This week we do the first in a new Unsung Artists Series, focusing on the Vice President, tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Charles Rouse, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Herbie Mann, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Brooks Kerr, Gene Ramey, Sam Woodyard,Jimmy Jones, Joe Benjamin, Roy Haynes, Webster Young, Mal Waldron, Joe Puma, Earl May, Ed Thigpen, Count Basie, Buck Clayton, Dickie Wells, Gus Johnson, Al McKibbon, Walter Page, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Thad Jones, Nat Pierce, Joe Newman, Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly, Charlie Shavers, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Jimmy Cobb, Barry Galbraith, Cecil Payne, Hank Jones, Jo Jones, Sweets Edison, Snooky Young, and more.

Horace Parlan, Us Three, Blue Note 4037. This one happened during the course of trying to uncover the Nautiluso Jazz Vinyl Fraud. I was talking to one of the buyers who had been scammed. He had told me he had gotten his money back, so he was pleased on that account, but somewhat disappointed: He had really wanted the records. We talked a bit about his collection and what he was looking for and he mentioned this record. Again, I knew I had a nice original pressing, not quite mint condition, but fairly close, a solid VG++. This has sold for as much as $1,725 on the Jazz Collector Price Guide. He asked if I’d be willing to sell it. I said I probably would: For the right price. He said name a price. I named $1,500. He said “sold” without a second of hesitation. So I sold an original Blue Note right out of the collection, with no duplicate copy and miniscule hope of ever getting that record back for a reasonable price, in the same condition. What this means, I guess, is that nothing is sacred: For the right price, I’d probably be willing to sell any record out of my collection. It’s just a matter of finding the right price. That is quite a new, mercenary, attitude around here and it actually surprised me that I was willing to sell an original Blue Note, which I love to own and look at and fondle and occasionally place on the turntable, in exchange for cold hard cash, or whatever it is you receive on Pay Pal.

Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and it was offered by the seller roverd-90, who has been putting up some very nice jazz vinyl lately. This one was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,232, so welcome, again, to the $1,000 bin. According to our calculations, this is the fourth time this record will have surpassed $1,000 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Rocky Boyd, Ease It, Jazztime 001. This was an original pressing, the record features

Kenny Dorham and the seller was herschel78, who has also been selling some nice jazz vinyl lately. This was in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The price was $431.60.

Zoot Sims and Joe Newman, Lockin’ Horns, Rama 1003. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed as M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $260. I thought it would sell for more than that. I’m watching it because I have a copy I’m thinking of selling. Based on this price, I’m not so sure — my copy is not a duplicate, it would just be one less record in the collection.

Kenny Burrell, Blue Lights Volume 2, Blue Note 1597. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $482. Frankly, we would have expected it sell for a higher price in this condition.

Thelonious Monk, Monk, Prestige 7053. This was an original pressing with the New York address. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG++ as well. The price was $600.

Moondog, The Story of Moondog, Prestige 7093. This was an original pressing with the New York address. The record was in VG+ condition

and the cover was also VG+. The price was $250.50.

Finally, there was this: Joe Newman, I’m Still Swinging, RCA 1198. This was an original mono pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $203.50. The last time we tracked this record it sold for $58. Quite a leap.

Tadd Dameron, Fontainebleau, Prestige 7037. This is an original New York pressing that is in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This one is not usually among the higher-priced early Prestiges, but the bidding is already at $162, which is nice to see for a nice record.

Zoot Sims and Joe Newman, Locking Horns, Rama 1003. This is a rare record on a rare label. The vinyl is listed as M- and the cover is VG++. The price is nearly $300, with more than an hour left.

Miles Davis, Miles, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. This is the album that introduced John Coltrane to

most of the jazz public at the time. It is a beautiful copy, according to Euclid, in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is $439.

This one is from Atomic Records: Curtis Fuller, Bone and Bari, Blue Note 1572. This features Sonny Clark on piano. This looks to be in VG+ condition and is currently at $300.

Here’s a tier-two item that might make someone happy: Arte Shaw and his Grammercy Five, Volume 4, Clef 645. This one features a great cover by David Stone Martin — somewhat risque even — plus the presence of Tal Farlow on guitar. This vinyl on this one is M- and the cover is VG+. The price is just $30 at this point and we’re not sure it will get all that much higher.

We predicted this record would sell for a high price, and it did: Lee Morgan, Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition. Price: $1,325

Another high-end Blue Note: Curtis Fuller, Bone & Bari, Blue Note 1572. This was an original pressing in M- condition. Price: $676.77

That Joe Newman LP with the Andy Warhol cover went for a bit less this week than it did a few weeks ago: Joe Newman, I’m Still Swinging, RCA 1198. Price: $57.77

Remember that Zoot record that was priced at just $30 a few hours ago. It wound up selling for $337.90: Zoot Sims, Zoot!, Riverside228.

And I really liked that copy of Art Taylor, Taylor’s Tenors, Prestige New Jazz 8219. It sold for $228.51. Not only is it a very cool cover, it’s one I don’t have in my own collection. Funny, I’ve been collecting for nearly 40 years and I still run across records I’ve never had a chance to buy, other than for top dollar on eBay.

I also spotted this one when it was in the $20 price range: Sonny Stitt, Kaleidescope, Prestige 7077. It eventually sold for $146.49. 

There were a lot of other records on the radar that we looked at, and we’re not going to go into each one now, but we will include every one of them when we update the Price Guide later this week. But a lot of viewers looked at the Impulse article, so here are some updates on some of those LPs before we close:

John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, Impulse 77. This was in just VG/VG+ condition. Price: $162.50

John Coltrane, Ballads, Impulse 32. This was VG+/VG+. Price: $114.05

Finally, Charles Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Impulse 54. This was a white label promo copy in VG+/VG- condition. Price: $54

Joe Newman, I’m Still Swinging, RCA 1198. This is the one with the Andy Warhol cover. As we noted in an earlier post, this sold recently on eBay for $200. This one’s current price is $16.50.

Art Taylor, Taylor’s Tenors, Prestige New Jazz 8219. This is an original pressing with the purple label and it seems to be in nice condition. Offered by Atomic Records, which is one of the larger jazz dealers on eBay.

Zoot Sims, Zoot!, Riverside 228. This is an original pressing with the white label in nice condition. Current price is only around $30. That’s pretty low. It’ll be interesting to see how high it goes up.

Hank Mobley, The Turnaround, Blue Note 4186. This is an original pressing with the New York USA label.

Oh, and we almost forgot our own listings: 

The Complete Lee Morgan Fifties Blue Note Sessions, Mosaic MQ6-162.

Miles Davis, The Complete Plugged Nickel Sessions, Mosaic MQ10-158.

Here’s an LP by Joe Newman that recently went for more than $200 on eBay. Not quite what you’d expect from the RCA label. The catch is that the cover art was designed by Andy Warhol. I happen to have a spare copy of this record. If anyone’s interested, comment here and I’ll post the condition and price.