Most of my inbox is filled with releases from a guy named Jim Eigo at Jazz Promo Services, a service I used a couple of years ago to try to bring greater attention to the post I wrote after the election called Chasing Trane: A Review, an Appreciation, a Spiritual Awakening. It looks as if Mr. Eigo has taken the plunge that has often been a pipedream of my own and has opened a brand new vinyl record shop called Original Vinyl Records in Warwick, NY.

This is yet another town in the Hudson Valley of New York, which, for some unknown reason seems to have become a mecca for vintage vinyl shops. According to an interview in Goldmine, Eigo chose this location for a pretty simple reason: It’s a minute from his home and the price was right.

A quick search tells me this store is about an hour and 10 minutes from my apartment in Manhattan and another two and a half hours to my house in the Berkshires, so I will have to add it to my Hudson Valley itinerary on my travels along with Spike’s Record Rack in Catskill, NY, and Hudson Valley Vinyl in Beacon, NY. I will make sure Mr. Eigo is there on my travels so I can chat with him about what he may have in store for us.

In the meantime, he has been using his own service to send out promotions about the store, including the pictures accompanying this article of records from several newly purchased collections. Looks like some interesting stuff, further fueling my interest in getting to the store soon, which, of course is the intent. I’m sure if you contact Jim at the store or at Jazz Promo Services, he would be happy to add your name to his mailing list.

Speaking of record stores, there was this notice that the original proprietor of Bleeker Bob’s, Robert Plotnik, passed away earlier this year. I was in that store dozens of times and never bought a single record there. But that was me. Of course, it made it into Seinfeld, so it will live forever.

There’s a new biography called The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon written by his wife Maxine Gordon. Looking forward to reading it after seeing this review in The New York Times.

If you want insight into the mind and music of Billy Strayhorn, you can now access his archives at The Library of Congress.

The media company Vox has done a video series on jazz, including this one on Blue Note album art.

Finally, there is this animated infographic on The Top 20 Jazz Pianists of All Time.The young woman who created this sent me a link and I said if I got a chance I would post it. So I did.

Review: Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide 3^rd Edition
By Jay Fulmer

More than a decade since the release of the 2^nd edition, the 3^rd edition of the Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide is here.  As expected, many LPs have increased in value, but the changes in format from the 1^st and 2^nd edition are worth noting.

There is a new author for the 3^rd edition, Dave Thompson, so I am assuming the format changes originate with him.  The 3^rd edition only gives a NM value for listings.  With the addition of new listings this was probably the easiest way to save space.  Anyone familiar with Goldmine’s pricing can easily enough extrapolate backwards, and those unfamiliar with their grading/pricing structure should from now on only buy NM albums!

The most significant format change is the alphabetical listing of album titles within each label category.  This might make finding a title easier, but it throws out the chronological aspect of the previous editions by not listing albums by catalog number.  This format change is not a positive for me, but this is a personal bias as I relied heavily on the 2^nd edition when I was cataloging my own collection.  Organizing by catalog number doesn’t necessarily guarantee chronology, but it is certainly much closer than alphabetical by title.

By their nature, catalogs such as Goldmine are “living” documents, constantly evolving as albums and pressings are still being discovered; as well as recording market fluctuations.  I suppose the irregularities and the omissions are a constant part of this evolution, and this 3^rd edition has its share.  None of the editions thus far has listed the Anthony Braxton 3LP Oberlin Concert (Artista AL3 8900  1978), or the Richard Davis Trio Song For Wounded Knee (Flying Dutchman FD 10157  1973).  The 3^rd edition omits Johnny Griffin Sextet (Riverside 12-264  1958), although it is listed in the previous editions.  The strangest irregularity I found in this new edition is the ABC Impulse Charles Mingus catalog being valued higher than his earlier Impulse releases. Can anyone explain that?

I was pleased to see that the values of the ESP catalog were increased, some surprisingly so.  Also the Blue Note Liberty pressings moved up incrementally and the OJC catalog values were increased.  One example of note is the Paul Bley Debut OJC valued at $150.00!  That increase was unexpected, in light of the fact that it is valued higher than his original 1957 Gene Norman Solemn Meditation LP.  I would love to hear other opinions and impressions of this newest Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide, as I am sure that I have missed many omissions and other pricing irregularities. Will this price guide have an effect on the market over the next decade?

This note came in from Michael with the subject: “Quiet Kenny at 2700.” The text said: “I know for a fact that this copy sold for 2700. A dealer friend of mine sold it.” Here’s the record in question: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original purple label pressing in M- condition for the record and the cover. It was sold to the best offer, which we now know was $2,700. Michael — were you surprised? I’m not. Not for a copy of that record in that condition. Of course, I sold a copy in that condition 35 years ago. By now you all know the old refrain. I bought a boat, the boat sank, I’ve never had my hands on Quiet Kenny again.

Finally, this note came in from Jason under the subject: “A real goldmine.” The text was: “Thought you’d find this funny. A used jazz price guide priced higher than many of the LPs inside. Think I’ll sell my copy and buy a Blue Note.” I can’t copy the entire note, but it shows a listing from Amazon of the “Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide, 2nd Edition by Neely, (2004) Paperback,” with a variety of listings. The prices, quite astoundingly, were: $595, $749, $764, $874. Does it sound like a joke. Well, check out this link and you’ll find one price at, tada, $1,452.71. Does anyone have any clue as to why this volume would command these kinds of prices????????????????????

Many dealers, including our partner AJ Doctor, use the Goldmine Grading Guide as a guideline to grading records. Goldmine is a biweekly record collectors magazine in the United States that also publishes price guides. The following is an excerpt from their Grading Guide:

 Mint (M): Absolutely perfect in every way – certainly never played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.

 Near Mint (NM or M-): A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won’t give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. An LP jacket should have no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Basically, an LP in Near Mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

 Very Good Plus (VG+): A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don’t affect one’s listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. An LP jacket may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cutout hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

 Very Good (VG): Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

 Good (G), Good Plus (G+): Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear. A jacket or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Take, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. If it’s a common item, you’ll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it’s something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it . . . but keep looking to upgrade.

 Poor (P), Fair (F): The record is cracked, badly warped and won’t play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP jacket barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled and written upon.

 Jazz Collector Note: Grading records is an art, not a science, and through the years we’ve seen wide disparities among dealers. If you are purchasing a used record through the mail either on eBay or through another means and you are unhappy with the condition, you should let the dealer know. We’ve found most dealers to be reasonable when it comes to working out problems when there is a difference of opinion over condition. Also, on eBay, make sure you look at a dealer’s feedback before bidding on any of their records.