By Stuart Levine

I recently attended a big jazz vinyl record sale held by “Jazz Tokyo,” the flagship store of Japan’s Disk Union retail chain. They do this twice a year during Golden Week, a holiday in Japan, and again at the end of the year. The store had accumulated hundreds of used Blue Notes, putting many on the wall but most in the racks. Gems were at hand and serious crate digging commenced upon the store opening at 11:00 am. My friend, Charles Pearlman, who is the eBay seller known as “Strictly Headies,” flew out from Portland, Oregon. Together, we dug and came away with some impressive titles, two of which were Mobley 1568 and 1550. As for the condition, I’d say 1568 VG+/VG+ and 1550 NM-/NM-

I do believe luck played a part in our successful day there at Jazz Tokyo. You see, I had carried with me a paper fortune earlier acquired from a visit to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood where I live in Japan. As Charlie and I waited among many others outside the store for it to open, we received random numbers, giving us our positions in line. I got #8 and he #15. Well, since he had traveled such a long distance, I just had to give him my lower number, right? Suffice to say, his favorable position and digging prowess got him the two Mobleys.

But I would be remiss not to mention a box of records Charlie bought on another day from a private collector. There was a pristine stereo Waltz for Debby, Saxophone Colossus with a turquoise-tinted cover (first?) and Jackie McLean’s the New Tradition on Ad Lib. You know the one – with that gorgeous cover.  And clean! Charlie says, “It plays quiet as a mouse pissin’ on cotton.” Damn if they don’t have the records in Japan.