Tag: Duke Ellington

Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 6

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Now we get to the batch of records that turned out to be the most pleasant surprise of all. There was at one point a group listed as such: Bill Evans, Seven Riverside LPs. There was a picture on the Web site and there was a copy of Waltz for Debby in there and perhaps an original pressing of New Jazz Conceptions as well. Anyway, I was hoping to steal this one, but once the bidding surpassed $400 I realized there was no steal to be had and I had better keep my mouth shut. The package eventually went for $650. Ah, well. However, about 15 minutes later there was another group of LPs, described as such: Bill Evans, Eleven LPs, Eight Verve and Three Riverside. There was no picture or other description. I won this lot at $80, so my total for these 11 records was $93.60. This is a great batch of music, and each record is in

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Free Duke Jazz Vinyl: The Winner Is . . .

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I was so busy having my Blue Note existential crisis last week I forgot to end the contest for the latest giveaway: Duke Ellington, Ellington at Newport, Columbia 8648. This is not an original pressing but is a later stereo issue that’s in near mint, unplayed condition. As always with our giveaways we have one copy that will go to a Jazz Collector reader who has commented on the site during the contest’s duration. This week we have a lot of newcomers to the competition, which is great. Traffic has been building pretty steadily on the site and we are now able to tally our monthly page views in the tens of thousands, believe it or not. In any case, those eligible for the Duke LP are:

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On eBay Now: Duke, Fuller, Newk

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In addition to having an occasional existential crisis, I have also been putting some interesting items on eBay that are worth watching. Here are a couple:

The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington, Mosaic MD 5-160. I got this a dozen years ago and never even opened it, so I figured it might be time to sell it. The CDs are unopened and the price is close to $100. Also: The Complete Blue Note/UA Curtis Fuller Sessions, Mosaic MD3-166. Similar situation as the Duke, with the CDs unopened. This one is currently at $50, but I’m hoping it goes for a lot more.

I had this one hanging in a frame above my desk: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original New York pressing. It is

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Jazz Vinyl Giveaway: Duke At Newport

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It’s time for our next contest to give away a free record, and here’s the record: Duke Ellington, Ellington at Newport, Columbia 8648. This is a classic jazz LP, featuring the famous Paul Gonsalves solo on Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue from the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, which was actually held in Newport, RI in those days. Many in the media actually credited this performance with helping to revive Ellington’s career. This is not an original pressing, but is a later stereo reissue. It is in near mint condition, for both the record and the cover, and it is being make available free to one lucky reader of Jazz Collector. As always with out contests, the rules are quite simple: All you have to do to be eligible to win this record is to

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From The Archives: The Duke As a Hillbilly????

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When I was researching that “trick” quiz question on the first Leonard Feather Blindfold Test, I came upon the Downbeat Special 20th Anniversary Issue from June 30, 1954. In addition to talking about the Blindfold Tests, Feather had some great stories and quotes. Here’s a comment from Jack Teagarden on Duke Ellington: “I never did like anything Ellington ever did. He never had a band all in tune, always has a bad tone and a bad blend. I’d just as soon listen to a hillbilly on a jukebox.”

This is what Feather had to say about the first Mary Lou Williams Blindfold test from 1946:

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Ellington and Trane on Broadway; Plus Serge Chaloff With and Without Sonny Clark

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Some more for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, Impulse 30. This was an original white label promo copy. It was in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $326. We’ve actually seen this go for slightly higher before. Interesting — I went to a play with Mrs. JC the other day (Mrs. Jazz Collector, not Mrs. John Coltrane), and they were using 1960s mood music between scenes. One of the tracks was from this album, In a Sentimental Mood. After the fourth note, I was able to identify it. Not difficult really — it’s a very recognizable version. Excellent play, by the way: The American Plan. Worth seeing if you’re in New York.

We were watching these two LPs from Serge Chaloff and questioning how big a difference the presence of Sonny Clark was have on impacting the price. Quite a bit, it turns out:

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Today on eBay, September 26

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Here are some other interesting items on eBay today. This first one is a beauty: Lee Morgan, Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing in very nice condition. The current price is $360, but it should go for quite a bit more.  Our friends at Euclid Records have a few nice Blue Note originals selling today, including this one: Jimmy Smith, New Sound – New Star, Blue Note 1512.  This one is an original Lexington Avenue pressing and is already more than $120. Here’s a seller with a large number of items, including this one: Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland Volume Two, Blue Note 1522. This is an original Lexington Avenue in VG condition. Price now is $56. When you look at this seller’s other items, make sure you check the condition. Finally, here’s one I like a lot, but doesn’t seem to be generating too much interest, based on the price and lack of bidding: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook, Verve 4010-4. This is the boxed set edition, including four records and the booklet. Current price is $19.99.

Catching Up With Some Interesting Collectibles

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Here are some interesting results from some records we’ve been watching on eBay:

Red Garland, All Kinds of Weather, Prestige 7148. This is an original yellow label pressing with the New Jersey address in M- condition. Price: $385. I’ve never quite figured out which Red Garland records sell for the highest prices, and why. So, if anyone out there has the answer, please post a comment.

Here’s an interesting one: Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1534. What’s interesting is that this was not an original pressing: The original pressing on this has the Lexington Avenue address, and this copy had the West 63rd street address. So it was not original and it was only in VG condition, yet it still sold for $124.50.

Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274. This was an original pressing with the trumpeter logo in M- condition and sold for $190.09. That’s a pretty nice price for a Ben Webster on Verve. This was sold by

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A Weekend With Jackie, Basie, Warhol, Monk

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As promised, here are a few more records to keep an eye on this weekend, as well as some sellers who have interesting items.

Jackie McLean, A Long Drink of the Blues, Prestige New Jazz 8253. I‘ve always loved the second side of this LP, with Jackie in a quartet setting doing Embraceable You, I Cover the Waterfront and These Foolish things. This particular copy of the record is an original, but not in great condition. Sometimes, if the price is right, it makes sense to bid on something like this, hoping that the record sounds better than it looks. In any case, this is a record worth looking at and it’s also worth looking at some of the other items from this seller this weekend.  A few weeks ago we wrote about a Joe Newman record selling for a high price because of a cover illustration by Andy Warhol. Now here’s another album with a Warhol cover, Count Basie, RCA 1112. This is being sold by Atomic Records, one of the largest eBay jazz sellers.

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“Charlie Yardbirdaronee”

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My friend Dan called the other day. He’d just bought a copy of “Slim’s Jam”, the original 78 on the Bel-Tone label, featuring one of Charlie Parker’s early recorded solos recorded in December 1945 when he was in Los Angeles. Dan paid 40 bucks on eBay for the 78. I don’t have a copy of the 78, but I do have the cut on the original Savoy 12-inch LP, The Genius of Charlie Parker, Savoy MG-12014, so I put it on. This is a classic, of course, featuring Slim Gaillard introducing each of the musicians in his own inimitable style: “Here comes Zutty in the door with his brushes . . . This is a fun, Jack McVouty and his tenor.” And, inevitably, “Charlie Yardbirdaroonee,” who, as we soon learn, was “ havin’ a little reed trouble.”

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