He said VG+ for the vinyl but described it as nearly perfect. Also, VG- for a cover that sounded at least VG to me, although looking more closely at the picture, VG- may be the thing. Anyway, the bidding was in the $400 range and I thought I might take a shot. It sold for $710, but we’ll never know how high the winning bidder bid, since he only had to top the second highest bid. If someone offered me this record for $710 in this condition would I take it? Probably, based on my belief that the record is in better condition than VG+.

That New Jersey pressing of Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079, which started the previous discussion, sold for $934 in M- condition. So we are getting very close to the $1,000 bin for New Jersey pressings. I like it. Who wouldn’t want a yellow label Saxophone Colossus with the original cover?

We were also watching:

John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse A-77. This was an original white promo copy listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,083.77. Not quite a record, but a $1,000-binner nonetheless.

Phil Woods, Woodlore, Prestige 7018. This was the one in VG condition for the record and cover. It sold for $449. Then there was Woodlore in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. This one had no bidders when we first looked at it and we were once again tempted. Never mind. It sold for $1,391.

Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018, original pressing, VG++ for the record and the cover. Final price was $905.67

Lester Young Trio, Mercury MG-C-104. This was an original 10-inch record with the David Stone Martin cover. The record and cover seemed to be in M- condition. The final price was $720, which, to me, was surprisingly high on a couple of levels. One, there seems to be less demand for 10-inch records overall and, two, Lester is kind of in that pre- Blue Note/Prestige category for collectors. Of course he is a genius and his influence immeasurable, but as far as the collector mentality, I have expected Lester to slip a bit. I’m glad he hasn’t. For the record, as I type this I am in my small studio apartment and, hanging to my left is one of my favorite jazz portraits of all time, a signed copy by the photographer, Bill Gottlieb. If you look carefully at the photo below you may be able to see my reflection in the President:

Here’s another one that had eluded me for many years: Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This is an original New York yellow label pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $1,000 and so far there are no bidders. I do expect this one to sell, given the personnel, the rarity of the record, the label and the condition. We’ll see in a couple of days.

You don’t see too many Billie Holiday records fetching high collectible prices, but this one exception: Billie Holiday, Jazz at the Philharmonic, Clef 169. This is an original 10-inch pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. Tough to find this record in this condition. Really, it is tough to find any 10-inch record in M-/M- condition these days. This one is especially regarded by collectors because of the great David Stone Martin cover. The price is more than $200, but it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve. The auction closes later today.

We can always count on our friend CeeDee for something interesting. This one came under the heading: “Prez gets a nice bid.” The link is to Lester Young, Norgran 1022. This was an original yellow label pressing listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the beautiful David Stone Martin cover. It sold for $532, quite a nice price for an old Pres Norgran indeed. The other day I was listening to Stardust from the Lester Young and Oscar Peterson record on Norgran. His playing from this period is so sad and melancholy it almost makes me cry.

Jason sent me a link to this listing: Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane, New Jazz 8276. This was a sealed copy, which the seller insisted was an original pressing. How? He felt through the cover and, like braille, read the deep grooves. He also compared the weight to a later pressing and attested that the sealed copy was heavier. Whatever. I’d have been cautious as the seller and, in fact, I would have broken the seal and opened the record. And if it was an original, I would have put it on the turntable, played it, and stuck it where it belongs, right on my shelf within my collection. This one sold for $185.51 and, I have a feeling, may never be opened.

Judd sent me this one and I found it so ridiculous I wasn’t going to post it, but, obviously have relented:

Perfect Jazz Recordings. This is an article by Richard Brody in The New Yorker from September 23. It lists 66 jazz recordings from up to approximately 1973 and before that the author defines as “perfect”based on his own subjective criteria, i.e., that to his ears, at a moment in time, these records were perfect, whatever that means. I will make just a few benign snide comments. Ahmad Jamal has more perfect records than John Coltrane or Charlie Parker; nothing from Kind of Blue; nothing by Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughan, to name a few. So you tell me: What’s the point?

Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. Is it really necessary to label this is Volume 1, since there was never a Volume 2, 3, 4 or any other number? This one looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $364.

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is the one

with feelable marks that was graded in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. I had speculated that it might be worth a risk at the right price. I’m not sure $719 would have qualified as the right price for me, but it did for someone.

Bill Evans Trio, Sunday Night at the Village Vanguard, Riverside 9376. In perusing my own collection the other day, I realized I have two copies of this record, but neither is an original pressing. Both are Japanese pressings. This was an original stereo with the black label. That would have sufficed for me if I thought about bidding, which I didn’t. This one was probably in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. Great record. This one sold for $141.50, which seems quite reasonable.

This used to be an item that would regularly sell for more than $1,000 and often more than $2,000, but its value seemed to have been dropping in the past few years: Fred Astaire, The Astaire Story. This is the beautiful bound set that includes the four records, David Stone Martin Prints, photos, booklet and, of course, the original Astaire signature. This one looked to be in beautiful condition and sold for $1,009.

One more that we don’t often track here at Jazz Collector:

Oscar Pettiford, My Little Cello, Debut 132. This looks to be an original Danish pressing. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+.  The price was $153.50.

Bud Powell, Jazz Giant, Norgran  1063. This was an original yellow-label deep-groove pressing with the cover illustration by David Stone Martin. The record was listed in probably VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover, although you have to read the descriptions carefully to reach those conclusions. This one sold for $260.99, which is quite a nice price for a Norgran these days. I have a duplicate of this record, but it’s not in quite as nice condition.

Joe Henderson, Mode For Joe, Blue Note 4227. This was an interesting one: It was a factory-sealed pressing. It has all the makings of an original pressing, with the mono cover, the lack of anything remotely Liberty, the right address. But is it an original? Only the buyer will know for sure, presuming he eventually opens the LP to listen to it. This one sold for $215.63. Question to think about: Would it have sold for more money if it had been opened and the seller could guarantee that it was an original pressing?

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was the one we mentioned the other day:

The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG. The price was $1,555. As for the other Jutta Hipp record, the 10-inch Blue Note 5056, the bidding is now in the $375 range and there is still more than a day left on the auction.

Here are a couple of nice Norgrans: Lester Young, Lester’s Here, Norgran 1071. This is an original yellow label pressing and it is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The current price is about $180. Then there’s this gorgeous one with the David Stone Martin cover: Lester Young, Norgran 1022. This one is also an original yellow label pressing and is in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The price is about $160. I do have one small nit-pick for the seller, who I believe is Looney Tunes up in Boston, where I have spent many an idle afternoon and many a dollar. I wish they would use the whole picture of the cover, back and front, on their listings. I get the sense the use a scanner, which doesn’t show the whole image. I’d prefer seeing the whole thing as a potential bidder and also, as Jazz Collector, I’d like

to show the whole cover when I do a post. For what it’s worth.

Here are a couple of nice LPS on the New Jazz label: Jackie McLean, McLean’s Scene, New Jazz 8212. This seems to be an original purple label pressing, although it’s not clear whether it has the deep grooves. Hmm. The condition is VG++ for both the record and the cover and the current price is more than $220. Also, Eric Dolphy, Out There, New Jazz 8252. This is an original purple label pressing — with deep grooves — and is in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price is in the $200 range and so far there are no bidders. But there are five days to go, so we would definitely expect this to sell.

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This was an original West 63rd pressing that looked to be in at least VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,525. We’ve seen Sonny’s Crib and Cool Struttin’ consistently break the $2,000 and even the $3,000 barrier, but this is the highest price we’ve recorded for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.   

Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that looked to be in beautiful M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The price was $2,678.

Lester Young Collates Number Two, Clef 124. This was an original 10-inch pressing with the nice cover by David Stone Martin. It looked to be in M- condition for the record

and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $227.50. I had a side interest in this one: Last year around this time, much to the chagrin of the lovely Mrs. JC, I bought a collection of mostly traditional records for $500. There were also some nice 78 boxed sets, as well as the three Mosaic Commodore sets, as well as a lovely 10-inch copy of The Tal Farlow album, original Norgran, which I gave to my friend Dan as a birthday gift. This Lester Young record was also in the collection, so it is pleasing to me to see it go for so high a price and, in retrospect, further helps to justify the temporary discord it helped to create. Although, blaming the Lester Young record as opposed to my own impulsiveness for the discord is a bit of a stretch, wouldn’t you say?

Lou Donaldson and Clifford Brown, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5030. Look at that beautiful cover. The record was M- and the cover seemed somewhere between VG++ and M-. It sold for $522.88.

Jutta Hipp, Jutta, Blue Note 5056. This one looked to be in beautiful condition, M- for the record and the cover. It sold for $720.

Lou Donaldson Sextet, Volume 2, Blue Note 5055. This was an original, original first pressing, based on the listings on the back cover of other Blue Note 10-inch LPs, and it was in M- condition all around. The price was $385.

Here’s a non-Blue Note that got a nice price: Billie Holiday Sings, Mercury 118. This was an original pressing with a beautiful cover illustration by David Stone Martin. One of his very best, I’d say. This one was in beautiful condition, M- for the record and the cover. It sold for $260.