Tag: Bethlehem Records

A Jazz Vinyl Post-Xmas Post

8 comments

Merry day after Christmas everyone. It is good to be back. Let’s catch up on a few jazz records we were watching on eBay, starting with an old standby: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This an original white label promo copy. The record looked to be in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The final price was $496, which isn’t bad for a promo copy. We’ve seen them sell for more than $1,000 fairly consistently in nice shape, and one even broke the $2,000 barrier, according to Popsike. To me, this is a record where the condition of the cover would be important, since the black cover tends to fade and, for a promo copy, a nice, sharp, minty cover would be nice. Perhaps other potential bidders felt the same way, which kept the bidding at a reasonable level? I have a couple of original pressings of Kind of Blue, both in nice shape, but I’ve never owned a promo copy. Still don’t.

Read more

Book Cooks and Cook Books

11 comments

BookHere’s some more jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with Booker Ervin, The Book Cooks, Bethlehem 6048. This was an original pressing listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $616, proving, again, that it is not only the Blue Notes that are fetching collectible prices. This one was listed by my friend Steve at Round Again Records in Providence, RI, who has some nice records for auction last week. With all of the “books” that Booker recorded — Freedom, Song, Space and Blues — a Cook Book record would have been nice. Not sure what would have worked for a Cook Book, but I’m sure we can come up with some songs with a food theme here. I’ll start with Fats Waller’s “All That Meat and No Potatoes.” and, of course there’s Mingus’ “Eat That Chicken.” Any others?

This one seemed to be on eBay forever and it finally sold last week:

Read more

Oh Little Label of Bethlehem

12 comments

mal waldronThere’s so much nice jazz vinyl on eBay now my eyes are crossed just looking. This is the first one that caught my eye: Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover. It just sold moments ago for $999.99. It’s funny, because I woke up this morning thinking about doing a post on the Bethlehem label, similar to the ones I did last week on Riverside and New Jazz. Then I realized I am not familiar enough with the entire Bethlehem catalogue to make a really strong list. Not only do I not own this Mal record, I also don’t own the Roland Kirk Third Dimension record, nor the Booker Ervin Book Cooks record, nor the Charlie Mariano Sextet record, nor, as earlier noted, the Jimmy Knepper record with Bill Evans. I am certainly Bethlehem-deprived in my collection. Of the ones that I know and like, my favorites are:

Read more

. . . And In Jazz Vinyl on eBay . . .

5 comments

cannonOK, 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:

Read more

Goin’ up, Up, Up

6 comments

LeeLet’s catch up on some of the items we were watching and which generated some interest among the Jazz Collector community.

Wynton Kelly, Kelly at Midnight, VeeJay 3001. This was the stereo pressing in M- condition. Most of us, it seems, were quite surprised when the bidding on this approached the $400 range. It ended up selling for $565, with 24 bids and what seemed to be three serious bidders.

A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper, Bethlehem 77. This was an original pressing in M- condition. This is the one that has Bill Evans as a sideman. When I wrote about this record, there were no bids at a start price of $135. By the time the auction closed the bidding had reached $338. Coincidence?  I don’t think so. I would think the post had something to do with generating interest, particularly spotlighting Evans as a sideman, which the listing failed to do.

I had a feeling this one would break into the $2,000 bin, and it did: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $2,225.

 

E-Baying With Knepper, Evans and Blue Notes

8 comments

I have quite a long watch list on eBay right now, so let’s get right to it. This is a record I’ve never seen before and, frankly, wasn’t even aware existed: A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper, Bethlehem 77. This is an original pressing with the red label and deep groove. I took a quick look at the personnel and was surprised to see the pianist listed as one “B. Evans.” I would have thought that the presence of Mr. Evans would have brought this record to my attention before. Perhaps it has and I just forgot about it. It wouldn’t be the first time. In any case, it’s got a great cover, it’s got Bill Evans on piano and it’s an original  pressing from 1957. Also, it’s in M- condition. I would think there’d be a strong collectible market for this. We’ll see. So far there are no bids at $135, but there are still three days left to go before the auction closes.

Here are a few Blue Notes on our radar:

Read more

Some 10-Inch LPs and Some Bird Envy

Leave a comment

Here are some of the results from the Jazz Record Center auctions we were watching, including the one with the cover that has some of our readers weirded out. Let’s start with Kenny Dorham Quintet, Debut 9. This is an original 10-inch pressing, quite rare, that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $960.

Charlie Mariano, Mariano, Bethlehem 1022. This was another 10-inch record from the collection of Tom Stewart and like the others the record was in M- condition and the cover probably VG++, with the owner’s name written in ink. This one sold for $355.

Now for the one with the weird cover, Red Mitchell, Happy Minors, Bethlehem 1033. This was from the same collection, M- for the record, VG++ for the cover. It sold for $333.88. So far I haven’t found a copy in my own collection. If I didn’t buy it originally for $50, I can say for pretty sure that it was because of the cover. Not one of my favorites, to be sure.

Speaking of covers, check out the next listing, and we will show a picture of the cover below:

Read more

The One I Left Behind?

8 comments

Some interesting 10-inch LPs, 78s and other items on the new eBay auction from the Jazz Record Center. Here’s a few to watch, starting with Red Mitchell, Happy Minors, Bethlehem 1033. This is an original 10-inch pressing In M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. There’s writing on the back, but the writing is from the previous owner, Thomas Stewart, who also wrote the liner notes for this record. So it has some interesting provenance. It also has the presence of  Zoot Sims and Bob Brookmeyer, which can’t hurt. The start price is $200. My own story with this record: I used to travel to Palo Alto all the time for business. There was a book store that also sold records and occasionally they would get some nice jazz. The prices were a bit high for the time, but not unreasonable. I remember a mint copy of this record sitting on the shelf for $50. I had it in my hand, put it down, had it in my hand, put it down, looked at a few other records, picked it up again. This went on for a while. In my memory I wound up buying the record for $50. Except, I guess I didn’t. I just looked on my shelves and, alas, no Happy Minors. My hope is that I have the record, but I just misfiled it or something. So later, or this weekend, I will go through all of my 10-inch records in search of the one I may have left behind. It’s probably a great record, right?

A few others from the Jazz Record Center: Read more

Watching Some Nice Jazz Collectibles

15 comments

Catching up on life and on eBay, so here are some jazz records I am watching and have been watching.

Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing, still in some kind of shrink wrap with a $1.79 price sticker. Wouldn’t that be great, $1.79 for an original pressing of True Blue. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It did not sell for $1.79. It sold for $1,414. Not a bad price, all in all. So, when you get this home do you take off the shrink wrap or do you leave it on? If it’s me, I’m pretty sure I take it off and put the record in a nice plastic sleeve.

This one also ended up in the $1,000 bin: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original West 63rd pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $1,280.55

This one closes later today. Price is still out my range: Clifford Jordan Sextet, Blue Note 1565. This is an original pressing. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The picture in the listing could be better, but that doesn’t seem to be effecting the bidding, which is now up to $800.

And let’s throw in a couple of non-Blue Notes:

Read more

A Few For the Jazz Collector Price Guide

5 comments

Just clearing out my eBay watch list of jazz vinyl as I prepare a long-awaited update of the Jazz Collector Price Guide. I realize I’ve been stuck at 4,971 records for awhile. Hopefully we’ll see that go up soon. Here are some records that will eventually be added to the guide:

Jon Eardley Seven with Zoot Sims and Phil Woods, Prestige 7033. This was an original New York yellow label pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $442.68. Get a look of Phil and Zoot in those pictures. They look so young.

Charlie Mariano, Bethlehem 25. This was an original red-label deep groove pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover looked to be VG++. The record sold for $341.

Roland Kirk, Third Dimension, Bethlehem 6064. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price was $124.75. I’ve never seen or owned this record. I was a big fan of Roland Kirk — he was an amazing performer in front of an audience. A great musician as well. If I were buying records more active these days, perhaps this one would have been on my shelves by now.

 

1 2 3 4