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Rare Jazz Potpourri: Classic Trane, Billie’s First

January 16, 2016 Al 14 comments

Here’s a jazz vinyl potpourri for today, starting with John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse 77. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the Van Gelder stamps in the deadwax and the orange labels. The record is in VG++ condition and the cover is in Ex. The bidding is getting close to the $450 range with a little more than a day left in the auction, as of this writing. Although A Love Supreme has pretty much always been regarded as a masterpiece, I really saw it as a big collector’s item until the last few years. Sort of like Kind of Blue: Even though there may be more copies of these records than some others, there is also much greater demand for original pressings. These records not only appeal to collectors, but pretty much to anyone with a love for jazz.

I find this one really interesting:

Charles Mingus: Sacre Bleu!

January 8, 2016 Al 23 comments

The funkyousounds auction from the Dr. Herb Wong collection seems to have been brought out the Charles Mingus fans. Here’s Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um, Columbia 8171. This is an original stereo pressing with the six eyes. The record and cover are both in M- condition and there is some shrink wrap, which for some reason seems to be an enticement to some collectors, although I cannot fathom the reason. This one has more than a day left on the auction and the bidding is now over $400. I resisted the urge to put an exclamation point after the $400, but only barely. The old newspaper editor in me, I guess. Here’s another one worthy of an exclamation point, from the same auction: Charles Mingus, Blues and Roots, Atlantic 1305. This is also a stereo pressing, but not a first press. It is also in M- condition for the record and the cover, and it also has shrink wrap. This one is in the $300 range! BTW, did I ever mention the time I was writing about Mingus here and I left out the “G” and wrote it as “Charles Minus.” I did that and one of our French-speaking readers chastised me with the term “Sacre Bleu!,” which is one you don’t hear very often these days, but was certainly well deserved in this particular instance, don’t you think?

Blue Note

No Clowning Around: What’s Going On?

January 5, 2016 Al 16 comments

I’ve been perusing eBay this morning and a few items caught my eye, including Art Blakey, Blue Note 4003. This is an original West 63rd Street pressing and it looks to be in very nice condition. Based on the seller’s description, probably VG++ for both the record and the cover. There is a start price of $200 and so far there are no bidders, even though the auction closes in just one day. Just last week a copy of the same record, probably a little bit cleaner, sold for more than $1,000. What gives?

This one also startled me: Charles Mingus, The Clown, Atlantic 1260. The record is in M- condition and the cover is in M- condition and there is some torn shrink wrap. The bidding is now at $455. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention — it’s not an original pressing. It’s a later pressing with the purple and orange label. What gives here? You’ll notice that it’s part of the sale of the collection from the late Dr. Herb Wong, but surely that can’t be enough to vault a second (or third) pressing into a new stratosphere, can it? It can’t be the shrink wrap, can it? Help me out here: $455 (and counting) with five more days to go?

Some Gems From a Gem of a Collection

December 23, 2015 Al 11 comments

Here’s a nice one: Johnny Griffin, The Kerry Dancers, Riverside 420. This looks do be an original promo pressing with the white label and the deep grooves. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The bidding is in the $300 range with more than five days left on the auction. The seller notes that it is from the estate of the late Dr. Herb Wong, who was a pretty well known jazz historian, writer and radio host in the San Francisco Bay area. The seller, Funkyousounds, states in the listing that it has acquired Dr. Wong’s entire collection. I noticed a bunch of other auctions from the estate earlier this week. Funkyousounds is based in St.Louis, so I, for one, am curious how they ended up with the collection. Funkyousounds, if you are out there, perhaps you have a story to share with us here at Jazz Collector?

One of the other ones I had noticed from the collection was this:

Outward Bound, I Wish I Was

December 22, 2015 Al 8 comments

Here’s one of my favorite covers: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This is an original pressing with the deep grooves and the purple label. The record and cover both look to be in about VG++ condition. The seller has placed a high opening price of more than $700 and so far there are no bidders. We’ll see. I don’t recall this record ever selling for more than $500. I tried doing a Google search for information about the cover, but there was scant detail. Anyone? At the same time, there is also this for sale on eBay: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, Esquire 32-123. This is a first press from the U.K. The condition is not nearly so good as the American original, I would guess VG for both the record and the cover, based on the seller’s description. There are three days left on the auction and there is a single bid at about $66.

Here’s another nice Prestige:

Prestige

Less Than 50 Copies? Really??????

November 24, 2015 Al 13 comments

Here are some odds and ends from the jazz vinyl world on eBay, starting with Ornette Coleman, ESP 1006. This is an original pressing with the silkscreen cover. The record is listed in Ex+ condition, which I interpret to VG++ in the terms we use here at Jazz Collector. The start price is about $700 and so far there are no bids. What struck me about this listing were that the seller described it as a “holy grail” LP, which is a term I have come to detest after all these years watching eBay. The second thing that struck me was that the seller states as fact that there were less than 50 of these pressed. I find that hard to believe. I feel like I’ve seen at least 50 of these on eBay these past dozen or so years. I tend to doubt it’s the same 50 records going back and forth between collectors. Clifford would probably have a better sense of the veracity and reality behind this record, so please enlighten us when you get a chance.

This one looks appealing, particularly since I still don’t have an original pressing:

Searching for Bargains and Deep Grooves

November 19, 2015 Al 11 comments

Here are a few more rare jazz records worth watching on eBay, starting with Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This looks to be an original New York yellow label pressing listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. This one just came onto eBay and has a start price of $380. It also has a “but-it-now” price of $700. I have a feeling, once people start reading this article, someone just might swoop in and buy it. The $700 price tag actually seems pretty reasonable for this very rare LP. I, fortunately, have my own copy now, courtesy of the family of Bruce W. West in Baltimore. Also from Prestige: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This is an original deep-groove purple label pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. There are five days left on the auction and the bidding is in the $565 range, on its way up into somewhere in the $1,500 to $3,000 range for its final price.

Tracking Jazz Vinyl To The Ends of The Earth . . . . . . (And Perhaps Beyond)

November 17, 2015 Al 10 comments

Back in action again. Working out of my apartment this week in Manhattan. There’s a construction project next door, so I’m sitting here with headphones to block out the noise. Right now it’s Bill Evans “I Loves You Porgy.” There are worse ways to work. Now, on to eBay, starting with Here Comes Frank Foster, Blue Note 5043. This is an original 10-inch pressing with the Lexington label. The seller misspells the name as “Forster.” Can’t imagine that would affect searches, but you never know. This one is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The starting price is about $300 and so far there are no bidders with more than three days left. I imagine, in this condition, this record will get some decent action. I have seen Japanese reissues of this record, but was it ever issued on Blue Note in the U.S. on a 12-inch LP? Same with the Dizzy Gillespie Blue Note, Horn of Plenty. I don’t recall seeing that on a 12-inch LP. Any other Blue Notes in a similar category? I can’t think of any off the top of my head, although I’m sure there are more.

High Priced Vinyl? ‘Tis in the Eye of the Beholder

November 9, 2015 Al 7 comments

Just checked my eBay watch list and came right up with a pair of high-priced items that we had mentioned here before, starting with Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This was an original deep groove New York yellow label listed in M- condition for the record and Ex for the cover. When we first saw this record, the bidding was more than $1,000 and it hadn’t reached its reserve price. The record eventually surpassed the reserve price and beyond, selling for $3,938.

This one sold for more than $2,000 but, frankly, I thought it would sell for more, given it’s rarity: Kenny Dorham, Harlem Youth Unlimited, Jazz at P.S. 175. This was an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. I asked in the previous post: Is this the rarest of them all? No one seemed to say no, so I’m assuming perhaps it is. It did not get the highest price of them all, although the price was quite high, $2,225, in fact. I would LOVE a copy of this record, but not at $2,225, thank you.

Let’s check out the e-mail bag:

Is This The Rarest of Them All?

October 30, 2015 Al 11 comments

Buongiorno! Back from Italy and a little bit worse for the wear. My flight home was delayed because a horse was acting up in cargo and they had to remove all of the luggage, then remove the horse and then reload all the luggage. Yes, that really happened. Then I got a nasty cold, but I’m starting to feel better and finally am able to look at eBay to see what’s going on. I want to thank Clifford Allen for filling in while I was away. Clifford, I really appreciate it and you did a great job — please feel free to continue posting at any time. I think it adds a lot of value to the site to have another perspective.

I did a search on eBay and found an extremely interesting record, which is: Kenny Dorham, Harlem Youth Unlimited, Jazz at PS 175. This is a live recording from 1964. I was told by a reputable dealer several years ago that this is possibly the rarest jazz record of them all. Has anyone else heard that? I’ve been looking for a copy for more than 30 years — ever since I learned about it — and have never seen one. In fact, this is the first one I’ve ever seen even on eBay. I will be very curious to see what this record sells for, particularly now that I have called attention to it. This one is in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The start price is about $900 and there are nine days to go on the auction. I’m curious if anyone in our community owns this record and how it sounds.

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