It’s A Seal, But is it a Steal?

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I’ve been watching a lot of interesting jazz vinyl on eBay this week, starting with: Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. This one brings up the old conundrum of what to do about a sealed record, as a buyer, a seller or as an owner. This is a sealed mono copy and one would assume, from the looks of the cover, that it just may be an original pressing. The seller certainly thinks it is an original, and I assume so do the bidders. This one has been bid up to $560 and it closes later today. So when you get it, you have to open it, and then it’s no longer sealed. Does that make it less valuable, or is it more valuable that it’s never been played. Of course, if you’re a real collector and fan, like me, the first thing you will do is put it on the turntable, so there goes the “unplayed” designation as well. But you have a pristine copy of one of the great jazz records of the era. How sweet is that — if, indeed, it is an original pressing. If not, well, the music is still great. For comparison’s sake, here’s a copy of Waltz for Debby that just closed on eBay. This one was probably in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, and it was clearly a deep groove, blue label original. It sold for $415.

Jazz For A Friday Afternoon: Miles, Cannon, Newk

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Here’s a few more jazz vinyl items we’ve been watching or are watching on eBay, starting with: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This one is listed as sealed, although it seems it is not the outside cover that is sealed but the inner plastic sleeve. If that is the case, it is pretty cool, better than the cover being sealed because you can actually see the label and the record. The cover is listed in VG++ condition and the record, of course, is listed in mint, unplayed condition. There are a couple of days left and the bidding has topped $300. Seller also took a nice, clear picture, which always helps to secure a top price.

Speaking of Miles, this one got a nice price: Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note 1595. I say speaking of Miles, because after all of these years I still tend to think of this as more of a Miles record, than a Cannonball record. It’s got much more of the Miles vibe than the Cannon vibe. This one was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $1,475.

One more Blue Note while we’re at it:

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Watching Some Nice Jazz Collectibles

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Catching up on life and on eBay, so here are some jazz records I am watching and have been watching.

Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing, still in some kind of shrink wrap with a $1.79 price sticker. Wouldn’t that be great, $1.79 for an original pressing of True Blue. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It did not sell for $1.79. It sold for $1,414. Not a bad price, all in all. So, when you get this home do you take off the shrink wrap or do you leave it on? If it’s me, I’m pretty sure I take it off and put the record in a nice plastic sleeve.

This one also ended up in the $1,000 bin: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original West 63rd pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,280.55

This one closes later today. Price is still out my range: Clifford Jordan Sextet, Blue Note 1565. This is an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The picture in the listing could be better, but that doesn’t seem to be effecting the bidding, which is now up to $800.

And let’s throw in a couple of non-Blue Notes:

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WFMU Record Fair Cancelled Due To Storm

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Good morning everyone from soggy New York City. I just received word that the WFMU Record Fair, scheduled for this weekend, has been cancelled. There is still no power in the area, subways and Path trains are down, and still no planes flying into New York City. It’s really a mess. The organizers are promising to refund everyone’s money, unless he or she would like to apply it to the 2013 fair.

Tracking a Blue Note Quartet

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Been light on the posts again lately. Super busy with real work. Here are a few high-priced jazz records, all Blue Notes,  we missed on eBay:

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $1,531.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This too was an original pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover was probably VG++. The price was $1,500.

Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. Another original pressing, of course, this one in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. This one sold for $1,250.

Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing in M- condition from the seller who had access to the Leon Leavitt collection. This one sold for $900.

 

A Jazz Vinyl Trio for the $1,000 Bin

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Here’s some high-end jazz vinyl we’ve missed in the past couple of weeks:

Marty Paich Quartet Featuring Art Pepper, Tampa 28. This was sold by the same seller who claimed exclusive access to the best of Leon Leavitt’s collection and was selling some other high-end items a few months ago. This one was an original pressing with the red vinyl and it was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $2,000, on the nose. Hmmm.

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was listed as an original pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for an even $1,300 and there was only one bid. Hmmm.

Dave Bailey Sextet, Bash!, Jazz Line. This one is quite rare, with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Tommy Flanagan on piano. It was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,111. No Hmmm for this.

Gary Bartz, John Coltrane, Jazz At Lincoln Center

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So the other day I’m sitting home working and I get a forwarded email from The Lovely Mrs. JC about a John Coltrane Festival taking place in New York between October 18 and November 3 and on that very night there will be something called a “listening party” with the saxophonist Gary Bartz and it is free and it is three subway stops away at Jazz At Lincoln Center at Columbus Circle. So I do a quick search on the Internet and it turns out that Bartz has a new album out called “Coltrane Rules: Tales of a Music Warrior,” and at this listening party he will discuss the album and play some tracks. Now I am a big fan of Gary Bartz, ever since I saw him three nights running at Bradley’s down on University Place at least 20 years ago and was blow away by his sensitive, passionate and inventive playing, the closest thing on alto to Sonny Rollins. So, I went down to Jazz at Lincoln Center and I went to the listening party and it was terrific. There were maybe 30 people in the place, a small studio with folding chairs, and at the front there were Bartz sitting on a chair with Read more

A Day For Rare Blue Notes

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Here are a few rare jazz records we’re watching this week on eBay. Today’s version will focus on Blue Notes, starting with: Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This has the West 63rd address but no deep grooves. This one is always confusing and I don’t have the Fred Cohen book in front of me. It’s an original with either one side DG or no sides DG, right? Anyway, this one is in excellent minus condition, which is, what, VG+ in our terms. The price is nearly $300 and there are still four days to go.

Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This looks like an original mono pressing with the New York USA address, as well as the ear and Van Gelder in the dead wax. The record is listed in VG+ condition and the cover is VG++. The record closes within a day and so far there are no bidders at a $189 start price.

Here’s a 10-inch Blue Note with a very cool insert:

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Mobley, Evans, Jackie, KD and A Cool Autograph

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Let’s catch up with some of the items on this week’s auction from the Jazz Record Center, starting with one of the real big ones: Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This was an original pressing described as being in “near-new” condition. That’s pretty nice condition, I would say. You would expect this to sell for quite a bit and it did: $2,926.

This record reached a new high for the Jazz Collector Price Guide and almost cracked into the $1,000 bin: Bill Evans Trio, Explorations, Riverside 351. This was an original blue label pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover, which was actually described as being in “extraordinary” condition. Looks like four bidders got into a bit of a war and knocked the price up to $910.01.

Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This was an original New York pressing. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was probably VG+. The price was $758.

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