Tracking Some Lovely, Rare and Expensive LPs
Here are a few of the more expensive jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching:
Art Pepper Quartet, Modern Art, Intro 606. This one was rated in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. I have to give the seller and/or Photoshop credit — that is a fine looking picture of the cover and it certainly looks a lot more appealing than VG+. I have a feeling some of the bidders felt the same way: This one sold for $1,580 with 20 bids and about half as many bidders. Love the simplicity of the cover of this one. Anyone know who did it? Intro is not a label that gets noticed too often.
J. R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This looked to be an original mono pressing in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $888.78.
Beverly Kenney, Like Yesterday, Decca 8994. This was an original deep-groove pressing with the pink promo label. It looked to be in quite gorgeous condition and was graded M- for both the record and the cover. Quite a nice find, which was reflected in the final price, which was $790, the highest we’ve ever seen for this record.
That Belgian dealer selling the Kenney got some steep prices. The Lacy “Torments” is scarce and on my wants list, but the cover was surely quite “tormented” to get over $600! He also had a really nice Dutch jazz LP under the leadership of Dick Van Der Capellen – it’s good and hard to find, but $230? Not so sure about that…
Then again, a mono copy of “Evolution” in clean nick could have gone higher, so…
To me it seems like the seller of “Modern Art” might be one of those rare conservative graders whose VG+ is more akin to VG++, but that probably remains to be seen.
I appreciate your attention to non-Blue Notes labels. For collecting newbies that follow your site, broadening our education from time-to-time is of great value.
art pepper, intro 606. cover design by REID MILES photo by FRANCIS WOLFF. Acording to my c.d. reissue on blue note.
Jazz:West, Intro, Score. These labels are related and have some great material by Art Pepper.
I cannot check from here but thought Art’s picture on the Intro sleeve is by Ray Avery.
I own the record.This is the original,mine is on Score with the same fotocover.The fotograher is,as Rudolf stated,by Ray Avery.
Kees.
The Art Pepper Quartet on Intro 606 is definitely the total package when it comes to an album that has both great cover art and great music. This is definitely one of my favorite rare LP’s, and the short-lived history behind the label is also quite intriguing.
Here is the abridged version of something I posted on the JC back in May on the subject if anyone is interested:
” Prior to 1955, Aladdin had 3 subsidiary labels issuing albums. The jazz label Jazz:West , the classical music subsidiary Orfeo and the Intro label. The Intro label was the pop/jazz subsidiary of Aladdin Records. Intro issued a couple of 10-inch LPs in 1952, then did not issue albums until 1957 or so, when they started a 12-inch series.
Intro 602 and 603 were reissues of Lester Young’s Aladdin 801 and Aladdin 802. There were two new jazz albums issued, one by Art Pepper titled Modern Art [Intro 606] and an Art Pepper, Red Norvo, and Joe Morello album titled Recollections [Intro 608].
Although the output of parent company Aladdin was not great in quantity, it was outstanding in quality. The jazz recordings of Kenny Drew and Art Pepper are very much in demand today. Aladdin, Score and Jazz: West albums are some of the rarest in the record-collecting field. Eight Aladdin albums appear on the Goldmine list of “The 100 Most Valuable U.S. Albums”. George Moonoogian, in an article written for Goldmine in 1979, called Aladdin “The King of LP Rarities.”
Following the lead of Modern Records, who had introduced a successful line of budget albums on the Crown label, the Mesner brothers, owners of Aladdin Records, started a budget line of LPs in 1957 using their old subsidiary name, Score. All of the Score albums were $1.98 and most of the Aladdin, Jazz:West, Orfeo and Intro albums were reissued on Score. The establishment of the Score label may account for the scarcity of the Aladdin and Intro 12-inch albums, as they were only in print for a short time before being deleted and reissued on Score. In fact, several intended Aladdin releases may not have been issued at all before being transferred to Score. While the Crown label flourished, the Score line of LPs seemed to die a slow death.
The best quote by Don Clark who wrote the liner notes on Intro ILP-606 really speaks volumes on this one:
“Some people never find their niche in life, some at least do what they like to do, but only a very few do what they were chosen to do. Art Pepper applies to the latter.”
don-lucky: thanks for this interesting info. Unfortunately Art Pepper fell victim to this bizarre situation resulting in poor sales of his output. A similar situation was created by the transfer of his Tampa material to the shady Interlude and Iris labels.
Fortunately for Art Lester Koenig was the one who gave him security of distribution on the Contemporary label.
Intro 608, with Art Pepper: its value is far far under his brother 606 but it’s as rare as his elder.
why this enormous difference?
Thanks Rudolf, I find the history behind record distribution (and more often than not the lack there of) has really played a big part in market values. Unfortunately it also means that there are so many great artists like Art Pepper that really didn’t get the attention they deserved at the time, leaving so many potential masterworks to fall wayside into obscurity.
In a way it is like unearthing buried treasure for today’s Jazz Collector, and we can still discover for ourselves these masterworks a half-century after their original conception.
As for your comment good doctor… I always wondered about ‘Collections’ on Intro 608 as well. That is an odd one, and I must admit I don’t have it in my collection yet, although it is on my list. I mean, after all, with a line-up like Art Pepper, Red Norvo, Joe Morello and Gerry Wiggins it is definitely worth a listen I say…
Art Pepper, one of my favourite jazz artists. I love his autobiography Straight Life. Completely absorbing and shakes you up to say the least. Modern Art is a beautiful rare album. Great relaxed jazz music. Love that cover too..
dottore: 606 vs. 608. For me it is a clear cut case. True, the albums are both equally rare, but in terms of music, they are far apart.
“Modern Art” is a straight, no-nonsense session, Art Pepper being in control and omni-present.
“Collections”, nominally a Joe Morello session, is a mixed bag, featuring Red Norvo more than anyone else. The total playtime of the album is 37:37, of which 22:47 featuring Art. The tracks without Art are a rather lacklustre affair, Red Norvo in interplay with guitar player Howard Roberts. Also, the high priest of Jazz West Coast piano, Gerry Wiggins, fails to impress me, compared to the likes of Russ Freeman, Carl Perkins et al.