This week I indulge myself with a show for my very own birthday. In the past I’ve played tracks recorded on Feb. 4, including Miles Davis Milestones. But two years in, I’ve dipped into that well too often. So this year, the focus is on the year I was born, 1953. As I say on the Podcast, it was a very good year for jazz and boys from Queens. Also a great chance to focus on 10-inch records from the collection. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Curley Russell, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Shavers, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Dodge, Ron Crotty, Jay Jay Johnson, Jimmy Heath, Gil Coggins, Tadd Dameron, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Gigi Gryce, Charlie Parker, Red Garland, Roy Haynes, Chet Baker, Russ Freeman, Carson Smith, Larry Bunker, Shelly Manne, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Jummy Giuffre, Bob Enevoldsen, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Phil Woods, Jon Eardley, George Syran, Teddy Kotick, Nick Stabulas.

This week’s theme: Duets. Featured artists include John Cotrane, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Art Pepper, George Cables, Al Cohn, Jimmy Rowles, Tal Farlow, Dan Axelrod, Stephane Grappelli, Marc Fosset, Zoot Sims, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Lewis, Hank Jones, George Shearing, Carmen McRae, Rosemary Clooeny, Ed Bickert, Nancy Lamott, Christopher Marlowe, Ken Sebesky.

A few weeks ago, on the radio show I was playing tracks from the album John Coltrane Ballads, Impulse 32. I brought the vinyl into the studio, but I wanted to have backup, so I also brought in the Deluxe edition CD set. As I was doing the show, I noticed that the CD set has a previously unreleased duet version of They Say It’s Wonderful, the Irving Berlin song, featuring just a duet by Trane and McCoy Tyner. It’s a wonderful track and amazing that it was sitting in a vault for 40 years. I provided a link to it on YouTube.

Anyway, it gave me an idea to do a whole show on duets, starting with that track. The next one I thought of was Sonny Rollins and Philly Joe Jones, Surrey With the Fringe on Top from New’s Time, Blue Note 4001. Then I did what I normally do to prepare a show, I started going through my records. I have my records loosely organized in three categories: Instrumentals pre-1970s, instrumentals 1970 and later, vocals. There are various sub-categories because, like many of you I’m sure, I love to organize and reorganize, probably a little too obsessively.

Anyway, I started going through the 1970s and later records and I pulled out more than 30 records of various types: The five duet albums Oscar Peterson did with trumpet players, Zoot and Bucky, George Shearing and Hank Jones, Art Pepper and George Cables. You get the drift. At that point, I knew I had several shows and I never even bothered to go through the more collectible records from pre-1970. But based on this strictly anecdotal research, it seems to me that duet albums and tracks become more of a thing later on in the jazz vinyl era.

So here’s the thing: If you can think of any good duet albums or tracks, please comment here. If I have them in my collection, I’ll see if I can use them on the show. As I said, I’ve already pulled out more than 30 records, so I’m sure we’ll have some duplication. But I thought it would be a fun project to share here at Jazz Collector if any of my former regular readers and commenters are still around. In any case, I’ll try to be doing more regular posts for a while, so perhaps we’ll build up a regular following once again.

Theme: Jazz instrumental and vocal versions of songs written by Frank Loesser. Featured artists include Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Charles Rouse, Julius Watkins, Gildo Mahones, Teddy Charles, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Herb Geller, Gene Quill, Hal McKusick, Al Cohn, Ray Charles, Betty Carter, Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen McRae, Hoagy Carmichael, Art Pepper, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, and many more.

This week’s theme. Jazz vocals and instrumentals from the Great American Songbook. Featured artists include Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Red Garland, Jackie McLean, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Art Pepper, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Dizzy Reece, Stan Getz, and many more.

This week’s theme: Welcoming in 2025, Part 2. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman, Ella Fitzgerald, Oliver Nelson, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Miles Davis, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and many more.

Art Pepper, Modern Art, Intro 606. This looked to be an original pressing in M- condition, the cleanest copy I’ve seen online. This one had 43 bids and wound up selling for $3,926.

Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This was an original deep-groove purple label pressing, also in M- condition for the record and the cover. The final price was $1,079.99.

Charlie Parker With Strings, Clef 675. This was an original pressing, also in M- condition. Final price was $1,525.

The Magnificent Charlie Parker, Clef 646. This was an original in M- condition. Price: $1,525.

Charlie Parker, Alternate Masters Volume 1, Dial 904. Another original in M- condition, Price: $787.

I guess reports of the demise of the collectible jazz vinyl record market have been greatly exaggerated.

Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, Contemporary 3532. This was an original deep groove promo copy. The listing talks about a rare original reverse-frame cover and I’m not sure what that exactly means, but I think I have the same cover, so whatever it is I’m OK with it. This one looked to be in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The final vinyl was $765.

Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Volume 2, Blue Note 1552. This was an original deep groove pressing with the New York 23 label. The record and cover both looked to be in M- condition. The final price was $744, which is up there for a Jimmy Smith date session. Also, Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Volume 1, Blue Note 1551. This is a deep groove pressing with the West 63^rd Street labels. It also looked to be in M- condition for the record and cover. The final price was $180.39. I guess there must be some extra value in that New York 23 label. Amazing, isn’t it, for basically the same music, the premium that the label has in our collector’s world?

Clark Terry, Serenade to a Bus Seat, Riverside 237. This was an original white label pressing, in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $261. Speaking of Riverside, I have two Riverside podcasts on the Jazz Collector site now,  Riverside Part 1 and Riverside Part 2. If you get a chance to listen, please let me know whaat you think. This coming week’s show, live on WTBR-FM Pittsfield on Sunday at 8, features John Coltrane on the Impulse label.

The seller of the Pepper record fared better than some of these other sellers, who’s records did not attract the minimum bids. Of course, the minimum bids were quite high for each of these records, starting with Leo Parker, New Trends of Jazz Volume 5, Savoy 9018. This was an original 10-inch pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and probably the same for the cover. There were no bids the first time around at $400, but the seller has it relisted for the same amount now.

Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This looked to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was listed as VG, with a pretty beat up back cover. The starting price was $650 and, like the Leo Parker, this one is back again on eBay at the original starting price.

Eric Dolphy, Far Cry, New Jazz 8270. This looked to be an original purple label deep groove pressing listed in VG condition for both the record and the cover. Similar situation as the others: High original starting price of $575, no bidders, back on eBay for the same amount.

Is it worth it to keep listing at the same start price, or is it more effective to lower the price to try to attract interest? An existential question for the ages, I imagine.

This is a weird article: 5 Minutes that Will Make You Love Bebop. I guess it’s part of a series from The New York Timesdesigned to drive online traffic. The very concept that 10 clips of 30 seconds could get someone to love music as complex as bebop is ridiculous on the surface, so I would normally have just ignored it, but several people sent it to me – family and friends, not readers of Jazz Collector, most of whom, I would think, share my opinion. But, perhaps not?

Someone sent me the following clip from Youtube with the following subject and note: “First video of Mobley playing found! In case you didn’t see it, the larger community should know.” And now you do. Sounds pretty awesome, and the comments from listeners are practically orgasmic.