Of course. The same invitation is open to anyone. Stuart reminded me that it is almost 10 years to the day since we published an earlier article – Adventures in Jazz Collecting, Tokyo Style. Couldn’t help but notice that there were 54 comments on that article. Bravo to Stuart and all of the commenters. Ah, the good old days.

Anyway, the article arrived the other day, along with the title Stuart suggested title, so, without further ado, may we present:

The Records (But Not the Music) Are Over

By Stuart Levine

Well, I did it. I sold my jazz record collection. Now approaching 70, I’m trying to downsize and just not finding the opportunity to listen to my LPs. You see, for years I’ve been living in Japan with my wife and two daughters, while all this time storing my records and audio equipment back on the West Coast. The irony is that I’m in the land (or rather, on the island) whose people love our American art form of Jazz, yet I, myself, can’t listen to my own records. I don’t want to bore anyone with details as to why not, but suffice it to say that living quarters are tight there and sound travels easily.

I’ll miss visiting the record stores – the crate digging and conversations with fellow vinyl enthusiasts. It had all started during my college days with CTI and fusion. But later, I discovered Hard Bop and “watch out” – I was hooked! Good thing I started making some decent money because as you know, those Blue Notes are expensive. So gone are roughly 400 LPs; however, I did keep a few. They are Somethin’ Else, Maiden Voyage and Kind of Blue.  All are first pressings. My copy of Kind of Blue is very early.  Just couldn’t part with these three.

As far as sales went, I did pretty well with my treasured vinyl. A VG++ Cool Struttin’ came in at a cool $4,283. A near mint Wahoo did a whopping $1,725 and even a VG+ Juju sold for $900, netting me $630. Yep, further evidence of Blue Notes’ cachet. On the other hand, Impulse didn’t do so well. My pristine mono copy of Blues and the Abstract Truth disappointed at 75 bucks. Gosh, darn it … wish I could have that one back as well as other gems in my collection such as Saxophone Colossus and A Love Supreme. Oh, stop it, Stuart! You’re done! There are always cds.

But before I close, I’d like to give shout outs to Charles Pearlman of Strictly Headies and Jason Perlmutter of Carolina Soul (thanks to Al for recommending Jason). They did such a professional job of listing my records on their eBay sites. With Charlie, who sold most of my jazz records, I got to visit Portland, Oregon, enjoying the greenery I don’t get in the Las Vegas desert where my parents live. And for the first time, I flew to Durham, North Carolina to meet Jason with a few jazz LPs and a good number of rock records. So, thanks guys … you represented my collection well, and I’m sure my records are spinning right now on worthy turntables. As for me, I think I’ll give a listen to “Stolen Moments” from my laptop computer.

This week’s theme: The Gershwin Songbook, as played by jazz pianists and their groups. Featured artists include: Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Red Garland, Billy Taylor, Bud Powell, Oscar Pettiford, Art Blakey, Paul Motian, Scott LaFaro, Hampton Hawes, Red Mitchell, Chuck Thompson, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Connie Kay, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, John Ore, J.C. Moses, Ray Barreto, Arthur Taylor, Paul Chambers, Randy Weston

This week’s theme is pretty much what it says: Tracks from 10 random Blue Note records, Artists include Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor, Philly Joe Jones, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Louis Smith, Dizzy Reece, Jackie McLean, Pete LaRoca, Cliff Jordan, Jon Gilmore, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon.

First was the AI overview. It started out like this: “A list of ten favorite Blue Note records can be compiled from various jazz enthusiast lists, such as one from HifiZine, which includes titles like Wayne Shorter’s Adams Apple and Horace Silver’s “Cape Verdean Blues.”

OK, fair enough.

Here’s the next sentence: “Another source, jazzcollector.com, presents additional favorites, often highlighting specific artists and albums based on expert recommendations.”

All right. I feel like I made it to the big time. AI and all that. Right at the top.

Not only that, there was a link in the AI overview to a Jazz Collector article from February 2010. I’d forgotten about the article completely. Even better, the very first reference sited in the Google search was that very same article from February 2010, titled “More Blue Note Favorites, Courtesy of Downbeat.” And If you click on the link, as I did and as you should do as well, you will find the article describing a Downbeat issue from March of 2009.

While I had the general gist right, the premise was a bit off: It wasn’t a list of my TEN favorite Blue Notes, it was a list of MY FAVORITE BLUE NOTE ALBUM. As you will see if you clink the link, they asked a bunch of jazz musicians. Fascinating replies, with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Horace Silver leading the way. In that post, I was the one who corrupted the concept by listing my seven “Finalists” for my favorite Blue Note, but not necessarily making a decision on a single one. There are also 13 comments on the post. And perhaps we will get more comments here, if anybody is still watching.

Anyway, that solves one of my challenges in doing the show on my 10 Favorite Blue Notes. I’m make progress on solving the other challenges as well and I hope to be doing the show on the radio in the next few weeks. How am I resolving those challenges? Choosing the 10 records and playing them in the studio?

Stay tuned.

This week’s theme: Part two of a two-part celebration of my father’s 100th birthday. Featured artists include Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Carmel Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Brown Jr., Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Randy Weston, Cecil Payne, Lockjaw Davis, Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, and many more.

This week’s theme: Jazz Vinyl recorded or released in 1965. Artists include Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, George Coleman, Anthony Williams, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Ray Bryant, Pete LaRoca, Dave Brubeck, Herbie Mann, Paul Desmond, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, and many 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.

Horace Silver Quintet, Blue Note 5062. This is an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing, featuring Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. Pretty good band, I would say. This is listed in VG condition for the record and the cover. The start price is around $200 and so far there are no bidders with a day left on the auction.

Here are a couple of United Artists Blue Notes: Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565 and Paul Chambers Quintet, Blue Note 1564. These are both listed in M- or VG++ condition and they both have a start price of about $100. The auctions close in six days and it will be interesting to see the going rate for these 1970s issues. They’ve certainly been going way up over the past few years and these are nice copies in nice condition. Any guesses?

Subject: Sonny Rollins in Holland, 1967

Hello Al,

Hope you are safe and sound. Just thought you would find this interesting. In 1967 Sonny Rollins played for one week in Holland, doing different gigs and a radio show. He played with the Dutch players Ruud Jacobs (29 at the time) on bass and Han Bennink (25 at the time) on drums. He didn’t like a piano added. Last year they found the tapes and now they are issued on CD in a co-production of Resonance Records & the Dutch Jazz Archive. Great, because I think he almost recorded no records between 1966 and 1972. There is a nice article today in the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. I attached some photos. Of course it is in Dutch, so I will translate some interesting points.

Sonny Rollins has listened to the tapes last year and thought also that it must be brought out on CD. “I remember I was in holland in May 1967 and had a great week with Ruud and Han. But I didn’t know we played THAT good. The sound of Ruud’s base was so beautiful and the energy of Han’s drumming was merciless. When I listened back to the tapes, I instantly thought: This must be heard.”

There were great reviews at the time in the media about the concerts, especially the one in Arnhem on the 3rd of May 1967 at the Art Academy (most concerts where in very small venues as jazz in 1967 was getting less attention versus the up and coming rock music. Other jazz musicians have been circulating cassette tapes of the concert, of very poor quality, copied over and over again by jazz colleagues. They played in Loosdrecht (also TV show), Arnhem and Utrecht. The photos in the article are from those concerts. This is the website of the Dutch Jazz Archive (they reissue lots of concerts of the jazz greats, played in Holland in the 50’s and 60’s and have a nice photo-archive).

https://www.jazzarchief.nl/product-categorie/jazz-at-the-concertgebouw/

Ruud Jacobs was one of the great Dutch jazz bassist in Holland who played with many people in the late ‘50s and ‘60s (Johnny Griffin, Bud Shank, Kenny Clarke, Stan Getz). The brother of pianist Pim Jacobs. Han Bennink is still alive. He also played with the greats, and became a more experimental drummer, together with the Instant Composers Pool, the Willem Breuker Collective, Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry, etc. He played loud and merciless; he uses everything he can drum on. During  the concerts with Rollins he states: “When Sonny ‘gave’ me a solo, I would go out of rhythm and played for example on a flowerpot.”   (hahaha)

I could imagine that Rudolph would have visited one of the concerts maybe, as he listened to so many in the Netherlands during the 50’s and 60’s??

All the best Al from Amsterdam. Always thankful for the Jazzcollector!

sorry for my grammar

Note from Al: Pictures are below the post. Next is the other email from Maarten.

Subject: Still Alive

Every time I read an obituary in the newspaper or on Jazz Collector…I always think: What? This person was still alive?… While I have records from the fifties where he /she plays on it. And then I want to write something nice about them. But I think; it’s too late. Why not honor somebody when they are still alive. So many jazz artist are still amongst us. I think it could be a very nice post on Jazz Collector. First of all, we will start thinking of those who are still there and gave us this great music. But also it could be inspiring to listen to them while still alive. Everybody will come up with an artist that maybe nobody thought they are still there…and we would start listening to them… while they are still alive.

Joanne Brackeen, born 1938… made some great records  still alive

Herbie Hancock..  albums with Mobley, Byrd, etc … still alive

Benny Golson 1929!! still alive

Curtis Fuller 1934!! still alive

Ron Carter 1937!! still alive

And of course Rollins. Lets not weep when they are dead… but celebrate them now.

Ok. I am getting a bit over excited. Of course you don’t have to address this in Jazz Collector.   ?  Iam just drinking some beers while listening to jazzzzzz

Wish you all the best

Regards

Maarten Kools

Amsterdam

the Netherlands

According to Popsike the highest previous price for New Soil has been $1,500, but that seems to be an aberration because that is the only prior copy of this record to ever sell for more than $1,000. As for me, I purchased a Stereo pressing for $100 at a record show many years ago, and was promptly taken to task by my friend Red Carraro, who spotted me walking around with the record and told me that I over paid for a stereo copy in only VG or VG+ condition. But then I took the record home and put it on the turntable and had no regrets at all. It sounded great, stereo or mono. Which prompts me to wonder: When, if ever, will we have in-person record shows again? Here in the States, not too soon I would imagine.

Here’s another LP from the same seller: Relaxin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7129. This is an original New York yellow label pressing that also looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is at $395. This record has crossed the $1,000 barrier once before. This is one of my favorites of the Relaxin’/Cookin’/Workin’/Steamin’ sessions, possibly because of the specific tracks and the intro by Miles that made its way onto the recording. Of course all of those record are great. Also particularly fond of Steamin’ because I had never heard the song Diane before and it was my mother’s name, so every time I listen to the record I think of both my mother as well as my dad, since he was a huge Miles fan and spent many an hour listening to Miles on the Fisher record player in our living room in Queens.

A few more: Lee Morgan, Lee-Way, Blue Note 4034. This looks to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. I noticed something odd about the listing – the date stamp on the picture is from 2017. I guess if I was bidding on this record, which I’m not, I’d ask the seller if the picture is from the album currently up for auction or is it from someone else’s auction. Same with the Jackie McLean New Soil Record. If you click on the picture you can see it clearly 05/07/2-17. Just sayin’. It is a really nice, clear picture, but which record? Bidding is at around $700 with about four days left on the auction.

Joe Henderson, In ‘Out, Blue Note 4166. This looks to be an original New York USA label, probably in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. Bidding is in the $420 range with more than five days left on the auction.

Surprise, here’s one I’m NOT interested in: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This looks to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing in VG condition for the record and the cover. The start price is around $400 and so far there is no action with the auction closing in six days. In case you missed it, I filled in this gap in my collection a few months ago.

Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195. This looks to be an original Mono New York USA pressing. The record is listed as VG++ and the cover as VG+. Bidding is already at $800 with six days left, with 16 bids and 65 watchers. Guess there’s a lot of interest in Maiden Voyage.

Finally, one more from the Prestige vaults: Coltrane, Prestige 7105. This looks to be an original New York yellow label in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The bidding is at about $600 and there are still six days left on the auction.