Now that we’ve gotten everyone engaged in thinking about their favorite Riverside records, let’s try a couple of other labels. I was thinking about doing Prestige next, but I realized that my entire list up to 10 records would probably be all Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. So instead of Prestige for today, how about we try New Jazz instead. As usual, I will go first. These are five personal favorites on New Jazz, not “the best.” Also, not including Prestige reissues. I see my list is very straight-ahead, if you know what I mean. Here goes:
Celebrating Riverside Records
Somebody recently sent me this great clip celebrating the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records. It features an interview with Riverside co-founder Orrin Keepnews, still quite articulate and interesting at 90 years old. I find it interesting that he considers Thelonious Monk to be the patron saint of the label, and that signing Monk was what gave the label credibility among other jazz artists. I’m a huge fan of Riverside, and so are most of the readers here at Jazz Collector, I’m sure. So this morning, laying in bed, I start putting together a list of my favorite Riverside albums. These are my personal favorites, not the ones I would call the “best” or the most influential. Just the ones that through the years I’ve listened to most often and enjoyed the most: Here goes:
A Tale of Three Blue Notes
I find my eyes, ears and eBay searches attracted to Blue Notes today, so that is what I shall write about.
I’m tempted to bid on this one, but I can’t figure out the condition: Bennie Green, Walkin’ and Talkin’, Blue Note 4010. This looks to have the West 63rd Street address and the deep grooves. The seller makes no mention of the ear or RVG. He also says it is a flat-edge pressing, which it’s not. So right away the seller’s credibility and knowledge are suspect. Then there’s the listing itself, whereby in the headline and the description the record is listed as VG-. But elsewhere on the same listing it is listed as VG+ with the additional descriptor that it “plays great!” (his exclamation point, not mine). We are now about four hours from closing and there are still no bids at a start price of around $200. If I knew it was a nice VG+ record and an original pressing, I’d think about a bid. As it is, however, I think I will pass. Obviously, others feel the same way.
I was mentioning 10-inch Blue Notes the other day, and now there is this:
Nothin’ But Heartache
Here’s some jazz vinyl that we’re watching on eBay:
Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This is an original New York yellow label listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It looks quite nice and would fill in a gaping hole in my collection, considering that more than 20 years ago I sold my M- copy of this record in a moment of temporary insanity. The starting price on this is $400 and there is already one bid and I can certainly see this approaching the $1,000 bin, which means this will not be the copy that fills the gap in my collection.
Here’s another heartbreaker for me, although the condition of this copy is not quite so attractive: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4032. This looks to be
No Vinyl For You!
Let’s revisit some Blue Note jazz vinyl that did not sell on eBay this past week.
Horace Silver Quintet, Blue Note 5058. This was an original 10-inch pressing listed in Ex- condition for both the record and the cover. I thought this one might have a chance to sell despite the condition, but I think the market for 10-inch Blue Notes is much softer than that for 12-inch Blue Notes. Although we have seen this record sell for more than $500 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, the condition of that earlier record was far better than Ex-, whatever that is. This one had a start price of $300 and got no bids.
This 10-inch original Blue Note also failed to gather any bidding: Thelonious Monk, Genius of Modern Music, Volume 2, Blue Note 5009. The record and cover were both VG+ and the seller was quite optimistic and hopeful in putting a $415.05 starting price on this. The hopes were not rewarded, as there were no bids.
I had thought this one would sell, but it didn’t:
Not Knowing Squat About Jazz, Indeed
I’ve had this thing in my inbox for the past few weeks and I’ve been debating whether to post it. It’s really silly. The Internet gives pretty much anyone a forum to write pretty much anything they want. So I got this email with a listing from a blog and it was something like the “10 Greatest Jazz Pianists of All Time,” which was silly enough, but then I saw that the guy did a Top 10 list of jazz albums under the dubious heading “10 essential jazz albums if you know squat about jazz but want to become more versed.” The list is so bad and ridiculous I won’t comment, other than to note the lack of any artist from before the post-Bop era, including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Anyway, after great hesitation (and strictly for laughs), here it is:
Four Classics From the Jazz Collector Era
Back in the business of watching eBay — not much of a business, is it? — and here are some items on the watch list, starting with Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This looks to be an original pressing with the purple labels and deep grooves. The record is described as VG++. The seller loses a little credibility when he describes the cover as “VG+ to maybe VG++” when it is clearly VG+ at best. There’s a bit more than a day left in the bidding and the price is only in the $560 range. I say “only” because this record will likely get bids over $1,000 if, indeed, the bidders believe the condition is really VG++. In any case, the price will have to get higher, as it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve.
Here’s a nice one from Atomic Records with a $1,000 starting price: Hank Mobley With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. This is an original Lexington Avenue flat-edge pressing with the frame cover. It is quite a beauty, in M- or VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover.
Here are a couple of nice 10-inch Blue Notes priced somewhat optimistically, at least from the sellers’ perspectives:
. . . And In Jazz Vinyl on eBay . . .
OK, I’m starting to feel guilty over my minuscule posting production over the past few weeks. I vow to do better and, again, I will post every day this week. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I will just catch up with some items I was watching last week and then move on to some new items.
This seller has had a bunch of items recently with high prices. Many of the prices seem to be unrealistic, despite the seller’s nom d’eBay, but sometimes the items sell, such as: Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago, Mercury 60134. This was a stereo pressing that looked to be a first stereo pressing with the deep grooves and black labels. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This one has sold for collectible prices a few times in the past, but it has always been relatively common and available, even on eBay. So the inflated prices seem to be an aberration, such as this one that sold for $149.99.
Just as that price seemed to be inflated, this one seemed to be less than expected:
Big Bids, Some Sell, Some Don’t
Back in action after a long, lovely Labor Day weekend. When I last saw everyone, I had a bunch of items on my eBay watch list and many of these have subsequently been sold, so let’s see how they did:
Lou Donaldson, Wailing with Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 address. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. You would have expected it to sell, particularly with a top bid of $1,030. But, alas, a purchase did not take place because the record failed to meet the seller’s reserve price. Interesting because the $1,030 would have been the highest we’ve ever recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. The same seller had a few more than got nice bids but didn’t get to the reserve price, including: Donald Byrd, Art Farmer and Idrees Sulieman, Three Trumpets, Prestige 7092. This was only in VG+ or VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The top bid was $306.50 but, again, no sale.
These two got nice bids and did sell:
Some Surprises in the Bidding?
Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:
Hank Mobley, Mobley’s 2nd Message, Prestige 7082. This was an original pressing with the deep grooves and the New York address. It had a promo label stamp and perhaps a small cutout hole, which the seller described as a “worm ” hole, a term new to us in this context. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The final price was $1,075.
A lot of people have commented with appropriate surprise at some of the relatively low prices on the auctions we were watching from the Jazz Record Center, including: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This was not listed as a first pressing, but it seemed to clearly be an early pressing, with one side having the original New York 23 label and the other having a West 63rd label. The record and cover both looked to be in M- condition. The price was $373. I’d have paid more if I was paying attention.
On the other hand, this one sold for a higher price that I would have perhaps expected although, to be fair, the prices on these 4100-series Blue Notes have been skyrocketing: Herbie Hancock, Empyrean Isles, Blue Note 4175. This was an original pressing that looked to be in immaculate M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $583.56.
April is Jazz Month
