This week I indulge myself with a show for my very own birthday. In the past I’ve played tracks recorded on Feb. 4, including Miles Davis Milestones. But two years in, I’ve dipped into that well too often. So this year, the focus is on the year I was born, 1953. As I say on the Podcast, it was a very good year for jazz and boys from Queens. Also a great chance to focus on 10-inch records from the collection. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Curley Russell, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Shavers, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Dodge, Ron Crotty, Jay Jay Johnson, Jimmy Heath, Gil Coggins, Tadd Dameron, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Gigi Gryce, Charlie Parker, Red Garland, Roy Haynes, Chet Baker, Russ Freeman, Carson Smith, Larry Bunker, Shelly Manne, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Jummy Giuffre, Bob Enevoldsen, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Phil Woods, Jon Eardley, George Syran, Teddy Kotick, Nick Stabulas.

This week’s theme: Jazz records recorded on Feb. 4. Featured artists include Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Billy Taylor, Hal McKusick, Art Farmer, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Phil Woods, Jon Eardley, Paul Chambers, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Louis Smith.

This one also came from ceedee and it’s a bit of a strange one, not a record we normally watch here, but I’ll post it anyway: James Mason, Rhythm of Life, Chiaroscuro 189. I must admit I don’t know the artist or the music. I do know the label and I don’t recall seeing a record on this label selling for collectible prices, until this one, which is perhaps why ceedee sent it. This was listed in Excellent condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $380, with 15 different bidders and 38 bids.

Here’s one from eBay that’s already been bid up to more than $1,000 but still has not reached the seller’s reserve price: Zoot Sims Avec Henri Renaud et son Orchestre et Jon Eardley, Ducretet-Thomson 250 V 023. This is an original French pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This is a record I’ve never seen in person and rarely see on eBay. The bidding is at $1,136 with nearly three days left on the auction.

Jon Eardley Seven with Zoot Sims, Prestige 7033. This is an original New York yellow label pressing. The record is in VG+ condition and the cover is VG++. The start price is in the $300 range and, with nearly three days left in the auction, there are no bidders yet. We would expect this one to sell, but you never know. It is Prestige and not Blue Note, after all.

Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets, ABC Paramount 122. This looks to be an original deep groove pressing. It’s not simple to decipher the condition based on the seller’s description, but I would guess that the record is between VG+ and VG++ and the cover is probably about the same. The start price for this one is $300 and, with less than two days left, there are no bidders.

Speaking of Kenny Dorham:

Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This is an original deep groove purple label pressing that looks to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The pricing is in the $340 range with seven bids. There are more than two days left in the auction. There’s another copy of Quiet Kenny as well. This one looks to be in VG condition for the record, with no grading for the cover. Tough to bid without a full grading, as the seller is likely discovering. No action on this one yet with a start price of $399.

Sonny Clark Trio, Blue Note 1579. This is an original West 63rd pressing listed in VG+ condition with some minor scratches and EXC for the cover, which seems to be equivalent to VG++ based on the seller’s description. It sold for $760. It used to be records had to be in near mint condition, or close to near mint, to fetch those kinds of collectible prices, but no more. There is a huge demand for any of these high-end collectibles in any condition, and certainly in any condition that will give you a good listening experience.

How about another Blue Note:

Miles Davis Volume 2, Blue Note 1502. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing that was in nice condition for the record, either VG++ or M-, and probably VG+ for the cover. It sold for $393.

And back to France once again: Zoot Sims with Henri Renaud and Jon Eardley, Ducretet Thomson 250-V023. This was an original 10-inch pressing in pretty weak condition, just G for the record with a “constant cackle” and a VG cover. Nevertheless, someone wanted this record enough to pay $299.99 for it — although I am always suspicious of one-bid auctions, because of the possibility that the seller would have a separate account or a ringer make a bid just to spike interest.

Sonny Rollins, Volume 2, Blue Note 1558. This was an original pressing with the New York 23 deep groove labels. It was listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover and the listing was accompanied by some nice clear pictures. The final price was $1,227.99. We see a couple of these sell for more than $1,200 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, but this is quite near the top of the market for this record.

Horace Parlan, Headin’ South, Blue Note 4062. This one had the New York USA label. I don’t have Fred Cohen’s Blue Note book here, but it’s not sounding like an original at 4062. But it must be. Why else would someone have paid $909.99 for this record? But I thought the crossover from West 63rd to New York USA came in the 4070s, around the time of Dexter Gordon’s Doin’ Allright at Blue Note 4077. I better get another copy of Fred’s book, lest I have to rely on the kindness of my audience to keep me informed.

Jon Eardley Seven with Zoot Sims and Phil Woods, Prestige 7033. This was an original New York yellow label pressing that was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $442.68. Get a look of Phil and Zoot in those pictures. They look so young.

Charlie Mariano, Bethlehem 25. This was an original red-label deep groove pressing. The record was in M- condition and the cover looked to be VG++. The record sold for $341.

Roland Kirk, Third Dimension, Bethlehem 6064. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price was $124.75. I’ve never seen or owned this record. I was a big fan of Roland Kirk — he was an amazing performer in front of an audience. A great musician as well. If I were buying records more active these days, perhaps this one would have been on my shelves by now.

I pulled out the Eardley record off the shelf and opened it and pulled out the vinyl and, yuck! The vinyl was an orange label Status, with Zoot named as the leader. Too bad, I thought, because the cover is in nice shape and has the original New York address. Then I went to the “S” area of my collection and pulled out the Zoot record and opened it and guess what? The record was an original New York pressing of, tada, the Jon Eardley Seven. So I took the record out of the Zoot cover and placed it in the Jon Eardley cover and put it back on my shelf under the E’s and took the Zoot Sims Status record and put it inside the Zoot Sims Down East cover and placed it on the shelf alongside the second cover of the Teddy Charles LP, both of which will be coming soon to an eBay near you. And now I have an original New York pressing of The Jon Eardley Seven, Prestige 7033 in an original New York cover of The Jon Eardley Seven, Prestige 7033. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Elmo Hope, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note 5029. This was an original pressing in M- condition, both record and cover. It sold for $620.

Jon Eardley in Hollywood, New Jazz 1105. This was also in M- condition. It sold for $232.44.

Zoot Sims, Zoot in Hollywood, New Jazz 1102. The record was in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The price was $204.50.

Illinois Jacquet, Collates, Mercury 112. The record and cover were M-. The price was $125.

Gil Melle, Impressions of Color, Blue Note 5063. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $89.80.

Kenny Dorham ‘Round Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. This was a Lexington Avenue pressing in VG+ condition, both record and cover. The price was $447.

Art Farmer Quintet, Prestige 7017. This was a New York pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $130. Also, Art Farmer, Prestige 7031. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG+ and the cover was VG. The price was $151.

Curtis Fuller Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This was an original West 63rd Street

pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $152.50

Jon Eardley Seven, Prestige 7033. This was an original New York yellow label. The record was VG and the cover was VG+. The price was $143.50

Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney, Two Guitars, Prestige 7119. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $255.

Phil Woods, Pairing Off, Prestige 7046. This was an original New York pressing. The record was VG and the cover was VG++. The price was $126.50

Art Blakey, A Night in Tunisia, Blue Note 4049. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was M-. The price was $151.99

Bud Powell, Swingin’ With Bud, RCA 1507. This was an original deep groove mono pressing. The record and cover were both M-. The price was $59.95.

Buddy DeFranco, Jazz Tones, Norgran 1069. This was an original yellow label pressing with Sonny Clark on piano. The record was M- and the cover was VG+. The price was $62.09.