Tracking Some Original Prestige Jazz Vinyl
Here’s some more jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay: Miles Davis, Relaxin’, Prestige 7129. This is an original New York deep groove pressing in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The auction closes tomorrow and the price is in the $230 range. I mentioned in passing that I recently purchased a collection and an M- original pressing of this record was included, so I’m interested in seeing the price. I am just about ready to start writing about my latest adventure in pursuing and purchasing this collection, so stay tuned.
It would have been nice if there were a copy of this record in the collection but, alas, there was not: Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This is an original New York pressing in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price is hovering in the $170 range with three days to go, but it has not yet reached the seller’s reserve.
This one is on the verge of closing as I write this post:
Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This is an original deep groove purple label pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The price is about $180, but by the time you read this it will have been sold.
One more nice Prestige while we’re at it: Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This is an original New York pressing in what is described as Ex or Ex/Ex+ condition. Still not sure how that translates into my grading system, but this one is currently at $450 and has surpassed the seller’s reserve price, so it will sell.
Man that Dolphy vinyl looks thrashed…
there is another Prestige to watch, auctioned by “jazzhound”. It is a hybrid album: “Informal Jazz” PrLp 7043 for the label (or labels), but the first design of the Two Tenors sleeve. i will ask this seller if both labels are “Informal Jazz”.
Kees says,
Both labels mention Informel Jazz.I own the record,it comprises the same tracks as the Elmo Hope.Wich one was first ?
Clifford, I think the vinyl looks just fine. You can clearly see that the lighting of the photo is very bad (tube lights on the ceiling above), which causes the ‘trashed’ look of the record. Try it yourself: grab one of the most close to mint gems from your collection and make a photo of the vinyl without flash under tube lights. You will see that every little scuff, hairline or even a bit of a finger print all of a sudden make your vinyl look like it’s been used as a coaster while you know that it’s a close to mint record. On the other hand, if you use the right lighting, you can make a beat up record look like brand new on a photo as well. Lighting when photographing vinyl can make or break a record 😉
jazzhound replied immediately with following reply: both labels are Informal Jazz, the first version of the Two Tenors sleeve has the New York adress on the rear.
So this hybrid is an original. When Prestige found out that Elmo Hope albums did not sell, they re-packaged and made it Two Tenors with Hank Mobley in some sort of a leading role and a brown abstract cover. They re-packaged but used their old stock of Informal Jazz labels. My brown Two Tenors has Two Tenors labels. The second version of Two Tenors is re-packaged again, with trane in the leading role.
Kees: Informal Jazz as an Elmo Hope album is the first pressing. The Two Tenors versions came later, 1958, resp. 1961.
Kees says
Thank you Rudolf for your information.I have both records and I keep them both because I like the covers.