Tag: John Coltrane

Developing a Thing For European Prestiges

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Watching a potpourri of jazz vinyl on eBay now. Here’s another one of those European Esquire Prestiges I’ve never seen before: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Esquire 32-045. This one doesn’t have the classic U.S. Saxophone Colossus cover, but there’s something about the simplicity of this cover that I find quite appealing. I tell you, I’m developing a thing for these records, which is always dangerous. This one looks to be VG++ for both the record and the cover. The auction closes in more than two days and the bidding is in the $160 range.

Here’s another tempting one: Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney, Two Guitars, Prestige 7119. This is an original New York yellow label pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is in the $160 range and the auction closes today. If I could get this for less than $250, hmmm . . . . .

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Catching Up on Some Rare Jazz Vinyl

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Let’s catch up with some of the jazz vinyl auctions we may have missed while we were caught up in our birthday euphoria, starting with: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad-Lib 6601. This was Rudolf’s listing in M- condition for the record and E for the cover. It long ago exceeded it’s reserve price and wound up selling for $2,247. We assume this was a duplicate.

Also for the $1,000 bin: Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $1,680.55.

John Coltrane, et al, Tenor Conclave, Prestige 7074. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. The record looked to be VG++ for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. When we first looked at this record there were no bids at a price start of about $100. Eventually bidders came along and it sold for $250, a relatively inexpensive price for a great record, IMHO.

 

 

 

 

 

Of Prestiges and Great Tenor Records

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Prestige Day at Jazz Collector. This one is for a good friend who has a passion for 10-inch LPs, and for Phil Woods: Phil Woods, New Jazz Quintet, New Jazz 1104. Man, look at that cover. Phil looks like he’s about 15. The record is in M- condition and the cover is VG to VG+. Start price is $250 and it’s closing in four hours. No bidders so far.

Sonny Rollins, Tenor Madness, Prestige 7047. This is an original New York pressing. The record and cover were listed in VG++ condition. The bidding is in the $275 range with more than a day to go. Someone recently sent me a list of something like the 50 greatest tenor sax records ever. I quickly glanced at the list to see what was #1 (it was either Giant Steps or A Love Supreme). I looked to see where this record ranked, since it would have it in my top two or three. But it wasn’t on the list. I clicked my off off the link and never looked back. I’m sure a quick Google search and someone will find it and post it here. I would have it Tenor Madness had been on the list.

This is another great tenor record I listened to recently for the first time in years:

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Gary Bartz, John Coltrane, Jazz At Lincoln Center

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So the other day I’m sitting home working and I get a forwarded email from The Lovely Mrs. JC about a John Coltrane Festival taking place in New York between October 18 and November 3 and on that very night there will be something called a “listening party” with the saxophonist Gary Bartz and it is free and it is three subway stops away at Jazz At Lincoln Center at Columbus Circle. So I do a quick search on the Internet and it turns out that Bartz has a new album out called “Coltrane Rules: Tales of a Music Warrior,” and at this listening party he will discuss the album and play some tracks. Now I am a big fan of Gary Bartz, ever since I saw him three nights running at Bradley’s down on University Place at least 20 years ago and was blow away by his sensitive, passionate and inventive playing, the closest thing on alto to Sonny Rollins. So, I went down to Jazz at Lincoln Center and I went to the listening party and it was terrific. There were maybe 30 people in the place, a small studio with folding chairs, and at the front there were Bartz sitting on a chair with Read more

Various Vinyl Odds and Ends

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Haven’t been on eBay in a few days. Here are the results of some of the jazz vinyl auctions we missed:

John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was an original black label pressing. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $510. It’s nice posting Giant Steps every once in a while so I can put a picture with the post and just take a look at it again — inspiring me to put the record on the turntable.

Perhaps I owe CeeDee an apology for this one: Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams, Out of this World, Warwick 2041. This was an original pressing in what looked to be VG+ condition for the vinyl and probably VG+ or VG++ for the cover. It sold for $159.99, higher than I would have expected. CeeDee and I made a trade involving this record and Dexter Calling a few months ago and at some point I may have made some kind of disparaging remark about the Byrd/Adams record. No doubt, it had more to do with the quality of the recording than the quality of the music. My copy just sounded very dull and flat, particularly compared to a Blue Note pressing from the same era.

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Catching Up on Jazz Vinyl Auctions

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Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we were watching last week, and a few that we’re watching this week:

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The price was $1,025.

Sonny Rollins, Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This was not an original pressing, but was an early pressing with the West 63rd Street address. The record was in M- condition and the cover was lasted at VG+. It sold for $251.39.

Grant Green, Idle Moments, Blue Note 4154. This was an original pressing that was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The seller was bobdjukic and it was only listed as “rare” not “insanely rare.” No matter. It still got top dollar: $570.

And here are a few we’re watching for this week:

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The Cats, Bird, Miles and Trane

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I said I’d post a few more from the Jazz Record Center auction last week, so here ’tis:

Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the record and cover. It was also a review copy. It sold for $535. I’ve had this record for a while. I traded it for it years ago: I had a broken leg at the time and was stuck in my friend’s basement with all of his records, Blue Notes, Prestiges, the whole works. I was very good and just looked. In my collection I have this one with my Flanagans, although the temptation is to put it with the Coltranes. I’m often reorganizing, so maybe I’ll move it around some day.

This is one of my favorite jazz collectibles, although it’s not jazz vinyl: To Bird With Love, by Francis Paudras. This is a book from 1981, about the most loving tribute to Bird you could find this side of Irving Kalus’ Ornithology. As noted by Fred in his listing, which you should take a look at, the book was printed once with no more than 1,000 copies, probably 500. I bought this when it first came out, from Fred, and I’ve treasured it ever since. It now has a prominent shelf on my new shelves in The Berkshires.  This one sold for $887.79.

The Miles Davis Columbia records with Coltrane, and even the next generation, are becoming more collectible it seems. The music is certainly uniformly great. Here are a few from the Jazz Record Center auction:

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Watching Rare Jazz Vinyl In Tip-Top Condition

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We’re watching the latest auction of jazz vinyl from the Jazz Record Center, which closes in a few days. Here are some of the highlights:

Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original New York pressing that looks to be in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This one is in the $900 range. I am happy to say, I recently purchased a near mint New York copy of Colossus in the Irving Kalus collection, which I will be writing about as soon as I get a chance.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is an original pressing in beautiful M- condition for both the record and the cover. This price is already more than $1,800 and at the rate it is going you would expect that it may even top $3,000.

Kenny Burrell, Blue Notes Volume 1, Blue Note 1596. This is an original pressing and of course it has the Andy Warhol cover. This one is also in beautiful condition and is currently at $500. I’d expect this do break into the $1,000 bin, wouldn’t you?

A couple more:

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Tracking Some Very High End Jazz Vinyl

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While we were busy buying the Irving Kalus collection, a lot of rare and valuable (and high priced) jazz vinyl was being sold on eBay. Here are some of the high-end items we’ve missed.

Tommy Flanagan, Overseas, Prestige 7134. This is one of the major rarities and it sold like one. The record and cover were both in M- condition. The price was $3,216.66. That’s the first time we’ve seen the record surpass the $3,000 mark in the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

While we’re on the topic of $3,000 records: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This was an original pressing listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. This is the listing that mentioned Jazz Collector as a pricing/value source, which we appreciate. The sale price was $3,600.

This didn’t quite make the $3,000 bin, but it gave it a good run: Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original purple label pressing in near mint condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $2,650. Do you think there’s a distinction between a record described as “near mint” versus one described as “mint minus?” Just thought I’d ask. “Near mint” has a nicer ring to it, IMHO.

One more:

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Still More Adventures in Jazz Collecting, Part 3

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So I’m sitting on the floor and there’s this two-shelf low cabinet and there’s maybe 300 records in it altogether and I reach for the Coltranes on Impulse and pull them out. They are not obvious originals but each one has a gatefold cover, so there is hope. I open the first one, Ballads. And it is . . . ugh, a very late black label pressing. Then A Love Supreme: late pressing, black and red label. In fact, I go through all of the Coltrane Impulses and there’s not a single original pressing in the bunch. And now I’m fairly convinced that this is just a lovely collection of great music but not one of collectible records. And I am almost ready to give up and give Karen my advice, which is that she should probably go to Infinity Records around the corner and see what they would pay.

And then, in the middle of the Coltranes, there is this record: Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. And I remember thinking, why is the Sonny Clark record amid all of the Coltranes? But, of course, Coltrane is a sideman on this record and if the guy was a real Coltrane fan perhaps he organized his records according to his favorite artists and wanted all of his Coltrane records in one place. As a collector who constantly reorganizes and plays with my own collection, I could certainly relate to that. Read more

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