Tag: J. R. Monterose

Tracking Some Lovely, Rare and Expensive LPs

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Here are a few of the more expensive jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching:

Art Pepper Quartet, Modern Art, Intro 606. This one was rated in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. I have to give the seller and/or Photoshop credit — that is a fine looking picture of the cover and it certainly looks a lot more appealing than VG+. I have a feeling some of the bidders felt the same way: This one sold for $1,580 with 20 bids and about half as many bidders. Love the simplicity of the cover of this one. Anyone know who did it? Intro is not a label that gets noticed too often.

J. R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This looked to be an original mono pressing in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $888.78.

Beverly Kenney, Like Yesterday, Decca 8994. This was an original deep-groove pressing with the pink promo label. It looked to be in quite gorgeous condition and was graded M- for both the record and the cover. Quite a nice find, which was reflected in the final price, which was $790, the highest we’ve ever seen for this record.

 

 

A Trio of Rare Jazz Vinyl From the ’50s

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Here are the results of some jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter, Imperial 9024. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $810.

J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was somewhere between VG and VG++, which means the seller said it didn’t look so great but it sounded great. Gotta love those old Blue Notes. The cover was a clear VG. The price as a clear $787.

Betty Blake Sings in a Tender Mood, Bethlehem 6058. This is another one I’ve never seen or heard. How is it? It features Zoot Sims, Roland Alexander and Mal Waldron, among others, so I imagine it is quite interesting. This one was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $735.55

 

 

 

Four More Blue Notes For the $1,000 Bin

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Those Blue Notes I was coveting the other day? Even if I had bid, which I considered, I would have been out of the running quite early. Several of these broke into the $1,000 bin. Here are some results.

Jutta Hipp, At The Hickory House Volume 2, Blue Note 1516. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that was in perhaps VG++ condition for the record and VG for the cover. It sold for $1,402.88.

J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was also an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was probably VG++. The price was $1,472.

John Jenkins With Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record and cover were both in VG++ or so condition. The price was $1,107.

Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This was an original pressing in VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It sold for $1,025.

Four Blue Notes, four $1,000-plus jazz records. Whew.

Spring is in the Air and We’re Pining for Blue Notes

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I’m watching a bunch of Blue Notes on eBay, many of which I have in later pressings — Japanese, United Artists — but all of which having me pining for originals. Here are a few:

This is from a seller who has a bunch or rare original Blue Notes closing tomorrow, including: Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is an original pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for the record and the cover, based on how the seller describes his grading system. There have already been more than 20 bids and the price is now hovering in the $550 range. Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This is also an original pressing. The record is VG++ and the cover is M-. The price is now $432. J.R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing.  It is listed in what seems to be VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price is now in the $300 range. There are more from this seller if you want to do a search.

This is from a different seller and is also quite appealing:

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A Trio of Blue Notes For Easter Sunday

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Here are a few Blue Note jazz vinyl auctions we were watching recently.

Clifford Brown Memorial Album, Blue Note 1526. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that looked almost original all around. Both labels had Lexington Avenue addresses and there was a Lexington Avenue address on the cover. However, I also have a Lexington Avenue cover on this and the bottom of my cover is in blue, not white. I wonder what this means and does Fred Cohen cover this difference in his book. I have to get down there to replace my copy. This record was probably in VG++ condition, possibly VG+ for real sticklers, and the cover was VG+. The price was $570.

J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was described in VG condition, sounding as if it were VG++. How do you think of records like that? It’s not atypical of these early Blue Notes to sound great almost no matter what. I was listening to my copy of Introducing Johnny Griffin the other day and when I looked at it I groaned — VG looking for sure. When I played it, ahhh, clean as could be. Pretty amazing. This J.R. record also has a VG cover. It sold for $555.

Sonny Rollins Volume 2, Blue Note 1558. This one looked to be in M- condition and was described as M- condition by the seller. It was an original pressing as well. You’d think it would perhaps have entered the $1,000 bin, but it did not: The winning bid was $566.

 

More Rare Jazz Vinyl, More High Prices

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Here’s an update on some jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: J.R. Monterose in Action, Studio 4 SS 100. This looked to be an original pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This auction is saying that there were 250 copies of this record printed, although for some reason I recall an earlier posting with a 500 number. Regardless of 250 copies or 500 copies, there aren’t that many to be had, so this record often winds up in the $2,000 bin these days, as has this copy, logging in at a cool $2,215.

This is one I missed from the bobdjukic auction: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195. This looked to be an original pressing with the ear, NY USA address and RVG stamp. It was described as “monstrously” rare because it was a mono pressing. Anyway, I’m pointing it out because of the price, which was $821.21, way more than we’ve ever seen for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. In fact, more than double the previous high. And you seem to want me to include these aberrations in the Price Guide? I guess I will, even though I don’t necessarily agree.

A Few For the $1,000 (And More) Bin

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Here’s a recap of some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was the one that was in M- condition for the record and VG++ or M- for the cover. It sold for quite a hefty price, $4,600, but not a record high. This guy was bid all the way up to $2,720 and STILL didn’t meet the seller’s reserve price. Wow: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. The record was described as being in M- condition and the cover was VG++ or M-.

This one, believe it or not, entered the $2,000 bin: Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. The seller didn’t actually apply a grade for either the cover or record, but noted that the vinyl was in “great shape” other than for a paper scratch or two. Somewhat reassuring, but not enough for me to wager $2,075, which is what the winning bidder put up. It was a white label promo copy, but still.

Here are a couple more for the $1,000 bin:

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A Couple For the $1,000 Bin, and More

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Here’s some heavy-duty jazz vinyl that sold recently on eBay.

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, Peckin’ Time, Blue Note 1574. This was an original West 63rd pressing with the deep grooves. It was in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,315. So, if you have this record, where do you file it, under Morgan or under Mobley? Mine, a Japanese pressing, is under Mobley.

From the same seller came: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowin’ In From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. Love the cover. This was a promo copy in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, although the picture looks like it might be a little less so. It sold for $1,155.

Also from the same seller: Sonny Clark, Dial S for Sonny, Blue Note 1570. Same for this one: An original pressing, vinyl in VG++ condition, cover in VG+ condition. The price was $896.

How about something that’s not Blue Note:

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Jazz Vinyl on eBay: J.R., Dex, A Rare Transition

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Here are a few big-ticket items I missed while I was packing and hauling boxes.

J.R. Monterose, In Action, Studio 4 SS 100. This is an original pressing of a rare record that we’ve written about fairly extensively in the past. We even posted some very rare audio that, to our knowledge, is only available here (More on J.R.: Original Audio). This was quite a descriptive listing, although it’s not so easy to decipher what it says. Bottom line, it seems like the record was in VG++ condition and the cover somewhere about VG. It sold for $1,500 with just one bid, which always makes me a little suspicious.

Doug Watkins, At Large, Transition 20. This was an original pressing, with the booklet. Based on the description, this one looks to be about VG+ for the record, VG or VG+ for the cover and M- for the booklet. It sold for $1,136.

Dexter Gordon, Dexter Blows Hot and Cool, Dootone 207. This looked to be an original with the red vinyl. The record was listed in VG condition and the cover was listed as VG++. It sold for $933.50.

Jaro, Jaro, Jaro

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What’s the collective knowledge out there about the Jaro label? I mention this because I am watching copies of the Kenny Dorham and J.R. Monterose records, which are both on eBay now, and because I listened to a reissue of the Monterose record a few weeks ago and it was terrific. Here’s what we are watching, among other items: The Arrival of Kenny Dorham, Jaro 5007. This looks to be an original pressing in strong VG+ condition for the record and the vinyl. The start price is about $200 and, so far, there are no bidders. There are two copies of the Monterose I’m watching: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 5004. This looks to be an original mono pressing that is in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding has reached about $230 with a little more than a day to go and the seller’s reserve price has not yet been met. There is also this one: J.R. Monterose, The Message, Jaro 8004. This is a stereo pressing of the same record. The vinyl looks to be VG+ and the cover probably VG++. The start price is $160 and so far there is one bidder.

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