This week’s theme: Mostly ballads, mostly vocals. Featured artists include Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Anita O’Day, Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Olivia Foschi, Nancy LaMott, John Coltrane, and more.

This week’s theme. Welcoming in 2024, with 24-related jazz vinyl. Hint, Swing, Swang, Swinging’ and A New Perspective on Blue Note. Featured artists include Jackie McLean, Donald Bird, Herbie Hancock, Hank Mobley, Al Sears, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Oscar Pettiford, Oliver Nelson, Kenny Dorham.

This week’s theme: A Jazzy Christmas. Featured artists include Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Rushing, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Herb Geller, Bill Evans, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Betty Carter, Dan Axelrod, Al Perlman.

Let’s do this in real time. So far, I’m finding a lot of records with really high start prices and zero bids, starting with: Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 1502, original Lexington Avenue pressing. Great looking cover, as you can see. Record and cover are graded in Excellent condition, which the seller describes as “VERY” nice, although not quite mint minus. Start price is close to $1,900 and the buy it now price is close to $2,900.

How about Gil Melle, Gil’s Guests, Prestige 7063? This is an original New York yellow label listed in VG+ condition for the record and what I would call an “iffy” VG cover. How about $900 to start? And here’s a record I once owned but traded away in a very bad deal for me: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue Note 4032. The record and cover are graded VG+, with some surface noise on the vinyl. The start price is about $800.

Doing this in real time, I have completed the first page of 60 listings of jazz records sorted by highest prices on eBay. I kid you not – there is not a single record that has even one bid. Astrud Gilberto, The Shadow of Your Smile, $2,000. No? Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely, $400. No?

To be fair, there are some records that will likely be sold and perhaps well into the $1,000 bin. I’m looking at Freddie Hubbard Hub Cap, Blue Note 4073, and . . . . not much more. Let’s move on to page 2. I’m determined to find a record that has at least one bid.

Nothing yet. Passing Chet Baker, It Could Happen to You, Sonny Rollins, Rollins Plays For Bird, both in the $300 range, passing Freddie Redd, The Connection at $250, Miles Davis, Relaxin’ at $250. OK. Now I’m starting to worry that something is wrong with my internet connection or eBay. Nothing? Let’s keep going.

Ding, ding, ding. Nearly 100 records down, our first record that has any bids, and, I must admit, it’s a good one: Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York 23 labels. The record is graded M- and the cover is graded EX. There are actually 10 bids and the price is currently at about $230 with less than two days left on the auction.

Well, that was fun. Clearly, my absence from posting, has had a dramatic impact on the market.

And, while I’m here, here’s a random Blue Note I was watching: Lou Donaldson, Lou Takes Off, Blue Note 1591. This looked to be an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $334.

Louis Armstrong, Nat Cole and Ray Charles. I found that interesting. I told him, for my money, I would take Ella head and shoulders above anyone else and there wasn’t even that close a second. The next one I mentioned was Sinatra. He surprised me by telling me that, among musicians, Ella doesn’t have the same cachet as some other vocalists, such as Sarah Vaughan. Anyway, it was an interesting conversation, fodder for discussion here (I hope) and it was also somewhat gratifying to see Jimmy Cobb confirm my opinion about Ella. Although I still can’t figure why he came up with Wynton Marsalis in his top six.

While I’m here, I may as put in a reminder that we have a few records for sale on eBay today. Here are a couple:

Mundell Lowe, New Music of Alex Wilder, Riverside 219. This is an original

pressing with the white label. It has liner notes by Frank Sinatra and the cover is in M- condition. The starting price on this is just $12 and so far there are no bidders, which is a surprise to me. I thought this would get a lot of action from jazz guitar enthusiasts.

Bud Shank and Bob Brookmeyer, Pacific Jazz 20. This is an original 10-inch LP in VG+ condition. The current price is $20.50.

Johnny Griffin, Night Lady, Emarcy 26001. This is an original Emarcy European pressing, pretty rare. The record is M- and the cover is VG+. The current price is just $14.50. I put this record on last week when I was posting it. It’s a great quartet session.

Here are the results of some of the items we were watching yesterday on eBay:

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing of this very rare record. The dealer uses different terminology than we use for grading, but it seems like the record was what we would call VG++ and the cover was VG+. Price: $798

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing from the same dealer as the Jackie McLean record. This was in VG++/VG++ condition. It sold for $713. We expected this to go for a higher price. In our Price Guide we’ve had two copies since the beginning of the year: One was in better condition than this and sold for $1,302: The other was in worse condition and sold for $861.

Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Prestige 7038. This was an original pressing with the white cover in M-/M- condition. Price: $202.50

Sonny Rollins Volume One, Blue Note 1542. This was an original pressing with the Lexington Avenue address. It was in VG++/VG+ condition and sold for $360.

Lee Konitz, Very Cool, Verve 8209. This was an original pressing with the trumpeter logo in M-/M- condition. It looked very clean and fetched a price of $131.38.

Finally, here’s an interesting collectible you may have missed: A copy of Frank Sinatra’s Songs For Swingin’ Lovers signed by Sinatra. It was not in great shape but still sold for $94.51.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow at Jazzcollector.com and on Friday with our next newsletter. — Al