to be the predominant reason to purchase a record rather than investment. What’s encouraging about the market is that mediocre Blue Notes don’t go for crazy money. If all the Jimmy Smith, 3 Sounds, and Stanley Turrentine albums were going for hundreds of dollars, then i’d worry about the market being irrationally inflated. On the other hand, 4017 (Horace Silver Quintet) is an album I enjoy quite a bit and yet despite its catalog number and the address printed on it, it can be had for $30 or $40 on ebay on a routine basis. This is a better environment however than an album increasing in value simply because the label is blue note.

By: Clifford Allen

Clifford Allen — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 22:05:12 +0000

With free jazz, which is my main collecting area, its prices keep going up. Even ESPs and Actuels, which had a brief dip in value upon reissue, seem to be back at a medium to high price point. I would say that the classics of the genre in good condition will always hold value, and the rarities will remain rare (though occasionally fluctuating). We’ll not likely see barrel-bottom prices on Byard Lancaster or Marion Brown records ever again, even if people realize that some of these titles are fairly common. That said, I don’t mind the few occasions that I’ve overpaid – because frankly, this is music that I value on a personal level very highly.

By: lennib

lennib — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 21:52:27 +0000

Well, having owned a retail business for a while selling records and having bought and sold records for a while, at 61 I find myself acquiring 1 record for every 10 I de-acquisition. A few titles that escaped me over the years I try for every now and then, but I find myself following the new mode, which is downloading or finding something on youtube and listening to it.
Original pressings are/were once my goal, however you really can’t take it with you. I enjoy the records I keep. I agree that declining value for lables that are not named Blue Note has a lot to do with my selling. I remember the rage some years back when all the youngsters avidly sought free Jazz.” The BYG label, Strata-East, etc. and it became like tulip mania. And a lot of the stuff wasn’t that good. I even though I might be labeled a heretic, I feel a lot of the music on Blue Note is okay, but not always that astounding. Good but not great..
Yet I have now three tenors, a saxello, a curved soprano, an alto and baritone saxophone(s), so I guess I am collecting saxes.’Once a collector…