This week’s theme: Celebrating the New Year with jazz vinyl featuring the number 26 in the catalog number. Featured artists include Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jack Sheldon, Herb Geller, Loraine Geller, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Tommy Flanagan, George Morrow, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, Art Blakey, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Nelson Riddle, Sonny Stitt, Kenny Drew, Lawrence Marable, Curtis Counce, Harold Land, Jack Sheldon, Billie Holiday, Benny Carter, Sweets Edison, Count Basie, Buddy DeFranco, and more.

This week’s theme: Part one of a two-part celebration of my father’s 100th birthday. Also a reminder to read Song For My Father from the Jazz Collector archives. Featured artists include Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Tal Farlow, Buddy DeFranco, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Red Garland, Bobby Timmons, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery, Wynton Kelly, Modern Jazz Quartet, Jimmy Smith, Richie Cole, Kenny Burrell, and many, many more.

This week’s theme is a random playlist from the Clef, Norgran and Verve catalogues. Artists include Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Art Tatum, Ben Webster, Tal Farlow, Buddy DeFranco, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Count Basie and many more.

Speaking of artists adored by collectors, there was Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This looked to be an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,585, which is quite a bit less than one would typically expect for this record. I wonder why? The seller has good feedback and there don’t seem to be any hidden “gotchas” in the listing. Not that $1,585 is such a low price, but we’ve seen this record sell consistently for more than $3,000 in this condition in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. By the way, I totally understand why the Sonny Clark Blue Notes are so coveted by collectors. They are great records, all of them, and he was such a brilliant pianist. If you want to find some less expensive Sonny Clark records — along with Tal Farlow — check out some of the collaborations with Buddy DeFranco on Norgran and Verve. You can typically get these for much less than the Blue Notes and the music is superb. For many reasons, the record Cooking the Blues is particularly close to my heart.

There was this copy of Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. We had spotted it at $484 with a few hours left to go, and we expected that the price would probably double. It actually did more than that: It surpassed the $1,000 mark and sold for $1,025. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. We looked this record up in the Jazz Collector Price Guide and, interestingly, it had previously sold for as much as $1,750, in worse condition.

Speaking of Sonny Clark, he was on two of those Buddy DeFranco LPs we were watching. He was on Buddy DeFranco, In a Mellow Mood, Norgran 1079. This was an original yellow label pressing in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $67.78. Sonny Clark is also on The Artistry of Buddy DeFranco, Norgran 1012. This was also an original yellow label and

it was in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG condition for the cover. It sold for $52.55. Both of these records sold for about what I had expected and I think it reflects the shifts in the market for both the Norgran label as well as some of the earlier artists in the bop and post-bop era. I do think the seller probably could have done better with these LPs if he had mentioned the presence of Sonny Clark in the listings, but perhaps not that much better. By comparison, the number of page views for the DeFranco records was in the mid-40s, while the Sonny Clark had 235.

We were also watching two other nice Blue Notes: Jutta Hipp At the Hickory House, Blue Note 1515. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG+. It sold for $776. There was also J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $555.55.

to see what these records wind up selling for, but I bet it will be quite reasonable, and I’ll also bet there won’t be that many page views for any of them. It seems while original Blue Notes and Prestiges are commanding higher prices than ever, records such as these have probably fallen fairly dramatically in value. Less interest in the music, the artist and even the label would be my guess. Which, to me, is a bit of a shame since I’ve always prized my Norgrans and Verves as much as any of the other labels.

George Wallington Quintet at the Bohemia, Progressive 1001. This is an original pressing and the seller listed it as near-mint condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $810.

Kenny Drew, Undercurrent, Blue Note 4059. This was an original pressing, also in near-mint condition and was one of the items sold by the seller herschel78. This one also sold for $810.

Here’s a record I actually bid on (and lost, by $1):

Buddy DeFranco, Cookin’ The Blues, Verve 8221. This was an original trumpeter pressing and the vinyl was in M- condition, the cover VG+. I have a few copies of this record, but none that I am happy with. The one in my collection is an original, but not in great listening condition. I have one here in the country that sounds great, but it’s a Japanese pressing. I also have an MGM copy that sounds fine, but is not an original. So, I figured I’d take a shot at this one. I bid $40.40 and it sold for $41.40. It’ll be back. It happens to be a favorite record of mine and it has some personal meaning as well: My father had a copy and it was also the first record on which I heard Tal Farlow, who became both my favorite guitarist and a teacher/mentor to my good friend Dan. By the way, Tal and Dan showed up at my sister’s wedding 30 years ago and did a session, spontaneously. It was quite incredible. I’ll save the story for another day, or for Dan to tell it.

Kenny Dorham ‘Round Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG+ condition, both record and cover. The price was $447.

Art Farmer Quintet, Prestige 7017. This was a New York pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $130. Also, Art Farmer, Prestige 7031. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $151.

Curtis Fuller Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This was an original West 63rd Street

pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $152.50

Jon Eardley Seven, Prestige 7033. This was an original New York yellow label. The record was VG and the cover was VG+. The price was $143.50

Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney, Two Guitars, Prestige 7119. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $255.

Phil Woods, Pairing Off, Prestige 7046. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG and the cover was VG++. The price was $126.50

Art Blakey, A Night in Tunisia, Blue Note 4049. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was M-. The price was $151.99

Bud Powell, Swingin’ With Bud, RCA 1507. This was an original deep groove mono pressing. The record and cover were both M-. The price was $59.95.

Buddy DeFranco, Jazz Tones, Norgran 1069. This was an original yellow label pressing with Sonny Clark on piano. The record was M- and the cover was VG+. The price was $62.09.