This week’s theme: Lou Donaldson Memorial on Blue Note: Featured artists include Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Blue Mitchell, Herman Foster, Donald Byrd, Peck Morrison, Arthur Taylor, Dave Bailey, Ray Barrett,Sonny Clark, Curtis Fuller, George Joyner, Gene Harris, Andrew Simkins, Bill Dowdy, Horace Parlan, and more

Chet Baker in New York, Riverside 12-281. This is an original blue label pressing listed in M- condition for the record and M- for the cover. The starting price is $500. The seller does mention that there “might be a slight musty smell” which is typically not a very attractive quality for a record in supposedly M- condition.

Dexter Gordon, Go, Blue Note 4112. This looks to be an original New York pressing. The record is listed in Ex condition and the cover is VG+. The starting price is $850. For the record (pun intended) the highest previous price for Dexter Gordon Go was $760, according to Popsike.

J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This is an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The starting price is $800, with no bidders. This is from the seller 1molecularrman, who has several other nice items on sale now, most of which also had high starting prices but have already attracted some interest from buyers. Or, at least the listing on eBay shows a bid. These include: Miles Davis, Relaxin’, Prestige 7129. This is an original New York pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and cover. There is one bid at $500; and, Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075. This is also a New York label original, listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price was $600 and there is one bidder.

Finally, we are watching a couple of Horace Parlan Blue Notes that are closing today: Horace Parlan, Movin’ and Groovin’, Blue Note 4028. This is an original West 63^rd Street pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and EX for the cover. Bidding is around $565. From the same seller is Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This is also an original pressing, listed in VG+ for the record and VG for the cover. Bidding is at $710.

The post Starting Points for Rare Jazz Vinyl first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/uncategorized/starting-points-for-rare-jazz-vinyl/feed/ 8 9021 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/blue-notes-millennials-autographs/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/blue-notes-millennials-autographs/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:58:47 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=8926 Back to eBay. Closing the files on some of those auctions from Carolina Soul, we start with The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This [...]

Back to eBay. Closing the files on some of those auctions from Carolina Soul, we start with The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was an original pressing. The record was listed in VG condition with a slight warp. The cover was listed in VG- condition with a 6-inch seam split. The final price was $1,911.56. Thad Jones, Detroit-New York Junction, Blue Note 1513. This was another original Lexington Avenue pressing. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. The final price was $1,525.

Let’s stick with the Blue Notes: Horace Parlan, Speakin’ My Piece, Blue Note 4043. This was an original West 63^rdStreet pressing in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $2,412. Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch, Blue Note 4163. This was an original New York USA pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the cover and the record. The final price was $1,075.

From a different seller:  Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This looked to be an original pressing with the New York 23 label on both sides. The record and cover were both listed in Ex condition. The final price was $1,151.98.

When I started the site nearly 20 years ago, there were few jazz records that could command a price of more than $1,000 on eBay. That is certainly no longer the case, is it?

Here’s an article from The Wall Street Journal about the vinyl resurgence: Why Millennials Want Their Parents’ Vinyl Records.

 Here’s another note from Japhy:

“Hey again, Al.You occasionally share records that feature an autograph, and we all love to discuss the authenticity and provenance.

Well here’s one that’s signed by not just one, but *three* big names — Jackie McLean, Roy Haynes, and Bobby Hutcherson. The seller (Carolina Soul, natch) had ticket stubs and other ephemera to go along with it. Unfortunately the stubs were affixed to the cover, which would have deterred me, but some buyer didn’t mind, to the tune of $405. Jackie McLean, Destination Out! Blue Note 84165. Best, Japhy.”

For the record, pun intended, this was a late Liberty pressing with the blue label.

The post Blue Notes, Millennials, Autographs first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]>

Dexter Gordon, A Swingin’ Affair, Blue Note 4133. This was also in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. I had predicted that this copy would set a new high for A Swingin’ Affair. The final price was $707. And the final answer? Yes, it did set a new high. The previous high, per Popsike,  was $705.

There are a bunch of records from the $1,000 bin sitting in my watch list. Some of these go back a couple of months. Let me clean those out as a first step in shrinking the list:

Dizzy Reece, Star Bright, Blue Note 4023. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record and cover were both rated in M- condition. The final price was about $1,091.

Donald Byrd, Byrd in Hand, Blue Note 4019. This was also an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record and cover looked to be in M- condition. The final price was $1,175.

Grant Green, Idle Moments, Blue Note 4154. This was an original New York USA pressing, probably in VG+ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $1,302.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing that looked to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. The final price was $1,915.

Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This was an original New York yellow label. The record and cover looked to be in about VG+ condition, with a promo stamp on the back. The final price was $1,137.

Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record looked to be in VG+ or VG++ condition, and the cover was graded as VG+. The final price was $2,247.

Introducing Johnny Griffin, Blue Note 1533. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record looked to be M- and the cover was VG+. The final price was $2,045.

Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. This was an original West. 63^rd Street that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The final price was $2,605.55.

Donald Byrd, Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Transition 17. This was an original pressing without the booklet. The record was graded in VG++/M- condition and the cover was VG+. The final price was $1,775.

Hank Mobley Quartet, Blue Note 5066. This was an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing. The record and cover both looked to be in VG+ condition. The final price was $1,625.

Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This was an original West 63^rd promo copy. The record was VG and the cover was VG+. The final price was $1,200.

Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134. This was an original New York yellow label. The record sounded like VG+ condition and the cover VG, based on the seller’s descriptions. The final price was $2,862.

BTW, I got an email from a guy who has a collection that belonged to Bob Scobey, the Dixieland trumpeter who died in 1963. He sent me pictures that were mostly 78 RPM records, with a few 10-inch LPs sprinkled in. He says he has a lot more photos. The collection is in the Los Angeles area. If anyone is interested, send me an email and I’ll put you in touch.

Horace Parlan, Movin’ and Groovin’, Blue Note 4028. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing. It was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $1,154.99. The seller, funkyousounds, had a lot of other nice jazz vinyl LPs on its latest auction. Here’s another: Horace Parlan, Speakin’ My Piece, Blue Note 4043. This was another original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record was just VG and the cover VG+. The final price was $910. And one more: Herbie Nichols Trio, Blue Note 1519. This was an original mono Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was in VG- condition and the cover was also VG-, with a seam split, wear and discoloration. The final price was $341.

Here’s on that’s closing in six days: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This is an original New York 23 label. The record is listed in VG++ condition and the cover is listed as VG+. The name “John Griffin” is written in black marker on the back cover. The seller claims this is an autograph. Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn’t. Don Lucky, are you out there? Bidding is at $1,225.

We were about to reach a deal when he said he had just wanted to confirm that the “original” copy I was offering had the cover with the greenish tint as opposed to the bluish tint. I looked at my copes and both were more bluish than greenish, although they both had all of the other trappings of an original pressing, including the New York address, deep grooves, etc. I looked on Popsike and, sure enough, there were copies of Saxophone Colossus with covers that were more green than blue, kind of like the original Miles, Prestige 7014. My question is, does the greenish cover have that much more cachet to collectors than the blue cover? I personally don’t recall ever holding one with the green cover, so I assume it is quite rare, yet I also see copies of the blue cover selling for $2,000 to $3,000. In fact, if you look at Popsike, you will see that the highest price paid for a Colossus was $3,080, and that was for a blue cover version. The highest price for a green cover was $2,415. Rollins aficionado that I am, is this a nuance I simply missed over the years? As a collector, do you how much do you care about the tint on the cover, assuming that it may have been a legitimate first-off-the-presses issue of one of the most important records of the Jazz Collector Era.

Here are two Blue Notes from my want list: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This looks to be an original New York 23 pressing. The seller describes the vinyl as nearly perfect, yet he rates it VG+. He describes the cover as VG-, but based on the description it looks more like VG to me. It’s not a dealer I know, but he has 100% feedback. Perhaps he is undergrading? In any case, this one is in the $400 range with less than two days left. Would it be worth a shot to fill in a gap in the Jazz Collector Collection? Hmm, could be. Horace Parlan Quintet, Speakin’ My Piece, Blue Note 4043. This looks to be an original West 63^rdStreet pressing listed in VG++ for the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $160 range with more than five days left on the auction. A copy of this record recently sold for more than $1,300. While I wouldn’t anticipate this copy matching that one, I would expect the bidding to climb quite a bit higher than $160.

This seller had some nice 10-inch LPs a few weeks ago, including Clifford Brown Quartet, Blue Note 5047. This one looked to be in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover, perhaps a little better for the record. The final price was $565. Also, Lou Donaldson Sextet, Volume 2, Blue Note 5055. This one was graded M-, but the seller’s description made it sound more like VG++. The cover was VG++. The final price was $350.

J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing, listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The final price was $1,241.60. This is another one for me wherein the United Artists pressing has been a staple in my collection for more than 40 years, never to have been replaced by an original pressing. . . . yet.

Lou Donaldson, Sunny Side Up, Blue Note 4036. This was an original West 63^rdStreet pressing that looked to be in about VG++ condition for both the record and cover, based on the seller’s description. The final price was $1,200.

Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This was an original “Review Copy” West 63^rdStreet pressing from the Jazz Record Center auction. It was in M- condition for the record and cover. It sold for $1,556.

And, since we seem to be in the Blue Note $1,000 bin, here’s one more for good measure: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original West 63^rdStreet pressing. The record and cover were graded at VG++. The final price was $1,704.99

That Sonny Rollins record we were watching on Esquire fetched quite a handsome price: $809.41 to be precise. I guess finding bargains among the Esquires will become harder and harder now. Admittedly, that one looked to be in great condition, but I’ve been watching eBay for nearly at least 17 years and I don’t recall the original Prestige version of Moving Out selling for that high a price. A quick check of Popsike confirms my suspicions. So we now have a situation where the original UK version seems to have a higher market value that the original US Prestige version. Has anyone noticed this phenomenon happening before?

Speaking of Prestige, I’m still watching that copy of Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068, which is closing in about an hour. The bidding is in the $400 range, which is quite a bit higher than when I first noticed it at $45, but still not near what we would expect for this record in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. We’ll see what happens at the end of the auction.

One of our readers living in Japan recently sent a note with a story to share so I said, please, write it up. He did and here it is:

By Stuart Levine

I am a regular reader (living in Japan), who especially enjoys Al’s record-collecting adventures. Well I have one of my own to share with the Jazz Collector community. It all started last September in Tokyo. I had heard of Disk Union and wanted to see it for myself. Perhaps, I could score on a nice LP.   When I got off the train at my exit, I could immediately see it to my left – an impressive brick building with a large Disk Union window sign. The only problem was this was not the store noted for its jazz inventory. The real deal, Disk Union “Jazz Tokyo” was about six blocks away. Had it not been for a fellow Southern Californian (wearing a Dodgers cap) walking me over to the right store, I would have come away from this experience very disappointed. My good fortune really started when I was introduced to the head buyer of used jazz vinyl, a soft-spoken gentleman named Katsu. He invited me to come back three months later on Dec. 19th when the store was having a big Blue Note record sale, to the tune of 500 original mono and stereo LPs.

I got back to Tokyo the day before the sale, spent a night in a hotel and was #2 in line outside the store the next morning (the line had started forming at 5:00 a.m.). It was first come, first served. I asked the guy in front of me what record(s) he was looking for. He said, “J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536 and Horace Parlan’s “Us Three.” Luckily, he was not after True Blue. But I sure was, and Jazz Tokyo had a nice VG++/VG++ copy. That’s when the fun began. I raced over to the wall where 4041 was placed, only to feel hands across my back and shoulder. Were these normally well- mannered Japanese climbing over my body in an attempt to steal True Blue from my rightful grasp? To make a long story short, I took possession of True Blue, paid $1,600 (200,000 yen).

For more on the Blue Note sale, follow this link. There, you’ll see the images of all those records and by scrolling down, more details on each one.

http://blog-jazztokyo.diskunion.net/Entry/22011/

Another Blue Note: Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This was

an original New York USA pressing. The record and cover both seemed to be in around VG++ condition. It sold for $400

Hank Mobley, Jazz Message #2, Savoy 12092. This was an original red label pressing that looked to be in about VG+ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $330.

Booker Ervin, The Freedom Book, Prestige 7295. This was an original yellow label pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $281.

Finally, that Bird boxed set of 78s we were watching wound up getting a relatively hefty price tag: Charlie Parker All Stars, Savoy S-510. This was a set of three records with the nice box and cover in VG+ condition. It sold for $159.16.