This week’s theme: All the Things You Are in multiple settings. Featured artists include Art Tatum, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, Tal Farlow, Dan Axelrod, Eddie Costa, Booker Ervin, Tommy Flanagan, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson, Phineas Newborn Jr., Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey, Ella Fitzgerald, Horace Silver, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Carmen McRae, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins, Dexter Gordon, Barry Harris, Buster Williams, Tootie Heath.

This week’s theme: Part two of our exploration of jazz tracks that have the name of a woman in the title. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Ray Charles, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Art Blakey, Eddie Jefferson, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Benny Golson, Billy Taylor, Stan Getz, Al Haig, Jimmy Raney, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Barry Harris, Jimmy Rushing, Coleman Hawkins, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, Tina Brooks, Nat King Cole, Sweets Edison, and more.

Theme: Jazz instrumental and vocal versions of songs written by Frank Loesser. Featured artists include Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Charles Rouse, Julius Watkins, Gildo Mahones, Teddy Charles, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Herb Geller, Gene Quill, Hal McKusick, Al Cohn, Ray Charles, Betty Carter, Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen McRae, Hoagy Carmichael, Art Pepper, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, and many more.

This week’s theme: More jazz vocals and instrumentals from the Great American Songbook. Artists include Lous Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, Eddie Costa, Vinnie Burke, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Haynes, Thad Jones, Ronnell Bright, Richard Davis, Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, Paul Motion, Zoot Sims, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Warren Vache, and many more.

This week’s theme: Jazz Meets Broadway

This one came from the same batch and I was quite surprised to see where the bidding ended up, since I’ve never viewed this one as particularly coveted by collectors:

The Jazz Messengers, Columbia 897. This was an original pressing with the red six-eye label. It was also listed in pristine condition, straight from storage. The final price was $255.  As they say, condition counts, right? Here’s one more: Johnny Griffin and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Tenor Scene, Prestige 7191. This was an original yellow label pressing with the New Jersey address. It was also in M- condition and sold for $172.50. I love the Griff and Lockjaw records, on Prestige, Riverside and Jazzland, but they typically don’t sell for collector’s prices. Then again, they are not typically in pristine condition.

Here’s a personal favorite of mine that didn’t sell and is back on eBay for those who may be interested: Eddie Costa, Guys and Dolls Like Vibes, Coral 57230. This was an original promotional pressing. It was listed in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover, but based on the seller’s experience and description, I would wager that the grading is very conservative. Anyway, this did not sell and is back with a start price of $122. Oh yes, it features some great Bill Evans in addition to Costa on vibes. A really nice record.

This is one I actually bid on: Eddie Costa, Guys and Dolls Like Vibes, Coral 57230. This was an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. I own the record, so why did I bid on it? Well . . . it was sitting with no bids with three hours left on the auction and a start price of just $10. The seller didn’t include the important information that Bill Evans is the pianist on this record, which adds to its value and, more importantly, adds to its musical quality, which, of course, is excellent. A really nice record and for my bid of $20, what would be so bad having two copies? But I didn’t win. It sold for $33.88. Somebody got a bargain.

This one also sold for a relatively low price, which surprised me since I had always thought of this as fairly collectible: Seldon Powell Sextet, Roost 2220. Perhaps the bidding was restrained because the seller doesn’t make it clear if this is an original pressing, not describing whether it has a deep groove. It’s a knowledgeable seller, so you’d assume he left out the information because there is no deep groove. Perhaps other potential buyers felt the same way. It sold for $56.

Don Sleet, All Members, Jazzland 45. This was an original orange label mono pressing. The record looked to be VG++ and the cover was listed as VG. The price was $94.

Mike Cuozzo with the Costa-Burke Trio, Jubilee 1027. This was an original pressing and the value is certainly aided by the presence of Eddie Costa. It was only in VG condition for the record and the cover and still sold for $108.50.

Bill Perkins, Just Friends, Pacific Jazz 401. This was an original pressing sold by the Jazz Record Center. It was in excellent condition — the words “immaculate” and “exceptional” were used in the description. It also benefitted from the presence of strong sidemen, in this case Art Pepper and Richie Kamuca. The price was $330.55.

Johnny Hodges, Perdido, Norgran 1091. This was a black-label pressing, which I think is an original. At some point, we will need to do in Norgran what we are doing in Blue Note and Prestige and come up with some definitive information about yellow and black labels, logos, etc. This was in beautiful M- condition and sold for $90.47.

Rene Thomas and Bobby Jaspar, Thomas Jaspar Quintet, RCA PML 10324. This was an original Italian pressing and, frankly, I’ve never seen or heard of this LP before. It looks like a nice cover and the players are certainly excellent, so I imagine it is quite a find. This one was in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover and sold for $700. If anyone has more insight on this record, please feel welcome to share it.

all you have to do is comment on the Jazz Collector site — somewhere on the site, about any topic — over the next two weeks, until the contest closes on November 16. At that point we will pool the names of all the eligible contestants and put them into either a real or a proverbial hat and pull out the name of the lucky winner. For anyone who doesn’t know this music, particularly any guitarists out there, it’s worth posting a comment or two on the site to try to win this one. You’ll be quite pleased and even if you don’t win you’ll have had the joyous opportunity to share a comment, opinion or even a jest with your fellow jazz lovers out there in the world.