Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Benny Golson On Riverside

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This is one of our favorite records: Benny Golson, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256. It is a very nice sextet recording from 1957 with an all-star lineup: Kenny Dorham on trumpet; Golson on tenor; JJ Johnson on trombone; Wynton Kelly on piano; Paul Chambers on bass, Max Roach on drums. Love Dorham’s playing on this LP, JJ as well, and the arrangements are solid. It’s also one of those records on which both sides are equally good and listenable. We highly recommend it and we know we are going to keep it in our collection. The issue, however, is this: We have both an original pressing of this record on Riverside as well as a reissue on Jazzland: Reunion, Jazzland 85. The reissue is in a little bit better condition and, to be honest, they both sound about the same to us on our equipment. So which to keep, the one in better condition or the original?

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Paul Gonsalves on Argo

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This is one that is quite similar to the Seldon Powell Roost jazz vinyl LP we put up yesterday: Paul Gonsalves, Cookin’, Argo 626. It is also a quite rare and collectible record in nice condition by a tenor player who is excellent but not quite in the same category as the greats. This is also a record that has sold for more than $200 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. As well, it is a record for which we have no particular attachment: We purchased it a couple of years ago as part of a small collection. This has a price tag on it and it also has a better cover than the Seldon Powell: An action picture of Gonsalves and the “Daddy-O Presents” tag, which makes it quite interesting. Nice package and a nice record.

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Seldon Powell on Roost

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Here’s the record: Seldon Powell Sextet, Roost 2220. We had this one in a pile to sell. Why: Well, we have no personal attachment to the record, can’t even remember when or where we bought it. We had never listened to it despite owning it for several years. Seldon Powell is a nice tenor player, but, face it, he’s not Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane. The sidemen are good, but nothing special: Jimmy Cleveland, Freddie Green, Aaron Bell, Roland Hanna, Osie and Gus Johnson. Most importantly, this is a record that is quite collectible and could fetch a fair price. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve seen it sell for more than $200. So, we put it on the turntable this morning with the expectation that we would most likely be selling this record on eBay. So, what’s the verdict?

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An Avalanche of Thousand-Dollar-Plus Jazz Vinyl

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We’ve been off line for a couple of days, just got back, went to My Ebay and noticed that the auctions of the seller Nautiluso are now in the midst of closing. Wow! Wait till you see these prices. Here’s a start:

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. Like most of the others in this group, this was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $3,342.99.

J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. Condition: M- for record and cover. Price: $2,247.22

Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. Condition: M-. Price: $1,175

Hank Mobley With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. Condition: M-. Price: $1,705.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. Condition: M-. Price: $2,247.

Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside 399. Condition: M-
Price: $1,500.

As noted, this is just a small sampling. There will be more to come. It would be great if some of the winners of this vinyl will report back to us on the condition and whether these records are, indeed, as pristine as they seem.

On eBay Now: Jackie, Dolphy, Bud

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Here are a few items we’re watching on eBay the next few days. We’ve already mentioned all of those records by the seller nautiluso, so we’ll be reporting back on those as well.

Jackie McLean, Consequence, Blue Note Japan King GXF-8172. This is an album that was not released originally in the United States and this is the first press. It features Lee Morgan, Harold Mabern, Herbie Lewis and Billy Higgins. It was recorded in December 1965 and appears here with updated liner notes. I didn’t realize that it had value as a collectible, until I noticed it here and saw that the price is already more than $100 with a couple of days left before the auction closes. I do have a copy of this record, so it will now get a thorough listening to see if it makes the cut in The Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown.

Eric Dolphy in Europe, Debut 136. This is the original Danish pressing and

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Archie Shepp, Impulse

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When people ask me about my record collection or even my taste in jazz, I often kid around and tell them it ends in 1964. There is quite a bit of truth in that, however. My taste generally runs to bop and post-bop and, as I’m getting older, I’m finding it going more backwards into mainstream jazz than towards anything current. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of saying I recently picked up a bunch of albums on the Impulse label and am in the throes of deciding what to keep and what to sell. I put this one on the turntable yesterday: Archie Shepp, Fire Music, Impulse 86. It seemed promising: A 1965 LP with tracks such as Prelude to a Kiss and The Girl From Ipanema. The record is in beautiful condition and I’m sure it is a classic of its genre. But

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Today on eBay: A Rare Bird Indeed

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We spent some time last night perusing today’s activities on eBay, so we figured we’d share some of our findings with you on a bright lovely morning in the New York metro area.

Charlie Parker, The Bird Blows The Blues, Dial 901. This is purported to be the first 12-inch LP ever. It was issued as a promo for Dial. There are reports of only 50 pressings of this record, but, we’re sure that is part of the mythology. We’ve written about it before at Jazz Collector and we’ve also tracked pricing in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Our top price in the past has been $2,850. It certainly does not come up on eBay very often. This one seems to be in pretty nice condition. When we first saw this last night, the price was around a hundred dollars and now it’s around $400 with six hours to go. We’ll see where it ends up. It is quite a rarity and

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Early Eric Dolphy

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We were cleaning this record yesterday to put it up on eBay: The Chico Hamilton Quintet With Strings Attached, Warner Brothers 1245. It is an original pressing in pretty nice condition. It was in a pile of records to sell. It was not one I was even considering keeping, so it wasn’t even going to get a mention in the Jazz Vinyl Countdown. Then I looked at the liner notes, where it mentions a “newcomer” on reeds by the name of Eric Dolphy. I had forgotten about Dolphy getting started with Hamilton. Anyway, I decided to give this record a second chance. I put it on the turntable. Quite interesting Dolphy — he plays mostly straight, but you can absolutely hear the direction he will head towards in the next few years. So, after listening to several tracks, what’s the verdict?

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Jutta Hipp Blue Note Tops The $1,000 Mark, But Jackie McLean Does Not Sell For $2,500

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Time to catch up on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching this week at Jazz Collector:

Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205. This was an original purple label pressing in VG++ condition, both the record and the cover. It was sold by Euclid Records, which usually means it would get top dollar. However, in this case, we’re not so sure. This one sold for $153.50. We sold a copy of our own a few months ago for more than double that, even though it was in worse condition. We’re not sure what that means, other than the reality that prices on eBay tend to fluctuate for no apparent rhyme or reason.

Then there was this one from Euclid Records: Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House Volume One, Blue Note 1515. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,263. That’s the first time this record will enter the $1,000 bin in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. As we’re doing our Great Jazz Vinyl Countdown, this

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Jazz Vinyl Countdown: Bird’s First, Autographed

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Here’s an interesting test: With this winnowing down of the jazz vinyl collection, are we still a collector or have we morphed into something else  — perhaps a dealer-slash-collector-slash-aficionado or something other equally endearing term? Well, we have two copies of this pretty rare 10-inch record: Jay McShann, Kansas City Memories, Decca 5503. This record is noteworthy because it is the first studio recording of one Charles Christopher Parker Jr. Bird’s solos on The Jumpin’ Blues and (especially) Hootie Blues usher in a new era in jazz. It doesn’t get any better than that, does it? Both of our copies of this record are in pretty nice condition, but one of them has a bonus feature: An autograph on the back by

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