Tag: Johnny Hodges

A Couple for The $1,000 Bin, And one for the $66 Bin

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There were a bunch of interesting jazz vinyl auctions that closed last night, to wit: Red Rodney, Signal S 1206. This looked like an original pressing in perhaps VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover? The seller uses a wide variety of grades that don’t necessarily correspond to the grading language we typically use, so it’s up for interpretation. Hopefully the buyer will be pleased. This one sold for a whopping $1,825.55.

Her’s one for the $2,000 bin: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- or VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $2,111. There was another copy of this record that we mentioned the other day, Blue Note 1590, that was in just VG- condition for the record and cover. We wondered about the eventual price for a record that may not be all that playable. The price was $237.65

How the market has changed through the years: Johnny Hodges, Castle Rock, Norgran 1048. This was an original yellow label pressing. It was in VG+ condition for both the record and the vinyl. It sold for $66. When I started collecting jazz, there seemed to be much more interest from collectors in the original Norgrans. A different era, I guess — but also an opportunity to pick up some of these very nice records at reasonable prices.

Jazz Vinyl Price Update: No Blue Notes, But Nice LPs

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I’m spending some time this weekend updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide after a brief hiatus and, in going through the updates, I’ll be putting in a few records that are a bit more obscure, either by artist or label, than the normal batch of Blue Notes and Prestiges. Here are a few worth pondering:

Don Sleet, All Members, Jazzland 45. This was an original orange label mono pressing. The record looked to be VG++ and the cover was listed as VG. The price was $94.

Mike Cuozzo with the Costa-Burke Trio, Jubilee 1027. This was an original pressing and the value is certainly aided by the presence of Eddie Costa. It was only in VG condition for the record and the cover and still sold for $108.50.

Bill Perkins, Just Friends, Pacific Jazz 401. This was an original pressing sold by the Jazz Record Center. It was in excellent condition — the words “immaculate” and “exceptional” were used in the description. It also benefitted from the presence of strong sidemen, in this case Art Pepper and Richie Kamuca. The price was $330.55.

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Catching Up: Norgran, Clef, Verve

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Playing some more catchup on the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

This one sold for quite a tidy sum a few weeks back, particularly for a Verve: Ben Webster Soulville, Verve 8274. This was an original pressing in M- condition. This one has a David Stone Martin cover. I’d normally expect this to sell for maybe $100 in this condition. This one sold for $463.99. Here’s a nice Norgran: Lester Young, Jazz Giants ’56, Norgran 1056. This was a original yellow label pressing with the heavy vinyl. The record was in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $105.15. And another nice Norgran:

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Nice Norgrans at High (But Not Blue Note) Prices

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We’ve been watching a few records on the Norgran label on eBay and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the continued strong market. Here are a couple of the records we’ve been watching:

Johnny Hodges, Dance Bash, Norgran 1024. This was an original pressing in M- condition, both record and cover. It has a beautiful cover illustration by David Stone Martin. The price was $274. This is one of those Norgrans that, instead of the trumpeter logo, has the logo of the couple dancing, also designed by David Stone Martin. I’ll post a copy in a later posting. I still owe Rudolf  a post on the David Stone Martin book, which I will also get to later.

Stan Getz, Interpretations Volume 3, Norgran 1029. This was also an original pressing (with the trumpeter logo) and also has a cover designed by David Stone Martin. This copy was in M- condition, both record and cover, and sold for $274.

Then there was this item from Ben Webster:

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Price Updates: Thad, Clifford, Bird, Evans

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Here are a few more for the Price Guide:

Chet Baker and Art Pepper, Playboys, World Pacific 1234. This was an original pressing. The record was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $318.

The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition, record and cover. Price: $565.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Bohemia Volume 2, Blue Note 1508. This was also a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition. Price: $162.50

Tommy Flanagan, The Cats, New Jazz 8217. This was an original purple label pressing

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For the Price Guide: Blakey, Jackie, Jug & More

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Here are a few recent items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume 1, Blue Note 1507. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG++ condition, both record and cover. The price was $202.50. Also, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume 2, Blue Note 1508. This was also an original Lexington Avenue pressing. This one was in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $416.

John Coltrane and Hank Mobley, Two Tenors, Prestige 7043. This is a second pressing

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Price Updates: Blue Train, Bud, Miles and More

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Here are some items we’ll be adding to the Jazz Collector Price Guide over the weekend. If you haven’t checked out the Price Guide lately, it’s time to come back. We’ve added a new feature, where you can browse all of the records on one screen and sort it either by artist, label or price. It’s a lot of fun just to go through the lists and compare and contrast. It’s also very helpful when buying or selling items on eBay. Anyway, speaking of eBay, here are some recent sales:

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was an original pressing in M- condition. The price was $710.

The Amazing Bud Powell, Blue Note 5003. This was an original 10-inch LP in M- condition, both record and cover. The price was $380. 

Miles Davis, Miles, Prestige 7014. This was an original New York pressing. The record

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Today on eBay, Feb. 2, 2009

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Here are some of the items we at Jazz Collector are watching on eBay today: 

The previously mentioned Euclid Records has a few nice items up today, including Charlie Mariano Sextet, Fantasy 3-10. This is a 10-inch LP in M- condition. The current price is $76. 

Here’s another one for the $1,000 record bin, or perhaps even the $2,000 bin: Thelonious Monk, Prestige 7053. This is the one with the cover design by Andy Warhol. The record is only in VG condition and the cover is VG+, yet the price is already at $1,775. The same seller has another Warhol cover: Artie Shaw, Both Feet in the Groove, RCA 1201. This is an original pressing and it looks to be in at least VG+ condition. The current price is $71. 

Finally, here’s a pretty Norgran currently in the $50 price range: Johnny Hodges, Ellingtonia ’56, Norgran 1055. This one is in what looks like VG++/VG+ condition.

Something to Complain About?

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Here’s a pet peeve of ours at Jazz Collector. Look at this eBay listing: Johnny Hodges, Duke’s In Bed, Verve 8203. Now anyone can see that this is not an original pressing — which would have the trumpeter logo — but is a later MGM pressing. Yet the dealer states with dogmatic certainty: “This is the absolute 1957 original pressing.” And, for emphasis, he states it in all capital letters. What bothers us is that the dealer either doesn’t know what he’s talking about, so he shouldn’t put it out there, or he’s deliberately misleading potential customers, who, really, should know better before bidding. This record is now at $31, which is not ridiculous, but is generally more than an MGM pressing would sell for. Anyway, we’ll put it out there and see if we can get some responses: What are some of the things that bother you these days? And we’ll make one other point: If you have any questions about whether something is an original pressing, come to Jazzcollector.com. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll try to find someone who does.

Goodbye, Elvin Jones

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I was poring through eBay this morning, preparing today’s update, when my wife came into my office. “Did you see The Times?” she asked. “There’s an article that Coltrane’s drummer died.”

 It’s not surprising that The Times would refer to Elvin Jones as “Coltrane’s drummer.” That’s the way many of us came to find his music, on those great Atlantic and Impulse LPs of the early and mid 1960s. Jones’s contributions to Trane’s seminal quartet did more to influence the music than anything he might have accomplished before or since. Jones, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison – they all must have known at the time that Trane was taking them on explorations that were redefining the music.

 I turned to my record collection and searched for my favorite Elvin moments from that era. Two albums caught my eye: Africa/Brass, Impulse 6, about which, ironically, I wrote last week; and Coltrane Live at Birdland, Impulse 50. The live LP, particularly the track “Afro-Blue,” exemplifies the way in which Jones drove the quartet to places no other drummer of the era could have taken them. Here’s an excerpt from the original liner notes to this 1963 LP, courtesy of LeRoi Jones: Read more

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