A New List: Jazz Vinyl Favorites By Label

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In the comments on the previous post, Erich Schultz suggests we talk about Columbia and other labels where the music is great but the records are not as collectible. In the case of Columbia there are nice records that are collectible as well: Who’d have thought that Kind of Blue, which I think is the biggest selling jazz album ever, would be a collectible, but it is, if you can find mint original pressings, or original promo copies. We’ve seen Kind of Blue sell for more than $1,300 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Anyway, Erich’s comments got me to thinking about some of my favorite records on Columbia and other labels, so I thought I’d do a quick post on these. This is all off the top of my head because my records are all over the place these days, so here are one, two or three favorites per label, just for fun. I’m sure I’ll miss many favorites, but that’s why we have comments on this site to make amends and amendments.

Atlantic: John Coltrane, Giant Steps (too obvious, right?). I also have a fondness for LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith and Charles Mingus Blues and Roots.

Argo: Art Farmer, Art

Bethlehem: Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette, The Chase is On; Dexter Gordon, Daddy Plays the Horn

Blue Note: We’ve been down this road before: I’m sticking with Art Blakey, Buhaina’s Delight and Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd. Perhaps throw in Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective and Horace Silver’s Song for My Father or Blowin’ the Blues Away in honor of my dad.

Columbia: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue and ‘Round Midnight (OK, I’m still being obvious, but really, how can you go against these records). Thelonious Monk, Criss Cross

Contemporary: Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders (yes, most people prefer Way Out West; I prefer this one); Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section

Decca: Billie Holiday, Lover Man

Emarcy: Brown and Roach, Inc., Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street; Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown

Impulse: John Coltrane at Birdland (A Love Supreme would be the obvious Trane, but I prefer this one); Oliver Nelson, Blues and the Abstract Truth; Coltrane Ballads

Jazzland: Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis, Lookin’ at Monk

New Jazz: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, Jackie McLean, McLean’s Scene, Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny

Norgran/Clef: The Tal Farlow Album (10-inch); The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio; Stan Getz Plays; Bird with Strings

Pacific Jazz: Chet Baker Sings; Gerry Mulligan plays Mulligan

Prestige: Sonny Rollins, Worktime, Tenor Madness, Plus Four; Coltrane, Soultrane

Riverside: Cannonball Adderley Live at the Lighthouse; Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby

Roost: Sonny Stitt and the New Yorkers

Savoy: All of the Birds

Verve: Ella and Louis; Tal Farlow, The Swinging Guitar; Ben Webster and Art Tatum

 

Watching Blue Notes From a New Seller

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In between packed boxes, hauling records, driving back and forth between Great Neck, Manhattan and Monterey, Ma., I was actually able to take a peek at eBay and find some interesting jazz auctions that I’ve been watching the past few days. Here are a few:

Ah, the longing . . . how often will I watch this, one of my favorite records, before I finally take the plunge and acquire that original pressing I’ve desired for 20-plus years: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original pressing that was listed in  M- condition. It sold for $737, quite a reasonable price, all things considered. It was an interesting auction because the seller, from South Africa, put up a bunch of nice Blue Notes all at once and he had only one feedback rating (at least it was positive). The seller makes the strong case that he is new to eBay, but not to record collecting, and he seems to be knowledgeable. With a more secure seller, this would have sold for more money, right? In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve seen this one sell for more than $1,200. This one came from the same seller:

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Moving . . . Moving . . . Moving . . . Moving . . .

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Sorry I’ve been posting so irregularly. I’ve been in the throes of moving for the past few weeks and it’s been quite intense. I’ve actually been moving my records to three locations: My new apartment in the city, my new house in the country and my storage facility. Right now, the only records still in the house are those that are being sold at the estate sale, which begins tomorrow, and are being sold for $1 or $2 each. There may be some finds in there, but not too much. I had room for about 1,500 records in the city, so I went through my collection and pulled out a bunch of records that didn’t fit. Some are in storage, some are in the country. Also, I boxed up all of my 78s — I have at least 1,000, maybe more — as well as my 10-inch records and put those in storage as well, until a figure out where to put them. It’s been a process, to say the least. When you go through this, as many of you inevitably will, it does make you question the sanity of keeping so many records and figuring out what to do with them. I mean, it’s quite nice to have all of the Arnett Cobb records on Prestige because they are Prestige and they are original and they have that ’50s/’60s air about them, but when the time comes for me to listen to a tenor player, will Arnett Cobb ever again make it to my turntable?

eBaying: Criss, Trane, Tenorman

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Here are some interesting jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

We were somewhat surprised to see this one in the $1,000 bin, considering that the market seems a bit down these days: Sonny Criss, Go Man, Imperial 9020. There were 28 bids, which is a lot. It was a very reputable seller, the record was in M- condition, and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,259.

This one was only in VG condition for the record and the cover, yet is still nearly made the $1,000 bin: Lawrence Marable, Tenorman, Jazz West 8. This one even had audible scuffs. Nevertheless, it sold for $909.99.

One of my all-time favorite records, in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover: John Coltrane, Soultrane, Prestige 7142. This one sold for $338.99

Jaro, Jaro, Jaro

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What’s the collective knowledge out there about the Jaro label? I mention this because I am watching copies of the Kenny Dorham and J.R. Monterose records, which are both on eBay now, and because I listened to a reissue of the Monterose record a few weeks ago and it was terrific. Here’s what we are watching, among other items: The Arrival of Kenny Dorham, Jaro 5007. This looks to be an original pressing in strong VG+ condition for the record and the vinyl. The start price is about $200 and, so far, there are no bidders. There are two copies of the Monterose I’m watching: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This looks to be an original mono pressing that is in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding has reached about $230 with a little more than a day to go and the seller’s reserve price has not yet been met. There is also this one: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 8004. This is a stereo pressing of the same record. The vinyl looks to be VG+ and the cover probably VG++. The start price is $160 and so far there is one bidder.

eBaying: Alto Madness & A Pair of Blue Notes

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Here’s some nice jazz vinyl that’s been sold on eBay recently, while we’ve been offline and packing.

Jackie McLean and John Jenkins, Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This was an original yellow label pressing with the New York address. It was sold by Euclid Records and was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. What a beauty. It sold for $812, a relatively high price for a Prestige of this vintage, but who can argue at this kind of value for a record of this quality in this condition.

Here’s an interesting one: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing. The seller didn’t actually grade it, but gave some information about the condition, so we get to determine the grading ourselves. There was some surface noise on two tracks of this LP, one of which the seller described as “unpleasant.” The highest grade it would get in our view would be VG+. The more likely grade would be VG. What do you think? The cover looked to be VG++. The price was $676, which would reflect more of a VG+ grading than a VG grading, don’t you think?

This one came from a seller with only three feedbacks, so it’s a little risky, right?

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Catching Up on Rare and “Megarare” Jazz Vinyl

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Here are some other items we were watching before we got distracted.

Remember that nice batch of 10-inch LPs? They did quite well. Kenny Dorham Quintet, Debut 9. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was near mint. The price was $430.55. Sonny Rollins Quintet, Prestige 186. This one was also VG++ for the record and near mint for the cover. It sold for $510. Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Prestige 187. This was in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $305. I’d take it at that price if, indeed, I was buying records these days.

Even though this was was described as “megarare” — shades of BobD — it didn’t sell at a start price of about $300: John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was a stereo pressing with the bullseye label. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+.

Back in Action: Updating the $1,000 Bin

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Been so busy around here, haven’t even been on eBay in days. So what have we been missing? Here’s some interesting jazz vinyl stuff.

Donald Byrd, Byrd, Transition 5. This was an original pressing with the booklet. The record was listed in VG condition and the cover/booklet both looked very nice, probably VG++ the way we rank things around here. The price was $1,336.55. I was willing to sell my Byrd’s Eye View on Transition, no booklet, but no one has really taken me up on my offer to shop through my collection in person. Now, I’m starting to pack things up in preparation for the big moves, coming soon — although the “store” is still open.

This one also made it to the $1,000 bin: Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing, quite lovely, and it was in what looked like VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,300. Just seeing pictures of those Lexington Avenue labels gets the heart kind of racing.

While we’re on Blue Note Lexingtons, how about this one from the same seller: J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This also looked quite lovely, probably VG++ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,200.

 

Where Is Everybody?

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OK, so I did that post the other day, offering to dig deep into my collection to sell rare vinyl, and offering the opportunities to pick up many, many other records for reasonable prices. I expected to be inundated with phone calls and emails. So far, I’ve had one call, from our old friend CeeDee, and one email, from a new reader who doesn’t have much money to spend and may or may not be interested in coming out to Western Nassau county. What gives? What was it about my original posting that has failed to pique any interest from the dozens/scores/hundreds of jazz collectors in the New York area who, you’d figure, would be interested in seeing what was for sale at least out of curiosity? I’m perplexed, but sanguine. It’s not like I’m desperate, but I really thought the phone would be ringing off the hook.

Massive Jazz Vinyl & Collectible Sale — NOW!

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Imagine this: The greatest jazz vinyl store in the world. A cross between Dayton’s of the 1970s and the Jazz Record Center of today. Dozens of original Blue Notes. Scores of additional rare LPs, from Donald Byrd on Signature to Sonny Criss on Imperial to Lester Young on Aladdin. Plus hundreds of less-rare-but-moderately-priced records from the annals of jazz.

Imagine no longer. It is here, it is now and it is happening. For three weeks only.

Welcome to the one-time-only Jazz Collector Record Store.

This is the story:

In three weeks the lovely Mrs. JC and I are moving from our spacious home on Long Island to two locales, our lake house in The Berkshires and a much less spacious apartment in Manhattan. I plan to take as many records as possible with me, but I would like to divest of many records and other jazz collectibles before the moves as well.

I have 2,000 records in my basement for sale. These are mostly later pressings and reissues, but they will be moderately priced. For instance, I have about 50 Japanese and Liberty Blue Notes I will be selling for $10 each. I also have beautiful jazz posters and artwork, hundreds of jazz books, hundreds of jazz magazines, hundreds of CDs. Many are for sale.

Fine, but nothing to go nuts about, right?

I will also be willing to dip into my jazz vinyl collection. Deep into my collection, depending upon the records and the prices. How deep? I’ll consider selling major collectibles, such as an original Jutta Hipp on Blue Note, Kenny Dorham at the Café Bohemia on Blue Note, Sonny Criss on Imperial, Donald Byrd on Signature, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Stanley Turrentine, Blue Notes all. I will not sell my Trane, Rollins, Dexter, Miles, Adderley, so don’t ask. But I may be willing sell some of my McLeans, Hubbards, Fullers or Mobleys. I will even sell my autographed 78 of Moody’s Mood for Love – but only to Don-Lucky because it has been promised to him.

Here are the conditions:

  1. Do not expect bargains. I will sell records from my collection for prices slightly below what you will see on eBay or on the Jazz Collector Price Guide. The advantage is you get to see, touch and, if you want, listen to the record before purchase. There will also be many moderately priced collectibles.
  2. Do not haggle. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy the record. If I tell you I won’t sell it, please put it back on the shelf.
  3. In-person only. I’m not selling these records by mail. This sale is being conducted from my home, by appointment only. My house is quite easy to get to by car or train. Be polite and respectful, please.
  4. No personal checks, no credit cards. Cash and Pay Pal only.

If you are anywhere around the New York area between now and July 14 I strongly suggest you make an appointment. Jason, this would be worth a trip from Massachusetts. Don-Lucky, this might be a time to plan that long-promised trip to New York. Any collectors or dealers from Japan, if you’re in New York, this will be worthwhile. I have thousands of great jazz records and I’m in a mood to cut back. I don’t need the money, it’s just psychological: I want to downsize my life. Once I get settled in my new homes, I imagine my mood will change and I’ll regret selling every single record I sold.

One more warning: There will be a challenge finding dates to fit people in: Because I’m moving, I may not be around a lot the next couple of weekends, but during the week the appointment book will often be clear.

You can e-mail me at the usual place, al(at)jazzcollector.com to make an appointment, or you can call my home office, 516 467-4276. Good luck and I hope to see some of you soon.  For those of you who can’t make it in person, I will be happy to provide updates on Jazz Collector.

 

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