Is There a “Jazz Collector” Era?
What are the points of demarcation for the era of jazz that we love and write about here on Jazz Collector? When people ask me about the jazz I love, I generally characterize it as the period from around 1945 to 1964 or 1965. Not that there hasn’t been great jazz — and great jazz records — before or after that period, but those are the years I use to describe the era of jazz I collect and love. The 1945 starting point is pretty clear — the birth of bebop and the first bebop recordings. But what about my arbitrary end point point of 1964/1965? I was thinking about that today and three things came to mind: 1. A Love Supreme was recorded in 1964 and in some ways, that’s the end of the era for me. After that Coltrane went way avant garde and his recordings started to veer away from music I could relate to. To me, A Love Supreme kind of feels like a coda musically to the period that started with Bird and Diz and the other boppers; 2. Blue Note was sold to Liberty in 1965. Talk about the end of an era! The third reason hadn’t occurred to me until now, but I think it has to do with The Beatles and the dramatic changes taking place in pop and rock music. The jazz guys started thinking they had to cross over to make money and be relevant and the music began shifting as well. I look at the DownBeat covers from the late 1960s and by then pop music had even usurped jazz in the industry’s leading jazz magazine. Anyway, it was something I was thinking about while fishing on the lake today and I was curious what others think. Others?
I would say 1967-8 when Miles abandoned acoustic music and “free-bop” for fusion. I’d also say 1944 because of all the great swing/bop small band sides I still love.
For me its ’56 onwards due to the audio quality…
up to about ’65 ’66, I felt Blue Note and prestige trying to recreate the wonderful Sidewinder success wore pretty thin after a while. As for the Blooming Beatles….I know its Sacrilege, especially me being a Brit, killed many a good side with their influence.
I really enjoy the electric Miles era too but not really for collecting.
The Avant Garde totally went over my head, still does!
Although ‘Out for Lunch’ hits the spot every time, but it’s on the very verge of enough freeish playing..
Fishing on the lake..
What a wonderful life you have Al!!
Now where’s my Rod and Reel?
OUT TO LUNCH!! Dooh
spot on for me, Al!!!
Adamski, yes life is good. I work here at my house on the lake in the summertime because my work is writing and I can do it anywhere. And, indeed, in the afternoons if I’ve done my work, I do get to go fishing. Sometimes even if I haven’t done my work. 🙂
That sounds about right – when I look at my collection, 1965 is just about the cut-off for “new” jazz records that are my favorites. Put another way, nearly all of my top jazz records from after 1965 sound like past eras, not like the “now” of the time. The music naturally, and correctly, changed after 1965, but it changed into something that – while sometimes enjoyable – is not in the sweet spot for me, and you, and most others who read this blog. Rather, those records that still sound great are those that sound like they could have been recorded 1945-1965.
Jazz era for me: 1954 to 1966
1954 – due to good jazz music, performers and creation of good hi-fi LPs.
1966 – end of imaginative good acoustic jazz, end of great Blue Note creation.
….euh.. although, there was a period in the eighties i also like.. Micheal brecker, mike stern,abercrombie,jack dejohnette,marc johnson, peter erskine,… and let’s not forget kenny wheeler on ECM.. but, ala, that’s a different discussion..
The stuff I collect generally starts around ’64 and ends in the late 1970s, focusing on the more ‘out’ material and European jazz. But I also have a lot of love for bop and hard bop, and yet I approach that with pockets that aren’t deep enough to afford original pressings. There’s a lot of distance between the top dollar free jazz record and the top-dollar Blue Note, though in some cases that gap is closing a bit (as with many rare records).
I guess the follow-up would be, then, “why are you reading Jazz Collector?!?!”
Because it’s fun and interesting and the guy who runs it is quite charming, right?
🙂
as I wrote in the past, my love is BeBop to Free. there are many more Free Jazz collectors in Europe than in USA, maybe because Free had more followers here. in my frequent travels to USA it’s very difficult to find Free records in stores, some Shepp’s or late Trane’s.
in my collection, built in the last 45 years, there are some Free Jazz top $. I know most collectors here are not interested, as Al stated: it’s a personal taste. but referring to rarity, the first two Albert Ayler recordings are much rarer than all Blue Notes (which I love and collect). issued by a Swedish small and indy label, Bird Notes, volume one is the easier to find, about 200 copies but volume two has never been issued as a commercial item. there are not more than 7 (seven) known copies around. how many of you have ever seen this record, issued in white sleeve with no details? please consider that our 1568 graal has been sold 8 times in the period sept 2011-jul 2012.
I’ve seen Bird Notes LP-2 twice in the last 45 years.
now I can hear it everyday.
I’m in the era starting with 10 inch pressing and ending around late 60’s for “collecting”, but I have TONS of great records outside that space. What I mean by that is, I love many records from the 70s-80s, and have tons of cds from the 80s-present but they are not “collectibles” really. Outside of a few exceptions of course.
I consider “collectibles” as items I hunt for, am willing to pay more than $15 for, etc. As an example, I have and love Blakey’s “Album of the Year” from 1981 I believe. It’s my New Orleans bias, but the Terrence Blanchard cut of “Oh by the Way” on that album is one of my favorite songs ever. But it’s not really a collectible, just a nice album. I think about it as I have records, then I have “collectibles”.
This also is the way I feel about other non-jazz music. Of all my records, about %40 is non jazz, but I didn’t really pay top dollar for any of them, nor did I hunt specifically for premium originals. I have David Bowie records for when I want to put on some Bowie, but I never paid more than $10 and I have no idea if any are originals. It’s not what I collect. I’m a “Jazz Collector”, which is why I love this site so much!
I agree with Al’s assessment. I would definitely say up to 1965 just because there were some fantastic Jazz albums issued that year: Love Supreme, Song for my Father, Maiden Voyage, Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts album, Tony Williams’ Spring, Andrew Hill’s Point of Departure, Albert Ayler’s Spiritual Unity and Wayne Shorter’s Speak no Evil, among many others.
I think all good jazz is collectible but the defined era 54-66 is definately where the money goes.The sound was hifi, the pressing generally good and the music sublime.
I probably will stick out like a sore thumb, but my journey to jazz is an odd one, I came in through the jazz rock door, the 70’s bloated and delightfully overproduced variety. Forgive me, I was a rock guitarist. I have spent the last 15 years devouring the entire history of jazz, I am fortunate, I have not found any jazz not worthy, from 20’s era Armstrong, all the way through some of the Neo Rock Jazz noodling of the 21st century. Hell I even love Cecil Taylor. for some reason the avant gard has always struck a nerve with me, Maybe its the Frank Zappa I grew up on. but sometimes I need more of a challenge than a Blowing Session. Peter Brotzmann’s Machine Gun? well that would be pushing it.
truth be told, about the only music I despise is 21st Century Country/Pop Music.
As an iconic lp from the “jazz collector era”, Kind of Blue continues to pull in the big bucks in it’s original pressing. And Bobdj continues to benefit from bidders “got to have it” mentality:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=160870568134&nma=true&rt=nc&si=X8hUbg94%252BiSbteNpglRjOjoZXgE%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc