JRC Auction: A Little Trane, A Few Blue Notes

It’s always interesting to watch the Jazz Record Center auctions on eBay and the latest is closing today. Here are a few of the items:

John Jenkins and Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price on this was $1,000 and there is a bid on it, so it will be sold and will enter the virtual $1,000 bin.

John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. Here’s a more clear explanation of this than we’ve heard before. Jazz Record Center refers to this as the “pinwheels” label, although we’ve most often seen it described as “bulls-eye.” It is described as an “original deep-groove second press,” which kind of makes sense. It’s still valued among collectors, even though it is not a first press. This one looks to be in M- condition for the record and the cover and is already at more than $170. Speaking of original Coltranes on Atlantic: John Coltrane and Milt Jackson, Bags and Trane, Atlantic 1368. This is an original mono pressing with the red and purple labels, although I’m still not 100 percent sure how to distinguish it as a first pressing. This one is in M- condition and so far there are no takers at $50.

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Jazz Vinyl Watch: Setting Some New Records

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

Art Tatum/Ben Webster Quartet, Verve 8220. This is an original pressing with the trumpeter logo. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. There were four bidders, 15 bids and the ultimate price was $290. My sense is most of the readers here at Jazz Collector tend to prefer post-bop era jazz — I generally do as well — but this is one of those must-have records, in my opinion, that always sounds beautiful and fresh when you put it on the turntable.

Haven’t seen this one sell for such a high price before: Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002. This was described as an original U.S. pressing in “superb” condition. It sold for $405. Our previous high for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was just $123, so that’s quite a leap. Great record, though.

Here’s a perennial for the ever-more-crowded $1,000 bin:

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Jazz Vinyl Update: Saxophone Colossi

Let’s catch up on some of the rare jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original pressing with some very nice pictures. The seller provided very little information and he had less than 30 feedbacks. Still, the record sold for $1,247. Here’s another copy of Saxophone Colossus that sold at around the same time from a well known and highly regarded seller. This one was listed in VG condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,050. Interesting that the prices were so close, despite the disparity in the condition. Shows the value of knowing the seller, either from experience or just by brand name, even on eBay.

This one was interesting as well: Joe Henderson, In ‘N Out, Blue Note 4166. This one certainly looks like an original, with the mono cover, New York USA labels, etc. But the seller never makes mention of the ear in the deadwax, so you do wonder. It looks to be in VG++ or M- condition for the record and cover, and it certainly looks cool with the original shrink wrap and price. It sold for  $511.01, so someone must have been pretty sure, or quite hopeful, that  there is an ear in the deadwax.  This is the second highest price we’ve ever seen for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

‘Tis the Season To Be Blue Note

After mentioning some of the 4100 series Blue Notes yesterday, I perused the day’s listings on eBay and saw a number of other records from this generation that seemed to be getting quite a bit of action. Here are some of the results and I’ll also post the one that CeeDee pointed to in the earlier post that will certainly raise some eyebrows. Here goes:

Joe Henderson, Page One,  Blue Note 4140. This was an original New York USA pressing with the ear and the  Van Gelder stamp in the dead wax. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $325.

Sam Rivers, Fuschia Swing Song, Blue Note 4184. This was listed as an original pressing with the New York USA label. The condition seemed to be somewhere around VG+, perhaps a little better, based on the seller’s description. The price was $278.

This is of a bit earlier era, but a surprising price (well, as much as any price can be surprising these days): Horace Silver, Blowing the Blues Away, Blue Note 4017. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd label. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover and sold for $202 with just one bidder.

This one got a huge price a few weeks ago, but not this week:

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More Big Blue Notes, More Big Prices

Shall we Blue Note this evening? Here are some recent sales:

This one set a new high for this LP: Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 4140. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $565.58.

Another high one: Benny Green, Back on the Scene, Blue Note 1587. This was also in M- condition. It sold for $620.

Kenny Dorham, Unas Mas, Blue Note 4127. This was an original mono pressing and it was listed in VG++ condition for both the vinyl and the cover. It sold for $283.

This one just ended, as we were typing:

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More Blue Note Favorites, Courtesy of Downbeat

I did that post earlier today and mentioned that Downbeat had done a whole feature asking various artists about their favorite Blue Note records. I was able to dig up my copy of the magazine — I don’t have a subscription anymore, but I had purchased this one on the newsstand because of the cover. It was from March of 2009. The cover, as you can see, has Joe Lovano with his favorite Blue Note: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Free For All, Blue Note 4170. It’s quite gratifying to see his picture with a vinyl pressing, and a mono vinyl pressing at that and perhaps even an original mono pressing. Inside, the magazine asked a variety of other jazz artists to name their favorite Blue Notes as well. Here are their replies:

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For the Price Guide: Chambers, Nichols, Criss, Trane

Time again to catch up on adding some new items to the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Here are a few of the records we’ll be adding. 

Paul Chambers, Whims of Chambers, Blue Note 1569. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $660.

John Coltrane, Lush Life, Prestige 7188. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New Jersey address. It was in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $274.99

Yusef Lateef, Prayer to the East, Savoy 12117. This was a second pressing with the maroon label. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. It sold for $255. This is the second time we’ve seen a maroon pressing of this sell for well more than $100. Is there something about this record we don’t know?

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A Bulls-eye for Giant Steps

When we started the newsletter last year, a few readers gave us a hard time for paying $50 to get a stereo copy of John Coltrane Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311, with the bulls-eye label. Well, here’s a copy in worse condition that recently sold for $129.17.

 Here are some of the other items that we’re loading into the Latest Prices and Price Guide for Jazzcollector.com

 Hal McKusick, Triple Exposure, Prestige 7135. This was in near mint condition and sold for $371.60. This is a higher price than we’ve seen before, but the record looks very clean.

 Here’s one that broke the $200 price range: Joe Henderson, In ‘N Out, Blue Note 4166. Price: $215.50

 And another one that came close: Beverly Kenney Sings for Johnny Smith, Roost 2206. Price: $190.50

 

 

 

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