You know those cool, inexpensive record shelves produced by Ikea, the Expedit line? Well, if you want any, you better stock up now. They are discontinued, which apparently has caused something of a brouhaha among record collectors. A spokesman for the company says there is a new line in place to replace Expedit, called Kallax. For its part, Ikea is stating that it is updating and improving the Expedit line, but record collectors don’t seem appeased, judging by the outcry. I took a look at the Kallax line, here, and, frankly, I don’t see what the fuss is about. I own one large Expedit unit and if I had to replace it with a Kallax I think I would survive.

There’s a lot of Blue Note activity going on. The company is launching what it calls a 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative by which it is

reissuing newly mastered vinyl editions of classic records (and others, apparently) from its catalogue. The first five issues come out March 25 and consist of John Coltrane, Blue Train; Art Blakey, Free For All; Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil; Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, and Larry Young Unity. The plan is to release five titles every month, perhaps for as long as they have records in the catalogue. It’ll be interesting to see how these records sound and how they compare to the originals. We’ll see if we can somehow get copies to review and let you know what we discover. Otherwise, I’m sure there will be those among you who will venture voluntarily down the reissue path.

Also on March 25, the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles will launch a new exhibit called Blue Note Records: The Finest in  Jazz. It actually sounds pretty cool, with a baby grand piano that belonged to Thelonious Monk, photos, original concert posters, etc., and, I’m sure, more than a sprinkling of classic album covers. Hopefully one of our readers in L.A. will give us a report. If not, I’m hoping to make it out to the West Coast this summer and I will certainly put this on my agenda.

Bobby Hutcherson, Components, Blue Note 4213. This looks to be an original mono pressing with the NY USA label. It looks to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The price is in the $150 range with more than a day left before the auction closes.

Andrew Hill, Compulsion, Blue Note 4217. This also looks to be an original mono pressing in similar condition as the Hutcherson LP, M- for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The bidding on this one is also in the $150 range.

Sam Rivers, A New Conception, Blue Note 4249. This is an original Liberty pressing. It is in VG++ condition. The price is more than $100.

Here are a few more that may surprise you:

Don Cherry, Complete Communion, Blue Note 4226. This is a mono New York USA pressing, one of the last before the shift to Liberty, and is in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The price is more than $80.

 Larry Young, Of Love and Peace, Blue Note 4242. This one has the New York labels and the Liberty cover. It also seems to be in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. The price is $90.

Duke Pearson, Wahoo, Blue Note 4191. This is an original mono New York USA pressing that is listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is already more than $100.

Brew Moore in Europe, Debut 127. This is the original Danish pressing, quite hard to find. The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was M-. The price was $373.

Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This is one of those where you had to look carefully at the listing. The record is listed in Ex+/N- condition and the cover as Ex. The picture shows that the cover has tape all around it, so if I were grading the best I’d give it is a VG-. It would also make me wary about the condition of the vinyl, if the seller considers this cover as excellent. Potential buyers had some of  the same concerns, it seems. The record sold for $495.

Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing — the last of the original Lexingtons, right? — and it seemed to be in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It has the Andy Warhol cover and it sold for $1,135.

Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This is also a Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was was described as VG++ condition and the cover looked VG minus — or worse — based on the pictures. This one sold for $677. I have a feeling there will be a disappointed buyer at that price at that condition.

Here’s a later Blue Note: Larry Young, Unity, Blue Note 4221. This was an original New York USA mono pressing. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover as VG+. The price was $357.99.

Larry Young, Unity, Blue Note 4221. This was an original New York USA pressing with the ear and the Van Gelder stamp. It was in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $231.38.

Pete La Roca, Basra, Blue Note 4205. This is also an original New York USA pressing with the ear and the Van Gelder stamp. It is still in its original shrink wrap and in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price was a whopping $494.99, quite a bit higher than the $1.59 Special on the shrink wrap. The way things are going, someday records such as these will be destined for the $1,000 bin, no?

This listing is lacking in information: Grachan Moncur III, Some Other Stuff, Blue Note 84177. This is a stereo pressing, which would seem to diminish the interest and value right off the bat. However, the seller doesn’t mention whether there is an ear or Van Gelder stamp in the deadwax. It is a New York USA pressing. It sold for $61 in what looked to be VG+ condition. Have to believe if buyers knew it was an original it would sell for more: Then again, if it’s not original, would it have sold for this much?

This is another stereo pressing without full information:

George Braith, Two Souls in One, Blue Note 84148. This was a New York USA pressing. The cover was M- and the vinyl VG+. It sold for $43.63.

This one had complete information, and the price reflected it: Andrew Hill, Black Fire, Blue Note 4151. This one also was in its original shrink wrap. The vinyl was M- and the cover looked to be at least VG++ (depends how you feel about someone writing his name on the back cover). It sold for $260. This one came from the same seller: Sam Rivers, Contours, Blue Note 4206. This was a New York USA pressing and, according to the seller, was never pressed with the ear in the deadwax. I have to get Fred Cohen’s book to keep up on all of this stuff. I am planning an excursion to the Jazz Record Center this week. The record looks to be M- and the cover probably VG++. The price was $134.50.

Randy Brecker: Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland Volume 1, Blue Note 5037. They actually show the original 10-inch LP, but I imagine Brecker didn’t just single out the first volume, but the whole series.

Teri Lyne Carrington: Wayne Shorter, JuJu, Blue Note 4182

Branford Marsalis: Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194.

Nicholas Payton: Speak No Evil

David Sanchez: Speak No Evil

Greg Osby: Wayne Shorter, Schizophrenia, Blue Note 4297

Chris Potter: Wayne Shorter, Adam’s Apple, Blue Note 4232

Kurt Elling: Wayne Shorter, Night Dreamer, Blue Note 4173

Geri Allen: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195

Sean Jones: Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage

Terence Blanchard: Herbie Hancock, Speak Like A Child, Blue Note 4297

Uri Craine: Herbie Hancock, The Prisoner, Blue Note 4321

Matt Wilson: Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, Blue Note 4163

Dee Dee Bridgewater: Horace Silver, Song For My Father, Blue Note 4185

Dave Douglas: Horace Silver, The Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note 4220

Bill Charlap: Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 1518

Christian McBride: Joe Henderson, Mode For Joe, Blue Note 4227

Steve Turre: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2, Blue Note 1506

Kenny Washington: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588

Larry Grenadier: Sonny Rollins. A Night at the Village Vanguard, Blue Note 1581

Gary Bartz: Sonny Rollins, Volume 2, Blue Note 1558

Antonio Sanchez: John Coltrane, Blue Trane, Blue Note 1577

Ben Allison: Andrew Hill, Black Fire, Blue Note 4151

Mulgrew Miller: Freddie Hubbard, Ready For Freddie, Blue Note 4085

Robin Eubanks: McCoy Tyner, The Real McCoy, Blue Note 4264

Conrad Herwig: Larry Young, Unity, Blue Note 4221

Patricia Barber: Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002

Jason Moran: Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198

There were a couple of other they were weird and I didn’t include them. If you’re like me, you probably haven’t even heard of half the musicians that are quoted here. I will tell you my finalists:

Art Blakey Buhaina’s Delight

Art Blakey Blue Note 4003

Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd

Horace Silver, Blowin’ The Blues Away

John Coltrane, Blue Trane

Dexter Gordon, Our Man in Paris

Donald Byrd, A New Perspective

At this point, the very strong lean is toward Buhaina’s Delight, but I might put a few others on the turntable today, since it looks like it’s going to be a nice snow day in New York. But, at least I’ve narrowed the field to My Seven Favorite Blue Notes. For now, at least.

We’ve been talking a lot about Andy Warhol covers on the site. Here’s a chance to get one, perhaps at a bargain price because the seller didn’t realize that the cover is by Warhol: Count Basie, RCA 1112. This is not in great shape, but it’s only $1.99 and closing fairly soon. A few weeks ago, we recorded one of these in the Jazz Collector Price Guide for $161. 

The seller Tuneup Music has quite a large group of pretty nice records for sale this morning, including Blue Mitchell Big Six, Riverside 273. This is an original blue label pressing. The record is VG++ and the cover is VG+. The current price is $75. Also from this seller is a sealed copy of Larry Young, Into Something, Blue Note 84187. This is already at $125. The challenge with a sealed record is not knowing whether it’s an original label, so, personally, I’d be careful on this one. If you look at these records, you should click View Seller’s Other Items because there’s a lot more. 

Another seller with several decent items closing today is Funk-Plus, including this one: Horace Parlan, On the Spur of the Moment, Blue Note 4074. This is a West 63rd Street pressing. The record is VG+ and the cover is VG. The current price is about $75. 

Someone on the site asked about spotting bargains the other day. Here’s a nice record, not a high-end collectible, but a good, solid record that should be under $25: Charles McPherson, Bebop Revisited, Prestige 7359. This is an original blue label stereo pressing. The record is VG++ and the cover is VG. The current price is about $10.