This week’s theme: Dexter Gordon studio recordings 1950s (and The Resurgence). Featured artists include Dexter Gordon, Stan Levey, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Leroy Vinnegar, Lou Levy, Kenny Drew, Lawrence Marble, Carl Perkins, Chuck Thompson, Jimmy Robinson, Dolo Coker, Martin Banks, Richard Boone, Charles Green.

Meanwhile, back in the world of eBay the pickings are slim among high-end collectibles. I’m watching just a few, including Donald Byrd, Byrd in Flight, Blue Note 4048. This is an original West 63^rd Street deep groove mono. The record and cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The bidding is in the $160 range with more than five days left on the auction. Also Mal Waldron, Mal/3 Sounds, Prestige New Jazz 8201. This is a purpose label mono pressing, but I’m not seeing deep grooves in the picture so not sure if it is an original. The record and cover are listed in VG+ condition, but the picture of the cover looks VG top me. The bidding is in the $215 range with about a day left on the auction.

Finally, I see the mentions of the death of Bob Koester. He received quite a nice obituary in The New York Times. I was about to tell the story of when I went to the Jazz Record Mart for the first time in the mid-1980s and wound up with a suitcase-full of Prestige 78s. I just counted and reorganized them and the final number was 130, which was a bit more than I remembered. In any case, here’s a link to the story: End of An Era.

I thought I could sneak this one in because the picture accompanying the listing wasn’t clear and perhaps that would turn people off: Alto Madness,  Prestige 7114. This features John Jenkins and Jackie McLean and I do not own an original copy. It was not getting a lot of action and I threw in a bit of about $130. Not even close. In the end there were 13 bids and the winning bid was $405.

Louis Smith, Smithville, Blue Note 1594. I mentioned this one yesterday and posted the picture. For some reason, this record was not getting much action. With several hours to go before it closed it was in the $100 range. I thought perhaps the listing wasn’t clear as far as the condition and there was something in the listing about price guides and $100. Anyway, there was light action, so I used by BidNip sniping service — if you bid on eBay you really should be using one of this — and put in a bid of about $360. Well it sold for $811, so I wasn’t even in the game.

I tried to sneak this one in at about $20: Frank Rosolino, I Play Trombone, Bethlehem 26. The vinyl was only VG, but it had a nice cover and the seller didn’t mention the presence of Sonny Clark

on piano, so I thought maybe . . . I just missed and it sold for $22.72.

This one I thought I would get, for sure: Stan Getz, Interpretations #3, Norgran 1029. The seller didn’t know what he was doing, admittedly, and I had a strong feeling he was undergrading the records. The picture looked great, which is not always a true indication, I know. But if you take a look at it, you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, I bid $44.44 and it sold for $45.44, so I didn’t get it. I have a feeling the winning bidder will be quite pleased.

This is another one where I don’t own an original copy and it would be a good one to help round out my Blue Note 1500 series: The Magnificent Thad Jones Volume 3, Blue Note 1546. This was in pretty good shape, probably VG+, and I threw in a bid of $155.55. It sold for $158.05. Close again, but not quite.

This one had no photo and the cover was described as “good.” I thought I could add it as filler for my collection, again, filling in some of the Blue Note 1500 series: The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. Boy was I wrong. I thought I could get this cheap, like under $100. No way. It sold for $500.

This one had the highest price of all the ones we’re entering: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. Price: $1,524.99

Eddie Costa, House of Blue Lights, Dot 3206. This was an original pressing in VG++/VG++ condition. Price: $355

Red Garland at the Prelude, Prestige 7170. This was an original pressing in M-/M- condition. Price: $79. This sold on another auction for $338.70 recently. 

Lou Donaldson, Sonny Side Up, Blue Note 5036. This was an original pressing with the original cover in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $156.10

Charlie Rouse, Yeah!, Epic 16012. This was in M-/VG++ condition and sold for $416.51.

Jackie McLean, Bluesnik, Blue Note 4067. This was a West 63rd pressing in M-/VG+ condition. Price: $236.06

Sal Salvador Quintet, Blue Note 5035. This was a 10-inch LP in M-/M- condition. Price> $129.62

Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Bag, Blue Note 4051. This was VG++/VG++ and sold for $169.

Charles Mingus, the Complete 1959 CBS Sessions, Mosaic MQ4-143. This was a 4-record boxed set and sold for $133.50

Mal Waldron, Mal-1, Prestige 7090. This was an original New York yellow label in VG++/VG++ condition. Price $455

Elmo Hope, Informal Jazz, Prestige 7043. This was an original pressing in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $997.97

Jerome Richardson, Midnight Oil, New Jazz 8205. This was a purple label original in M-/VG+ condition. Price: $224.50

Lester Young, Le Dernier Message, Barclay 84-009. This was in VG+/VG + condition. Price: $518

Barry Harris at the Jazz Workshop, Riverside 326. This was an original blue label pressing in M-/VG++ condition. Price: $190.50

Thelonious Monk, Monk’s Music, Riverside 242. This was an original white label pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. It sold for $117.50, quite a bit off the $3,000 previous high.

Gigi Gryce, When Farmer Met Gryce, Prestige 7085. This was an original New York yellow label in M-/M- condition. Price: $560

Charlie Parker, With Strings, Mercury 35010. This was a 10-inch LP in VG++/VG++ condition. Price: $383

Duke Pearson, Tender Feelin’s, Blue Note 4035. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing in M-/VG+ condition. Price: $610.07

Betty Bennett, Nobody Else But Me, Atlantic 1226. This was a black label in VG++/VG+ condition and it sold for $127.12

Bill Berry, For Duke, RealTime 101. This was M-/VG++. Price: $102.50

Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7079. This was an original orange cover and New York label in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $260

Frank Rosolino, I Play Trombone, Bethlehem 26. This was an original red label pressing in VG+/VG+ condition. Price: $137.50

Pepper Adams Plays the Music of Charles Mingus, Workshop 219. This was a stereo pressing in M-/VG+ condition. Price: $94.89

Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in M-/VG condition. Price: $796

Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040. This was an original West 63rd pressing in VG++/VG+ condition. Price: $383

Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Blue Note 7068. This was an original New York yellow label in VG/VG+ condition. Price: $170.50

Sweets Edison, Sweets, Verve 8097. This had the trumpeter logo and was in M-/M- condition. Price: $44.49

Lester Young, Pres and Sweets, Norgran 1043. This was an original yellow-label pressing in M-/VG+ condition. Price: $230.50

John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio, Prestige 7123. This was an original New York yellow label with the original cover in M-/VG condition. Price: $372.99

That’s all for now.

We start out Friday with a record I LOVE: Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing in M-/VG condition. It’s already at $364 dollars, which is too rich for my blood in this condition, even though I STILL don’t own an original of this.

Sometimes the way in which a record is listed on eBay makes all the difference. Take this record: Frank Rosolino, I Play Trombone, Bethlehem 26. The key to this record as a collectible is the presence of Sonny Clark in a nice quartet setting. But the seller didn’t bother to put it in. But now you know. 

One more in the same category: Gil Evans Plus Ten, Prestige 7120. This record always seems to sell better when it’s mentioned that Steve Lacy is one of the musicians. 

You don’t think of jazz records on the Motown label, but here’s one on a Motown affiliate: Pepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charles Mingus, Workshop 219. It’s a nice record, too.

Finally, there’s the seller Mojee, who has a bunch of very nice records on eBay this weekend, including Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195.