“A Pretty Nice Batch of Sides”

5 comments

Let’s turn this one over to our friend Japhy, who sent me the following note under the subject “New Trombone, New High!”

“Heya, Al, just randomly nosing around eBay and noticed a few records, all from the same seller. Not one of the more-known sellers we talk about, but the guy recently sold a pretty nice batch of sides for some hefty sums. Included in those were Curtis Fuller New Trombone, Prestige 7107, which at $1,259 set a new record, and also a Riverside white label Monk Plays Ellington, which, at $1,077, was the third highest ever, according to Popsike. Read more

Newk, Candy, Jug, Bird: A Jazz Vinyl Potpourri

5 comments

Pardon the interruption. I decided to take a much needed vacation. Hopped in the car with The Lovely Mrs. and headed south. Ended up in the northern part of Florida, with a small Airbnb located right on the ocean. Damn, a fellow could get used to that. Didn’t think about work, didn’t think about records, didn’t think about much of anything. I’m back now and there’s still snow and ice on the ground and the winds were howling at about 40 MPH overnight and into this morning. Of course, you are not here for a weather report but for information about rare or not-so-rare jazz records. Let’s hop on over the eBay for the first time in a couple of weeks and see what is going on, shall we? We can start with Newk: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Esquire 32-045. This looks to be an original UK pressing. The seller describes it as EX with a lot of plus signs, so I would take that to be M- or so for the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $300 range and the auction closes later today, so by the time many of you see this, the bidding will be finalized and someone will be anxiously awaiting their copy of this very cool record. The music isn’t bad either. Read more

Jazz Collectors’ Items

4 comments

My eBay watch list is filled with Blue Notes and Prestiges today. Gee, what a surprise. Let’s start with Miles Davis, Collectors’ Items, Prestige 7044. This looks to be an original New York yellow label pressing, listed as M- for the record and EX for the cover. The auction closes in about a day and the bidding is in the $320 range. From the same seller is Miles Davis and Milt Jackson, Quintet/Sextet, Prestige 7034. I never really noticed that Milt Jackson was listed as a co-leader until I started typing this post. Miles in big letters and the cover picture, Bags not quite as prominent. I wonder why Jackson was even mentioned on the front cover in that it is clearly a Miles section. Perhaps this was a time when the Modern Jazz Quartet was getting some buzz in the market? Anyway, this is another one listed in M- condition for the record. The cover also looks M-. Bidding is in the $135 range and the auction closes in about a day. Read more

A Hot and Heavy Threesome

23 comments

It’s pretty rare for me to come across a rare jazz record on eBay whereby I had never heard of either the artist or the record. Here’s one: The Mike Taylor Quintet, Pendulum, EMI Columbia 6042. This is an original 1966 UK pressing listed in EX+ condition for both the record and the cover. A quick eBay search tells me that I probably should have heard of Mike Taylor because of his association with Cream as a songwriter. But I don’t know his music and his story seems quite tragic: drowning in the River Thames at the age of 30 following years of heavy drug use and homelessness. Anyway, the bidding for this record is pretty hot and heavy, with the price already at $2,100. Read more

Variations on a Vinyl Theme

10 comments

Here’s some random jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay, starting with Miles Davis, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. This looks to be an original New York yellow label pressing with the original green cover. Coltrane’s first LP with Miles. The record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The bidding is at $56 with five days left on the auction. From the same seller, and also under $100 (for now) is Lou Donaldson, Lou Takes Off, Blue Note 1591. This looks to be an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record is listed in VG condition and the cover is VG++. Bidding is at $51 with five days left. Read more

Filling Up the $1,000 Bin

11 comments

Catching up on the eBay jazz vinyl watch list. Let’s start with one that was sent to me by Japhy: Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This was an original deep-groove. West 63rd Street mono. The record and the cover were both in VG++ condition. The final price was $1,650. Japhy’s note was titled “Swinging for the fences,” and he did my homework for me: “A new high of $1,650 for Jackie McLean Swing, Swang, Swingin’ in reported VG++/VG++ condition. Prior high was $1,283 back in 2005.” Speaking of “Swingin’” new highs, we were watching this one the other day: Read more

A Period Piece and More

13 comments

As a collector, I have always tended to focus more on musicians than on labels. So, for example, it was more interesting to me to have original Coltrane, Miles or Cannonball records, than to focus on the Blue Note, Prestige or Riverside catalogues. Anyway, the key artists for me have been the key artists for many of you – Miles, Trane, Clifford Brown, Monk, Dexter, Sonny Rollins, and a few more. One of the records that has somehow slipped my grasp after all of these years of jazz collecting is this one: Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This is an original pressing listed in VG condition for the record and the cover. The start price is $500 and so far there are no bidders. I haven’t been buying in a while, but a record like this would be of interest for sure and would fill in that one Newk hole in my collection. And I always liked that cover.
Read more

Jazz Records: One of a Kind! Too Good To Be True! Amazing Bargain$!

21 comments

I’m sure all of you get stopped in your tracks at times by weird listings on eBay or other outlets. Here are a few from my list, starting with Lester Young, Norgran MG N-1022. I’ve noticed this on eBay for at least a couple of months. I can’t imagine why it hasn’t sold yet. The buy-it-now price is only $250,000 U.S. dollars or, as we might say here in the states, a cool quarter of a million. Apparently what makes the record this valuable is the stamp that states: “For Demonstration Only Not For Sale.” This is what the seller says about this record: “Our extensive research shows that this may well be the only such demonstration copy in the world or the only surviving one, as there is no record of another such demonstration-only copy ever being sold and there is no catalogued example of it with even similar demo stamp designation or any of the professional vinyl websites.” The seller won’t show full pictures of the cover due to “confidentiality purposes.” I’m not going to make any catty comments, beyond the fact that I’m sharing this with you in a post about weird listings. I looked at the copy in my collection and it is a beauty, definitely from the collection I bought in Baltimore because the previous owner, Bruce M. West, kept his records in mint condition and put the date or month he acquired it in small ink on the back cover. The date was 5/56. Alas, there is no “For Demonstration Only Not For Sale” stamp on my copy, so I guess I will have to put off my retirement. That wasn’t too catty, was it? Read more

Still Here, Still Watching That Jazz Vinyl

14 comments

Whew, it’s been a long time  between posts. Sorry about that. All is well, but there’s been a lot going on here. I’m even back in New York City for a bit. Set up a new turntable here and brought some records back to the apartment, mostly duplicates. Haven’t been following eBay closely, but I should be back in regular action, such as it is, starting today. So, let’s look at some of the jazz records and auctions we’ve missed along the way, starting with Hank Mobley Sextet, Blue Note 1560. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing with the deep grooves, ear, etc. The record and cover both looked to be in M- condition. The final price was $3,036.23. Read more

New Year’s Vinyl

10 comments

This record seems appropriate for the time of year: Vice Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Fantasy 85019. This looked to be an original stereo pressing. The record and cover were listed in EX condition. The final price was $355. I always liked the music for the Peanuts gang, but I never did own this record. And still don’t. I guess it’s the season because I was watching another copy at the same time. This copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas was listed in VG++ condition for the record and EX for the cover. The final price was $227.50. Read more

1 … 17 18 19 20 21 … 214