Today at Jazz Collector: Trane Reigns

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This is a busy day here at Jazz Collector, with a particular emphasis on John Coltrane collectibles. Some of the heavy-ticket items we’ve been watching are closing today, including that copy of Giant Steps, which is now more than $200; later today we will be announcing the winner of our contest to win a copy of My Favorite Things; and we are closing our last auctions for a couple of weeks, as we head off for a brief holiday. Have no fear, during the holiday we will still be doing our daily posts, and more, on Jazz Collector. Meanwhile, some of the items closing today.

Art Taylor, Taylor’s Wailers, Prestige 7117. This is an original pressing and the record features an all star lineup of John Coltrane, Jackie McLean and Charlie Rouse, among others. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG++. The price is now about $450. This is one of those records in the batch being sold by Bobdjukic, which also includes the Giant Steps LP. What I find incredible is

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Phil Woods & eBay Existentialism

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I have a friend who is a big fan of 10-inch LPs and a big fan of 1950s Phil Woods. I was looking at eBay today and sent him this photo and this listing: Phil Woods New Jazz Quintet, Prestige New Jazz 1104. This one is only in VG condition, but I knew he would love it. Sure enough he wrote a reply: “You know me too well.” I love this one too, particularly the red and white New Jazz label, which you don’t see too often and, if I recall, doesn’t appear on 12-inch LPs at all. It is now in the $50 price range. So I’m picturing my friend now sitting at home pondering: To bid, or not to bid. The essential existential e-Bay question on a sultry summer day in New York. My bet on the answer? To bid.

Miles, Introducing Trane, On eBay, In Metronome

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I was perusing eBay early this morning and came across this beautiful item: Miles, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. I’ve always loved this LP, not just for the music and the great cover, but for the historic value as well: The introduction of the great Miles Quintet of the ’50s and, in particular, the introduction of John Coltrane. So, I put this item on my watch list and took a further look and it turns out to be a listing from Rudolf, our faithful friend and commentator. So we are happy to help Rudolf publicize this listing on the Jazz Collector site, but we also noticed a nice teaser in the listing, which notes that they album will be offered with a copy of Metronome’s July 1956 review of the album. Furthermore, the listing notes that the Metronome review is

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Some More Blue Notes, Some More $1,000 LPs

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We casually mentioned the Lexington Avenue version of Sonny Rollins Volume One, Blue Note 1542 and there, lo and behold, is a beautiful M- copy that is ready for the $1,000 bin. This one sold for $1,225.

Also entering the $1,000 bin is Dizzy Reece, Blues in Trinity, Blue Note 4006. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that was in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $1,595.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original pressing n VG+ condition with a light scratch. The cover was listed as excellent-minus, which is, what, VG+ at best? It too is in the $1,000 bin, fetching

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A Question About Blue Note Labels in Transition

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Someone asked us off-line if the LP Dexter Calling by Dexter Gordon, Blue Note 4083, is known to have pressings with the West 63rd Street label. There is often confusion about some of these titles right on the cusp of when the company moved and changed addresses. I’ve seen sellers on eBay list Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542, as a West 63rd Street original when I have a Lexington Avenue copy on my shelf. Anyway, on the Dexter Record, the original pressing is New York USA. This question had come up a few years ago and the Blue Note expert Larry Cohn set us straight. The real question is on the Dexter Gordon LP Doin’ Allright, Blue Note 4077. There actually are pressings of this with the West 63rd Street label, but there is no evidence to suggest that these are any earlier than the New York USA pressings. This album was issued at a time when Blue Note was in transition and they simply used both labels while they

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Giant Steps: Black or Bulls-Eye or Both?

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The real reason I was looking at the listings of bobdjukic was the copy he is selling of John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This is a mono pressing with the bulls-eye label. Here’s what he says about the record: “Believed by many to be of the same vintage as the black Atlantic stereo label — in other words, as strangely as it sounds, one of two ‘co-equal’ first pressings.” This depiction is a new one for me, and I’m quite skeptical of its accuracy. A few years ago, I was scolded on this very site for purchasing a bulls-eye stereo copy of Giant Steps, even though I only paid $50. That’s my copy in the picture. The value has subsequently gone up. But this is the first time I’m hearing that anyone believes the bulls-eye and black labels are

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Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get Those Eyeballs?

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If you’ve been on eBay this week, you’ve probably noticed the listings of the seller bobdjukic, who has a few hundred records listed, not all jazz. He’s a seller who often puts up nice stuff. I’ve never bought from him, so I don’t know his reputation. One thing I do know: His listings get noticed. I was glancing at the listing for Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This seems to be an original pressing in less than VG condition with a cover that’s just in G or G+ condition. Not great by any means. I was not surprised at the $100 price tag — nothing about Blue Note prices surprises me anymore — but by the number of page views the item received: It has a staggering total of 1,579 views and there are still four days to go. In all the years I’ve been listing on e-Bay, I’ve never had a single record receive that kind of viewership. I’m not sure what this guy does to attract eyeballs, but whatever it is, it is working.

Updates: More Monterose and More Blue Note

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Jazz Collector is certainly expanding my horizons. Today I spoke to a bass player in Rochester who was friends with J.R. Monterose and, in fact, produced a CD that is probably J.R.’s last recording. He’s sending me a copy and I’ll let you know about it when it arrives. Quite possibly we could end up as a repository of the first and last known recordings of J.R. Monterose. Pretty cool. Also, I had a long conversation with Ron Rambach, who has a company called Music Matters, which reissuing of a good portion of the Blue Note catalogue as

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Les Paul Dies

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News travels so fast these days: I go on Facebook and there are notes from a bunch of people that Les Paul has died. He was not a great jazzman, but he was an innovator and certainly influential. Now that I convinced my friend Dan Axelrod to write something about Tal Farlow, I will ask him to do something about Les Paul, because I know he has a few personal stories.

Does Jazz Really Need Saving?

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There was an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day entitled “Can Jazz Be Saved?” It cites a bunch of statistics showing that the audience for jazz in the U.S. is both dwindling and aging, which is not a good combination. It’s somewhat of a sad commentary on the state of the jazz scene in America, but it does ignore the other reality that jazz is still revered and treasured to a much greater degree in Europe and Asia. It also talks about jazz following the route of classical music, in the sense that it is now viewed a an art form of high culture. I thought it might be interesting to share with everyone. In a way, the article supports what we’re seeing in the jazz collectibles market — the belief that jazz is a high art form and its history should be cherished and preserved: Thus, the subsequent rise we’re witnessing in prices for the original artifacts.

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