Tag: Johnny Griffin

Explorations in the Jazz Collector Stratosphere

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Time to clear out the watch list, starting with The Arrival of Kenny Dorham, Jaro, JAM 5007. This was an original mono pressing with the blue label and deep grooves. The record and cover were both listed in EX+ condition. The final price was about $1,248. From what I can see on Popsike, this is a new high for this record, beating the pervious top tag of $1,050. Speaking of new highs, I had to do a double-take on this one: Get Happy With Freddie Redd Trio With Guests, Nixa Jazz Today Series, NJL 19. We wrote about that a few weeks ago and the post received 59 comments (and counting). At the time of the writing the bidding was in the $460 range and there was some speculation that would end up in the $1,000 bin. How about the $4,000 bin, as in $4,377. Read more

Shorter Shilling?

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I’m watching a couple of Wayne Shorter auctions on eBay now, starting with Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182. This looks to be an original New York USA pressing with the Plastylite ear, RVG and deep groove on one side. The record is in VG condition with “surface marks and some scratches” and the cover is also listed as VG. The auction closes in a couple of days and there is a single bid at $300. The more interesting record, to me, is Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 84194. I put this one second in this post because I typically like to use a picture with the first record I mention and, for aesthetic purposes, the idea of putting this particular Speak No Evil cover violated my sense of good taste. Read more

Thanksgiving Jazz Vinyl

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Time to clear out the old watch list this Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in the States, starting with Mal Waldron, Mal-1, Prestige 7090. This was an original New York yellow label pressing in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $536.69. I get the sense that the Prestiges are starting to get a little more interest from the collectors will to pay top dollar. These are certainly great music and packaging. I put a few of the Prestiges on the turntable the other day – Tenor Madness, Soultrane and When Farmer Met Gryce. Can’t beat it. I don’t own an original pressing of Mal-1, but I’m sure it’s of a similar quality.

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From Our Readers: Blue Note and Cosmic Trane

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Here are a few more listings sent to me by readers, starting with Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing from our friends at Euclid Records. The record and cover were both listed in VG++ condition and the final price was $1,254.54. From the same seller was: Johnny Griffin, Volume 2, Blue Note 1559. This was also an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was only VG, yet it still sold for $1,166, which echoes the point I made the other day about condition being less relevant, as collectors seem to have evolved from wanting to listen to the record to wanting to own the record.

Another reader sent me a question about this record:

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Under-The-Radar Jazz Vinyl Collectibles

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Here’s one you don’t see very often. In fact, I don’t recall every writing about this record before: Wade Legge, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5031. This is an original Lexington Avenue 10-inch pressing. The record and cover are both listed in Ex condition by a very reputable seller. The bidding is in the $280 range with about four days left on the auction. Wade Legge was not recorded very often and died young, at just 29 years of age. I just did a Google search and, it turns out, with shared the same birthday. I am a big fan of his playing on a couple of Sonny Rollins albums, Rollins Plays for Bird and Sonny Boy.  I didn’t recall that he was on the Charles Mingus Tonight at Noon Album, so I will have to go back and listen to that, as well as a couple of others. I highly doubt that I will be getting the 10-inch Blue Note record anytime soon, given that I never see it and typically avoid paying top dollar on eBay.

This is also one I don’t see very often, but I’ve never viewed it as a record that was particularly favored by collectors:

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A Cross Section of Collectible Jazz Vinyl

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We’re watching a few auctions from the seller bullsite2000, including Billy Taylor, Cross Section, Prestige 7071. This is an original New York yellow label pressing. It looks like the record is in about VG++ condition and the cover is M-. The bidding is in the $90 range and the auction closes later today. Typically, you don’t see any Billy Taylor records selling for high prices. This particular record seems to be somewhat of an exception, selling for more than $200 several times on Popsike. We’ll see what this one goes for. I like the picture on the cover, which is one of the reasons I’m mentioning here at Jazz Collector: It’s not often that I get to use a Billy Taylor Prestige cover with one of my posts, and this one has the old record player, the tube amp and the old records. Wouldn’t you like to own the records on THAT shelf. This is another one with a great cover: Jay Jay Johnson Sextet, Blue Note 5028. This is an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing. The record looks to be in VG+ condition and the cover VG++. It is also closing today. The bidding is in the $250 range.

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. . . And a Quartet for New Year’s

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Happy New Year to all. Looks like our friend Rudolf had a pretty good start to the year selling some vintage and rare jazz vinyl, including Elmo Hope Quintet with Frank Foster and Freeman Lee, Blue Note 5044. This was an original 10-inch pressing that looked to be in beautiful pristine condition, perhaps unplayed after being placed in storage many years ago? Rudolf, I don’t recall if you shared the story of how they ended up in storage, but I would love to hear it (again?). This one sold for $1,054.99. Do you think there are many left in the world in this condition? I also had a pristine copy, which I sold in 1990 for $400, which seemed like a lot at the time and, in fact, was a lot. But the $400 came and went and I’ve never found another affordable copy of this record in the 27 years since.

This one came from the same batch and I was quite surprised to see where the bidding ended up, since I’ve never viewed this one as particularly coveted by collectors:

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Back in Jazz Vinyl Action

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Walter Davis Jr Jazz VinylBack in action after some minor surgery last week. Feeling good and ready to roll with some jazz vinyl on ebay, starting with a couple of Blue Notes from the Jazz Collector Want List that both broke into the $1,000 bin: Walter Davis Jr., Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original pressing that looked to be probably M- for the record and VG++ or VG+ for the cover. There were 15 bidders and the final price was $1,125. Then there was Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This was also an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was listed as M- and the cover was VG++. There were 14 bidders for this one and the final price came in at $1,304. Our friend CeeDee sent us a note about this one, but we were already watching it:

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Classic Vinyl From The Jazz Collector Era

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Johnny Griffin Jazz VinylOur friends at funkyousounds are back on eBay with some nice jazz vinyl closing this week, including Johnny Griffin, The Kerry Dancers, Riverside 420. This looks to be an original blue label pressing with deep grooves. The record is listed in VG++ condition and the cover is VG. The auction closes later today and the price is in the $170 range. Donald Byrd, Fuego, Blue Note 4026. This is an original West 63rd Street deep groove pressing. The record and cover both look to be in VG+ condition. The bidding is in the $220 range with one more day to go. One more: Miles Davis, The New Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7014. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York hello label and the original green cover. The record is listed in VG++ condition and the cover is VG+. The price is now in the $300 range, also with one more day on the auction.

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High Prices (What Else is New?) & Happy New Year

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Johnny Griffin Jazz VinylI’ve been getting a lot of email and there have been a lot of comments about prices going through the roof, particularly on some of the records from the late Dr. Herb Wong. Here are some of the ones that have been sent to me, and a few of my own observations, starting with Johnny Griffin, The Congregation, Blue Note 1580. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing from the Wong collection and it was in just VG condition for the record and VG- for the cover. Despite the condition it sold for $555.99. Then there was this one, which I had mentioned in an earlier post: Johnny Griffin, The Kerry Dancers, Riverside 420. This was an original white label promo copy. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. When we first noticed this record it was in the $300 range. It ended up selling for $915.

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