Funkyousounds | jazzcollector.com

Vinyl Sadness and Stuff

Al — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:51:59 +0000

Once again relying on our friend CeeDee to keep me apprised of jazz vinyl happenings on eBay while my work prevents me from being as active as I would like. The first one is a record I’ve never heard of by an artist that is not familiar to me: Bjarne Rostvold Trio, Tricrotism, RCA Victor 9955. This was an original mono German pressing sold by vinyl-house-uk.The record was listed in EX+ condition and the cover was EX. The final price was $503. Is this a bass, drum, trumpet trio, as it seems on the cover? I’m trying to think of other records with this personnel and I’m coming up empty. There surely must be more out there, but I can’t think of them.

This one came with this note: “Really, folks? Anyone who needs to throw money away can get my contact info through Jazz Collector!” Lee Morgan, Live at the Lighthouse, Blue Note BST 89906. This was a sealed LP and sold for $274. The seller was funkyousounds. I am sorry to share the news with any of you who hasn’t seen it, but the founder of funkyousounds, Jason Koenig recently passed away. I don’t know any details but for those of you who knew Jason, I’m sure you can send an email to funkyousounds. Sounds devastating, such a young, energetic man and, based on my limited interactions with him, very kind and genuine. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

This was another one from vinyl-house-uk: Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves, Salt and Pepper, Impulse A-52. This was an original mono pressing with the orange label and the Van Gelder in the deadwax. The final price was $422. Part of CeeDee’s note: “I had it a long time back. Didn’t move me. Traded it in for who knows . . . Didn’t expect it to sell for anything like this. Yow.” By way of comparison, here is a much less expensive Impulse: Chico Hamilton, Man From Two Worlds, Impulse A-59. This was also an original mono orange label pressing, featuring both Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo. Very interesting lineup. And the record and cover were both in M- condition. The final price was about $50. We’ll give CeeDee the final word: “Was this LP worth nearly 10 times of the cost of the Chic Chico? Not to me!”

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Back to Reality (Sort of)

Al — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 14:05:20 +0000

I see that everyone is quite focused on the Dr. Herb Wong collection from the seller funkyousounds, so please feel free to continue the discussion on the previous post. For me it’s time to move on to some other records on eBay, starting with a batch from the seller vinyl.unlimited. You may recall that this seller had a bunch of very nice jazz vinyl, seemingly from the top of my want list, but the bidding wasn’t reaching the reserve prices. Well, that changed as the auctions closed and most of the records did wind up selling, and fetching top prices as you might expect. A couple of examples: Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was an original pressing that was described as VG++ for both the record and the cover, although, IMHO, the dirt on the back of the cover and the labels precluded this record from being VG++. Hopefully the seller was more scrupulous with the vinyl. This one sold for $1,275. Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original purple label pressing with a promo stamp. The record was listed as M- and the cover was VG++. The final price was $3,284.56.

Not everything reached the reserve prices, so the seller is back with some of those very same items, including: Lou Donaldson, Quartet, Quintet, Sextet, Blue Note 1537. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $135 range, and it has yet to reach the seller’s reserve price. In fact, most of the records that have been re-listed haven’t reached the reserve price. Perhaps the seller should say they are from the collection of Dr. Herb Wong. That would certainly get the action moving.

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Shock and Awe!!!!!!

Al — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 15:44:30 +0000

Readers continue to express shock and awe at the prices on the funkyousounds auction of the Dr. Herb Wong collection. One missive comes in from Dylan concerning this record: Duke Pearson, The Right Touch, Blue Note 84267. This is a Liberty pressing. An original Liberty, but a Liberty nonetheless. And it is a stereo pressing. This one had a promo stamp. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $560. And then there was Gerry Mulligan, Night Lights, Phillips 600-108. This is the one we mentioned the other day. Stereo pressing, promo stamp, VG++ condition. We were surprised when the bidding had reached $60. The final price was $434. If anyone has a viable explanation for this one, I’d love to hear it: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges, Blues Summit Verve 8822. This is a reissue — the type that is very hard to sell on eBay for even $10 or $15. This was a sealed copy and it sold for $349.67. Or this one: Miles Davis, Milestones, Columbia 40837. This is just a plain old reissue. I remember seeing these all the time in $2 or $5 bins. This one sold for $278. I’m going to do a few more, just because I’m sitting here absolutely stunned as I go through the list:

Ella Fitzgerald, Sunshine of Your Love, Prestige 7685. Sealed, $274.

Illinois Jacquet, Birthday Party, JRC-11434. Sealed, promo, $251.50.

Vince Guaraldi, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Fantasy 5019. Promo, $232.50.

Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Money Jungle, Solid State 18022. Reissue, promo, $231.

There are so many more, it’s hard to fathom: Sergio Mendes for more than $200; Getz-Gilberto for more than $200; JJ. Johnson, Proof Positive on Impulse for more than $200; Ella Fitzgerald on Pablo (with a cutout clip to boot) for $184.

I could go on all day. Look for yourself. I think we have ventured into a new paradigm. Perhaps the emergence of the celebrity collector. Or a world in which sealed records and shrink wrap, no matter what the record, are a thing. Beats the hell out of me.

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Charles Mingus: Sacre Bleu!

Al — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 21:49:43 +0000

The funkyousounds auction from the Dr. Herb Wong collection seems to have been brought out the Charles Mingus fans. Here’s Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um, Columbia 8171. This is an original stereo pressing with the six eyes. The record and cover are both in M- condition and there is some shrink wrap, which for some reason seems to be an enticement to some collectors, although I cannot fathom the reason. This one has more than a day left on the auction and the bidding is now over $400. I resisted the urge to put an exclamation point after the $400, but only barely. The old newspaper editor in me, I guess. Here’s another one worthy of an exclamation point, from the same auction: Charles Mingus, Blues and Roots, Atlantic 1305. This is also a stereo pressing, but not a first press. It is also in M- condition for the record and the cover, and it also has shrink wrap. This one is in the $300 range! BTW, did I ever mention the time I was writing about Mingus here and I left out the “G” and wrote it as “Charles Minus.” I did that and one of our French-speaking readers chastised me with the term “Sacre Bleu!,” which is one you don’t hear very often these days, but was certainly well deserved in this particular instance, don’t you think?

Here’s a nice copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. I guess this is a second pressing with the West 63rd Street address and not the New York 23 labels. To me, this is still a highly sought-after collectible. This one is M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $600 range with more than a day to go. I guess with the New York 23 labels you might be looking at a $3,000 price tag, or higher.

Anyone interested in a copy of Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4141? This is an original pressing. The record looks to be in VG++ condition and the cover is VG+. The bidding is in the $660 range, but it has not yet reached the seller’s reserve price.

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Some Gems From a Gem of a Collection

Al — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 16:08:37 +0000

Here’s a nice one: Johnny Griffin, The Kerry Dancers, Riverside 420. This looks do be an original promo pressing with the white label and the deep grooves. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The bidding is in the $300 range with more than five days left on the auction. The seller notes that it is from the estate of the late Dr. Herb Wong, who was a pretty well known jazz historian, writer and radio host in the San Francisco Bay area. The seller, Funkyousounds, states in the listing that it has acquired Dr. Wong’s entire collection. I noticed a bunch of other auctions from the estate earlier this week. Funkyousounds is based in St.Louis, so I, for one, am curious how they ended up with the collection. Funkyousounds, if you are out there, perhaps you have a story to share with us here at Jazz Collector?

One of the other ones I had noticed from the collection was this:

Red Garland Trio, Manteca, Prestige 7139. This was a yellow label with the New Jersey address, which makes it a second pressing. Manteca was one of the last of the Prestiges with the New York address. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. It sold for $165.02, which is a high price for this record, especially a second pressing.

There was also this: The Ray Draper Quintet, New Jazz 8228. This looked to be an original pressing with the purple label and (I think) deep grooves. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The final price was $194.04. I’ve always wondered why this record wasn’t more highly valued by collectors, particularly because it features John Coltrane. Any thoughts?

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