Another Quiz
While we’re on the topic of Bird: Who wrote the Charlie Parker biography “Bird Lives” and what was his relationship to Bird?
Tag: Charlie Parker
Quickie Quiz
Many people assume that the Charlie Parker tune “Billie’s Bounce” was named in honor of Billie Holliday. That is not the case. Who, in fact, was the Billie in “Billie’s Bounce?”
Bird And Diz And Downbeat, 1946, 1947
In addition to vinyl, I collect jazz books, magazines and other ephemera. Once in a while I go through my old copies of Downbeat. Here’s something I pulled a few years ago:
The Dec. 16, 1946 Downbeat offers a prime example of the divergent fortunes of the two leaders of the be-bop movement. On the front page there is a picture of Dizzy Gillespie having fun and joking around. On page six, at the top of the page, there’s a small article with the headline: “Parker Fund Does Fine at L.A. Benefit.” It was a four-paragraph item, noting that a benefit for Charlie Parker in Los Angeles raised a total of $500.86. The purpose of the money: “To assist Parker, upon his release from a sanitarium, to secure instruments, clothes and what Read more
Quickie Quiz
The pianist Argonne Thornton played on classic recordings such as Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time” and Dexter Gordon’s “Dexter’s Deck.” He later changed his name. What new name did he take?
Price Updates: Thad, Clifford, Bird, Evans
Here are a few more for the Price Guide:
Chet Baker and Art Pepper, Playboys, World Pacific 1234. This was an original pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $318.
The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition, record and cover. Price: $565.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Bohemia Volume 2, Blue Note 1508. This was also a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition. Price: $162.50
Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original purple label pressing
Latest Prices: Lee Morgan on Blue Note, Art Pepper, Bird
And here are still more items for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The price was $565.
Miles Davis, Steamin’, Prestige 7200. This was an original pressing with the New Jersey label. The record and cover were M- and the price was $123.50.
Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowin’ in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This was an original
Time for Another Free Record
Okay, here we go again. So far we’ve given away three free records and now it’s time for number four: Leo Parker, Rollin’ With Leo, Blue Note BST 84095. This one actually has a little bit more credibility as a collectible than our previous giveaways. This is the 1986 release of this LP, which was the first time it was released with the cover art and catalog number that was originally intended by Blue Note in 1962. What’s more, this is a promo copy, with a promo stamp on the cover. The record is in VG+ condition and the cover is M- and it’s being offered free to one lucky reader of Jazz Collector. As before, the rules for entering this contest are very simple: All you have to do to be eligible to win the record is to post a comment on the Jazz Collector site any time between now and when the contest ends, which is the end of day February 26. You can post a comment on this post or anywhere else on the site and we’ll enter you into the drawing. If you win the record we even pay for shipping, anywhere in the world. This is a very nice record, worth having for sure. In addition to Parker, it features Dave Burns, Bill Swindell, Johnny Acea, Stan Conover, Bill Lucas, Purnell Rice and Wilbert Hogan.
Speaking of Leo Parker, someone recently sent us a link to this eBay auction:
Sonny, Jackie, Miles & Bird for the Price Guide
Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide today:
Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7029. This is an original New York pressing with the original Orange cover and the wrong catalogue number. It’s a very rare piece and this one was in M- condition, both record and cover. Price: $760
Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 264. This was an original blue label pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. Price: $294
Thelonious Monk, The Unique, Riverside 209. This was an original white label pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $161.50. Also from Monk: Thelonious Monk With Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG++. The price was $180.49.
Today on Ebay, January 25, 2009
It’s like a smorgasbord of nice collectible jazz vinyl on eBay today. We’ll try to point to a few of the more interesting items. Here’s one that really caught our eye: Charlie Parker, Bird on 52rd Street, Jazz Workshop 501. This is an original pressing in what the seller describes as M- condition, both vinyl and cover. It’s really rare to see a copy of this record in this condition. The current price is about $160. We’ll see what it goes for. Here’s one going for a high price even though the record is listed in VG condition and the cover is VG-: Helen Merrill, Emarcy 36006. This is the LP with Clifford Brown. The current price is $231. This seller, Eclecticpicks, has a bunch of nice items, closing pretty soon, including: Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 1502. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing. Both the record and cover are listed in VG+ condition. The current price is $170.
Back Again, Looking at High-End Vinyl
Wow, have we really been away for three weeks? Sorry, sorry, sorry.
So, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted. Ah, yes, we were looking at records that crossed the $1,000 barrier. We just did a quick search of eBay and found a few more for you, just from the past few weeks when Jazz Collector went AWOL. Here are a few to peruse and muse about:
Walter Davis, Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original deep groove pressing with the West 63rd Street address. It was in M-/M- condition and sold for $1,248.
John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was an original mono pressing with the black label. It was also in M-/M- condition. Price: $1,031.66
Art Pepper, Modern Art, Intro 606. This was an original pressing that was in M-/M- condition. Price: $1,075
Yow, I’m sure most of you saw this one: Charlie Parker, Bird Blows The Blues, Dial LP1. This is a 12-inch LP, issued from the Spring of 1949 with no cover. The dealer listed it as being the first 12-inch jazz LP ever produced, which we’ve never seen disputed. This was in VG+ condition, with a yellow label and purple vinyl. Price: $2,850
George Wallington at the Bohemia, Progressive 1001. This was an original pressing that came directly out of George Wallington’s collection. It was listed by his brother, who listed the vinyl as M- and the cover as VG, but he said there were virtually no flaws. The price was $1,380.50.
That’s it for now. We’ll be back soon. Promise.