John Coltrane | jazzcollector.com

Keeping Track of 10-Inch LPs

September 18, 2014 Al 20 comments

Here are some of the items we’re watching on eBay now, starting with some 10-inch LPs: Clifford Brown, New Star on the Horizon, Blue Note 5032. This is an original pressing listed in VG condition for the record and VG for the cover. There are three days left on the auction and the bidding is in the $50 range. Lately, we’ve been seeing high prices for original 12-inch Blue Notes, even those in not-such-great condition, like this one. I have a feeling we won’t see the same phenomenon for the 10-inch records, simply because they are a greater risk to begin with. They typically have more surface noise anyway, at least to these ears. Not sure why that is. Readers? Watching the auctions from this seller will give us a sense of the market, since he has a lot of nice 10-inch LPs in similar shape, including Thelonious Monk Plays, Prestige 189. Actually, this one is in better shape, graded at VG+ for both the record and the cover. The bidding, so far, reflects the better condition. This one is now in the $70 range.

I was also watching this one from the same seller, and I was surprised it fetched as high a price as it did:

Top 5 Live Albums From The Jazz Collector Era?

September 10, 2014 Al 24 comments

I was lying in bed at about 3:30 in the morning unable to sleep so I put some nice ballad music on my iTunes and the song “Detour Ahead” came on from the Sarah Vaughan album After Hours At the London House and I thought to myself, gee, that is one of my favorite live albums of all time. It’s great music and there’s those outtakes on “Thanks for the Memory” and the whole concept was quite unusual, setting up a live recording date at a club in the wee small hours of the morning and inviting other musicians who had finished up their gigs to make up a large portion of the audience. And then, still unable to sleep, my mind started racing through its database of jazz records to come up with my favorite live recordings and the next thing I know it’s 4:30 in the morning and I’m still not asleep. But at least I have an interesting post for Jazz Collector, and that is my list of favorite live jazz albums. I decided to take the Sarah record off the list and just concentrate on instrumental records. Perhaps I’ll do the vocals at a later date. Meanwhile, I offer for your perusal:

Features

Some Sell, Some Don’t, One Gets Quite A Price

August 17, 2014 Al 12 comments

Many ages ago, when I last posted on Jazz Collector, there were many items I was watching on eBay that have subsequently sold. Or not. Here are some of them:

Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. This was an original pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and M- for the cover. It sold for $510. One of the things I’ve always liked about this record is the “Volume 1.” Obviously, somebody thought there was going to be a Volume 2, but it never materialized. Wonder if anyone here knows what happened to Volume 2? I searched for this record for years. About 20 years ago I passed up a very nice copy at the Jazz Record Center, which Fred Cohen very generously agreed to sell to me for $100. I have no idea why I didn’t buy it, but I didn’t. I finally acquired a copy last year in that lovely Baltimore collection. Still haven’t listed to it, though. Getting a turntable upgrade in New York this week. Maybe now’s the time.

This one had a starting price of about $1,500 and, not surprisingly (to me, at least), did not attract any bidders:

DG or Not DG; That Is The Question

July 19, 2014 Al 17 comments

Found a little time this morning to peruse eBay and these are some of the items I noticed, starting with Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane, New Jazz 8276. This is listed as an original purple label pressing, but I’m not so sure. I zoomed in on those labels and they didn’t look to me like they had deep grooves. One of our regular readers asked me about this record the other day, so here it is if you want to take a chance. I’d be a little careful. The record is probably VG++ and the cover either VG+ or VG++. The start price is in the $150 range and so far there are no bidders. Perhaps I’m not the only one looking for deep grooves. One other question: To those of you who own this record and organize their records alphabetically, where do you put this one: Under Burrell or Coltrane? I used to keep it under Coltrane, but it would get lost among all of the other Prestiges, so now I keep it under Burrell and I actually notice it. Lovely record too.

Ruminations on Trane and Dizzy

July 16, 2014 Al 11 comments

There’s a new auction from the Jazz Record Center on eBay. I like to watch their auctions, not just because of their sterling reputation as sellers, but also because I often learn something new, or at least recall something I’ve forgotten. For example, John Coltrane, Coltrane Jazz, Atlantic 1354. I have a hard time keeping track of the Atlantic original pressings once they stopped with the black labels, and this is a nice reminder that the original pressing of this record has the red and purple labels. This is the mono pressing, which is always nice to have, although in the case of this record, I typically prefer the stereo pressing. In any case, this one is in M- condition for the record and the cover and has a start price of $75 with no bidders, so far. I’m getting some new equipment this week. I’m thinking about the first record to play and this would be on the list if I had a stereo copy, but I don’t so I’m taking if off the list. Right now I’m thinking perhaps Way Out West or Sonny Rollins Plus Four or perhaps Blue Train.

This one I find really interesting:

Jazz Vinyl

Miles Way Ahead

May 27, 2014 Al 12 comments

Here’s an interesting one I seemed to miss: Miles Davis, Miles Ahead, Columbia 1041. This is an original pressing but that’s not what makes it interesting. On the back cover are six signatures: Miles Davis, Julian” Cannonball” Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Jimmy Cobb and Paul Chambers. The signatures are all in blue ballpoint pen. The seller admittedly had no idea of the provenance of the signatures or whether they were legitimate. Seems that he picked up the record at a yard sale or estate sale. The cover was probably in VG+ condition with a seam split on the bottom. There were 39 bids on the item and in the last hour it went from about $2,000 to its final price of $3,100.99. Imagine if the signatures aren’t legitimate? Or, on the other hand, imagine what this would have fetched if the signatures were 100% verified. I do have a question, however. Why would Jimmy Cobb sign his name “Jimmie Cobb?” Are there other circumstances where he went by Jimmie, as opposed to Jimmy or, as on Kind of Blue, James Cobb?

Autographs

Back on eBay, Finally

May 26, 2014 Al 2 comments

Catching up on a few remnant items on my watch list, then will plow forward with some records that are on auction this week, which is also the week of the WFMU Record Fair, which is where I will be on Friday and Friday only.

Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. This was an original white-label promo copy listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The seller’s description made it seem as if he undergraded the condition, but, as a bidder, I would trust the actual grade over the description. So, if you trust the grading, the VG+ promo copy of Waltz for Debby was a $1,025 record.

Duke Pearson, Profile, Blue Note 4022. This looked to be an original pressing with the West 63rd address, deep grooves, ears, Van Gelder. The record and the cover both appeared to be in VG++ condition. The final price was $366. Given what we’ve seen in the market lately, does that seem a little low.

Here’s another Blue Note of the same time frame:

A Conclave of Coltrane

April 30, 2014 Al 11 comments

Just cleaning out the last of my eBay watch list before moving on to new items.

John Coltrane, Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. Notice how I listed this as a John Coltrane record. It is actually one of those Prestige jam sessions featuring Coltrane along with Hank Mobley, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. So Why do I think of it as a Coltrane record? Because that’s where I place it within my collection, under the Coltranes. Where else would you put it? Mobley aficionados aside, Coltrane is the one transformational musician in that group, aside from being, by far, my favorite tenor play among the four of them. So, to me, it’s always been a Coltrane record, and one I am quite happy to own. This one was in M- condition for the record and probably VG+ or VG++ for the cover. It sold for $350. A bargain for someone, IMHO. This one falls into the same category: John Coltrane, Wheelin’ and Dealin’, Prestige 7131. This one features Coltrane along with Frank Wess and Paul Quinichette. For me, it’s a Coltrane record. This one was in VG+ condition for the record and the cover and sold for $263. Wonder what prices they would be selling for if they were on Blue Note? Double that? Triple?

And now some Blue Notes:

Would You Pay $5,000 For This Record?

April 28, 2014 Al 28 comments

As promised, here is the original DownBeat review of Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568, perhaps the most valuable and treasured of all the Jazz Collector collectibles. This is from Oct. 30, 1958 and the reviewer is John A. Tynan:

“Hank Mobley — Blue Note 1568: Might Moe and Joe; Falling in Love With Love; Bags Groove; Double Exposure; News.

“Personnel: Mobley, tenor; Curtis Porter, alto, tenor; Bill Hardman, trumpet; Sonny Clark, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Taylor, drums

“Rating — Three and a half stars

“One of the nicer things about Al Lion and associates at Blue Note is that they don’t hesitate to present new talent they consider worthwhile. On this set is presented 29-year-0old Philadelphia saxman Curtis Porter, who is equal to the company. Although it is Mobley’s date, the leader allows generous space for the wailing of his fellow reedman, which makes for a high degree of hard blowing.

Another Fun Night of Jazz Vinyl

April 25, 2014 Al 25 comments

Well, I had so much fun the night before, I decided to do it again last night. Listening to a classic jazz record, that is. My choice was John Coltrane, Coltrane, Prestige 7105. Why this record? It is one that has always slipped through the cracks for me and, honestly, I don’t think I had ever given it a really close listen until last night. The first copy I purchased of this record was a blue label pressing in mediocre condition with a not-so-great cover. I never owned an original copy until I purchased the Irving Kalus collection last year and now, I’m almost embarrassed to say, I own two mint original copies of this record as a result of the Bruce W. West Baltimore collection. Part of the reason for listening to this record was practical: Do I keep two copies, one for the city and one for the country? Or do I potentially sell one on eBay or bring it to the WFMU Record Fair in New York next month? So I had an hour last night and I put this record on the turntable and, again, it was magic.

Prestige

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