Jackie McLean | jazzcollector.com

A Story Of Blue Notes (And One New Jazz)

May 1, 2014 Al 10 comments

Here’s some of the jazz vinyl we’re watching on eBay, starting with some Blue Notes:

Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. I’m not sure what pressing this is. There are so many Blue Note permutations to consider. This one has deep grooves and ears and RVG and the West 63rd address. One side has no Inc. and no R, the other side has the Inc. and the R. What does that make it? Probably not a first-pressing original, going by the bidding so far. This on is in Ex condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. There are three days left on the auction and bidding is in the $250 range.

This seller has some nice records, including Hank Mobley Sextet, Blue Note 1560. This has the deep grooves and the West 63rd address, which would seem to make it an original pressing. The record is in VG- condition and the cover is VG. Bidding is in the $400 range and the auction closes in three days. VG- condition, to repeat. Not making any judgments. Just pointing it out for future edification.

Here’s a pretty pair:

Not-So-Cool Struttin’

April 27, 2014 Al 16 comments

I happened to be perusing old DownBeats yesterday when I casually opened up the issue of Oct. 30, 1958. The “jazz record reviews” listed on the cover were for Harry Belafonte, Terry Gibbs, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Shorty Rogers and Bob Scobey. Nothing too interesting, and I almost passed up on reading the reviews. So I was a bit surprised to see that this issue contained reviews of two of the rarest and most highly treasured records in the entire Jazz Collector pantheon: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588 and Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568.

Let’s start with Cool Struttin’. The reviewer, Don Gold, gave it two and a half stars out of a possible five stars. To put it in perspective, Cool Struttin’ had a lower rating than these records, also reviewed in this issue: Steve Allen All Stars Featuring Terry Gibbs; Danny Alvin and His Kings of Dixieland Play Basin Street: Belafonte Sings the Blues; Paul Horn Plenty of Horn, and Moe Koffman, The “Shepherd” Swings Again. This is what the reviewer had to say about Cool Struttin’:

A Few More For the Jazz Collector Price Guide

March 12, 2014 Al 13 comments

Here’s some more jazz vinyl from the watch list, then we will attempt to put some of these into the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Is this yet another copy of Tommy Flanagan Overseas, Prestige 7134 from Atomic Records? Someone mentioned that they had seen feedback on the previous listing, so the assumption that this is a second copy. Hard to believe. It took me 42 years to find one copy, and they end up with two. This one was in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $2,850.

John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This looked to be an original West 63rd Street deep groove pressing. The record was in VG+ condition and so was the cover. The price was $676.66.

Jackie McLean, A Fickle Sonance, Blue Note 4089. This was an original mono pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $338.

This one did not sell and has been relisted:

Another Adventure in Jazz Collecting, Baltimore Part 5

December 3, 2013 Al 15 comments

So I was carefully handling the first record in the first box, Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 5022. I had once owned this record in poor condition. It was so poor, in fact, I didn’t even want it in my collection, so I sold it on eBay. This one in my hands, under the light, an original pressing, 767 Lexington Avenue, I don’t think it was ever played. Maybe once, on the day that Uncle Bruce purchased the record, which was August 20, 1954. I know that because Uncle Bruce clearly marked the date in pen “8-20-54” on the back of the record, in the upper left corner. There was also the original price of the record in pencil on the upper right corner in the back: 3.75. Otherwise, the cover was quite clean, a little bit of splitting at one seam, a little wear on the front. For eBay I would grade it as VG++. For me, as a collector, I would grade it as very sweet.

Features

A Plethora of Jazz Vinyl Riches

October 7, 2013 Al 15 comments

I mentioned all of these nice records on eBay last week that were making my eyes cross. Here are some of them:

Phil Woods and Gene Quill, Phil and Quill with Prestige, Prestige 7715. This is an original New York yellow label in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It closes in about 11 hours and is currently in the $225 range. Quite a beauty. This one is being offered by Atomic Records, which also sold this one: Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5030. This one was in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $228.05.

The seller of this record also had quite a large number of nice records: Jackie McLean, A Fickle Sonance, Blue Note 4098. This looked to be an original mono pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $264. Also from this seller was: Horace Parlan, Speakin’ My Piece, Blue Note 4043. This looked to be an original deep groove West 63rd Street pressing in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $499.

This seller also has some real beauties, including:

Sonny Rollins, Esquire (And More)

October 2, 2013 Al 5 comments

Let’s catch up on some more jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Saxophone Colossus, Sonny Rollins, Esquire 32-045. This was an original UK pressing listed in M- condition for the record and between VG++ and M- for the cover. It sold for $358. It seems that the prices for these original European pressings have been getting higher and higher in recent years. I imagine, for many collectors, these would represent second copies, along with the original U.S. versions? Or perhaps for newer collectors, this record at $358 is a lot more affordable than a U.S. original at $2,000? From a listening perspective, I don’t think there is a major difference between the U.S. and U.K. pressings and, as we’ve seen, some of our readers prefer the sound of the European pressings.

Lou Donaldson, Light-Foot, Blue Note 4053. This was an original deep groove, West 63rd Street pressing. The record was listed in VG++ to M- condition and the cover was a strong VG+. The price was $481.

From the same seller came:

New Jazz, Prestige, Blue Note: Covering Some Bases

September 29, 2013 Al 7 comments

Let’s take a break from label picking today and go back to watching some rare jazz vinyl on eBay.

Speaking of New Jazz, this one sold recently in eBay: Roy Haynes, Phineas Newborn and Paul Chambers, We Three, New Jazz 8210. This looked to be an original purple label pressing with the deep grooves. It was listed in VG condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The seller was very stingy with information and there was only one bid, which always makes me suspicious. The price was $299.99.

Maybe I should have bid. I was watching that copy of Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This one was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover and looked quite nice. I figured it would sell for more thna $1,000. It didn’t. It sold for $535. Worth it? Just look at the cover.

I also had my eye on this one but, considering the condition, the price was too high:

From Riverside to New Jazz

September 27, 2013 Al 15 comments

Now that we’ve gotten everyone engaged in thinking about their favorite Riverside records, let’s try a couple of other labels. I was thinking about doing Prestige next, but I realized that my entire list up to 10 records would probably be all Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. So instead of Prestige for today, how about we try New Jazz instead. As usual, I will go first. These are five personal favorites on New Jazz, not “the best.” Also, not including Prestige reissues. I see my list is very straight-ahead, if you know what I mean. Here goes:

Prestige

A Tale of Three Blue Notes

September 24, 2013 Al 3 comments

I find my eyes, ears and eBay searches attracted to Blue Notes today, so that is what I shall write about.

I’m tempted to bid on this one, but I can’t figure out the condition: Bennie Green, Walkin’ and Talkin’, Blue Note 4010. This looks to have the West 63rd Street address and the deep grooves. The seller makes no mention of the ear or RVG. He also says it is a flat-edge pressing, which it’s not. So right away the seller’s credibility and knowledge are suspect. Then there’s the listing itself, whereby in the headline and the description the record is listed as VG-. But elsewhere on the same listing it is listed as VG+ with the additional descriptor that it “plays great!” (his exclamation point, not mine). We are now about four hours from closing and there are still no bids at a start price of around $200. If I knew it was a nice VG+ record and an original pressing, I’d think about a bid. As it is, however, I think I will pass. Obviously, others feel the same way.

I was mentioning 10-inch Blue Notes the other day, and now there is this:

Nothin’ But Heartache

September 18, 2013 Al 4 comments

Here’s some jazz vinyl that we’re watching on eBay:

Jackie McLean, Jackie’s Pal, Prestige 7068. This is an original New York yellow label listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It looks quite nice and would fill in a gaping hole in my collection, considering that more than 20 years ago I sold my M- copy of this record in a moment of temporary insanity. The starting price on this is $400 and there is already one bid and I can certainly see this approaching the $1,000 bin, which means this will not be the copy that fills the gap in my collection.

Here’s another heartbreaker for me, although the condition of this copy is not quite so attractive: Sonny Red, Out of the Blue, Blue Note 4032. This looks to be

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