This week’s theme: Lou Donaldson Memorial on Blue Note: Featured artists include Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Blue Mitchell, Herman Foster, Donald Byrd, Peck Morrison, Arthur Taylor, Dave Bailey, Ray Barrett,Sonny Clark, Curtis Fuller, George Joyner, Gene Harris, Andrew Simkins, Bill Dowdy, Horace Parlan, and more
This week’s theme: Bobby Timmons. Featured artists include Bobby Timmons, Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Benny Golson, Sam Jones, Blue Mitchell, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Louis Hayes, and more.
This week’s theme: Horace Silver, Part Two, the quintets. Featured artists include Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Doug Watkins, Art Blakey, Louis Hayes, Joe Henderson, Carmel Jones, Roy Brooks, Junior Cook, Blue Mitchell.
Today’s theme: Horace Silver, Part One. Featured musicians include Horace Silver, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Hank Mobley, Curley Russell, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins, Jimmy Raney, Roy Haynes, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Louis Smith, Blue Mitchell.
This week’s theme: Cannonball Adderley on Riverside. Featured artists include Blue Mitchell, Nat Adderley, Philly Joe Jones, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Bill Evans, Bobby Timmons, Vic Feldman, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Wes Montgomery.
The stairwell leading to the 4th floor at Disk Union Shibuya
By Steven Frost
After our rest in the mountains of Hakone I was excited to explore metropolitan Tokyo. When we arrived in Shibuya and got settled in I merely Google-mapped Disk Union and assumed following the search results would lead me to the correct destination. Along the way I came across the jazz bar Dug, a name I knew from separate recordings by Albert Manglesdorff and Mal Waldron. Unfortunately it was Dug in name only, with drinks and a cover charge, but no live music. A few blocks passed Dug, unlike so many of my other searches in Japan, I actually found the store on the first try, located in the heart of Shibuya with no trouble at all. Disk Union Shibuya is a multi- story affair with each floor dedicated to a different genre of music. The stairwell leading to F4, jazz and blues, certainly filled me with a sense of expectation. Read more
It felt so good clearing out portions of my inbox yesterday, I’m going to the same today, starting with a couple of items about one of my heroes, Sonny Rollins. The first comes from an article by Amanda Petrusich in the New Yorker from April 5. (I told you I was way behind on my email). It is about a movement, now in its early stages, to rename the Williamsburg Bridge in honor of Sonny. The Sonny Rollins Bridge: Now this is an idea we can all get behind. The idea is the brainchild of a guy named Jeff Caltabiano, who has established something called The Sonny Rollins Bridge Project. When we get a chance we will reach out and find out if he has made any progress. Read more
Catching up on my jazz vinyl watch list on eBay. Here are some of the items I missed, starting with Blue Mitchell, Blue’s Moods, Riverside 336. This was an original pressing with the blue labels, reels and microphone logo, etc. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG+. The final price was $540. I know that this record has always been prized among collectors and has gone for pretty high prices, as seen here — higher than most of the Riverside catalogue, except for perhaps Waltz for Debby and maybe one or two others. What I’ve never understood is “WHY?” I know it’s a nice record, but what is it about this particular record that has driven up its value over the years?
This is a Blue Note that’s also seemed to rise in value compared to other records released around the same time:
Here’s some more jazz vinyl we were watching on eBay:
Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176. This was an original mono pressing, still in its original shrink wrap. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. It sold for $255. This was among a bunch of later original Blue Notes I was watching from the same era. Others included Blue Mitchell, The Thing To Do, Blue Note 4178. This also looked to be an original mono pressing and was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $280. Also: Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This was also an original mono pressing and was listed in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover, with water damage and tape repairs. Nonetheless, it sold for $265. Here’s another one that seems destined to sell in the same range as these, perhaps even higher:
Is it just me, or is there a softness in the market these days? To expedite my posting I sometimes do a search of jazz records for sale filtered through the highest prices first. There are often $1,000 records and many in the $500-plus category. Lately, however, the searches in that range have been coming up short. Are prices relatively flat at this point or is there just less good stuff on eBay now? These things go in cycles so I wouldn’t put any meaning into it either way. In the meantime, here are some of the rare jazz records that came up on my latest search.
Red Rodney, Signal 1206. This is an interesting one because of the condition. There’s a nice clear picture of the cover, which may give the impression that the cover is in nice condition. However if you look closely and read the description, the cover is in only G condition. And the vinyl is only VG. Despite the condition issues, however, the bidding is already more than $400. I guess this LP is in greater demand than I would have realized.
This is another one that’s getting up there in price, somewhat to my surprise: Booker Little, Time 52011. This is an original mono pressing with the deep grooves and gatefold cover. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The bidding has already topped $250 and the auction closes later today. Perhaps my previous comment about a soft market was premature.
