A Strong Week For Blue Notes

This is one of those weeks where, if you had unlimited funds, you could fill in a lot of holes in your Blue Note collection with original pressings in very nice condition, perhaps starting with the rarest of the rare: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This looks to be an original pressing with the New York 23 on the B side. It is in M- condition for the vinyl and probably VG+ or better for the cover. The price has already exceeded $3,000 — yet it has not yet reached the seller’s reserve.

The same seller is loaded with other Blue Notes, among a variety of jazz vinyl, this week, including:

Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This is an original pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The price has surpassed $250 and the auction closes today, still short of the reserve price. Dizzy Reece, Soundin’ Off, Blue Note 4033. This is also an original pressing, in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price is more than $700 and the auction closes tomorrow.

As noted, this is not the only seller with some nice Blue Notes this week. Here are a few more:

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Lee Morgan, Hal McKusick and Sonny Clarke (sic)

Here are some jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching on eBay:

Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. What caught my eye about this one is that the seller kept referring to him as “Sonny Clarke” in the headline and in the text.  I mean, can you look at the album cover? If potential buyers have alerts for Sonny Clark or if they are doing searches, would they not find this LP? Interesting question. This one was in VG condition for the record and M- for the cover. It was an original mono pressing. It sold for $289. My bet is that the misspelling did not impact the final price.

Hal McKusick, Bethlehem 16. This was an original pressing with the deep red label and deep grooves. The record was VG+ or perhaps a little better and the cover was VG++. The start price was $275 and when I looked at this there was one bidder. I was a bit surprised anyone was interested at that price so I kept an eye on it to see if the bidding would go higher. It didn’t.

Lee Morgan, Lee-Way, Blue Note 4034. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing that was in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. As I’ve watched this record through the years, it’s typically topped out in the $500 range, although we’ve seen one in the Jazz Collector Price Guide sell for $847. I expect someday we’ll see this regularly in the $1,000 bin given the quality of the recording, vintage, personnel, etc. Not yet. This one sold for $757.

 

More Jazz Vinyl For the $1,000 Bin

Time to update the $1,000 bin and there is quite a lot to update, not counting some of the ones we’ve watched recently, such as the Hank Mobley 1568 and others from the recent Jazz Record Center auction. Here goes:

Paul Gonsalves, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion 587. This was an original British pressing that looks to be in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,593.88.

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and it was in VG++ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,578.99.

This was a surprise to sell for such a high price tag: Clifford Brown Memorial Album, Blue Note 1526. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing with the framed cover. It was in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,567.

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing. The cover was VG+, but the record was in VG or worse condition, based on the seller’s description. It sold for $1,376.11.

Finally, here’s one we meant to include from the Jazz Record Center auction because it was actually in the $3,000 bin:

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Jazz Vinyl: Andy Warhol Cover, Two Sabus & More

Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:

There was that Kenny Burrell LP with the Andy Warhol cover: Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in VG+ condition. It was also noteworthy that a previous owner had the lack of foresight and/or stupidity to write his name on the cover. A Warhol cover. Mmmmm. Bad move. I would imagine the writing on the cover had some impact on the price, but perhaps not. It sold for $1,155.

There there were the two copies of Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This was the one that was in M- condition with a $999 start price. It wound up getting six bids and selling for $1,358.01. The other copy, Sabu, was VG+ for the record and VG for the cover and had the misprint of two Side One labels. Some people find those to be more interesting because they are more rare. As for me, I much prefer to have the proper labels on the proper sides. This copy sold for $460.

This one is from the seller funkyousounds, who is generating a lot of discussion on the earlier post, and how has a large number of highly collectible items closing in the next few hours:

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Watching Some Tempting 1500 Series Blue Notes

Here’s a Blue Note you don’t see too often on eBay and now there are two for sale at the same time. This one will sell: Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This is an original pressing in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. The auction ends tomorrow and the bidding is now in the $150 range with four bids. This one may not sell at all: Sabu, Palo Congo, Blue Note 1561. This one is an original pressing in near mint condition for both the record and the cover. There are more than two days left on the auction and no bidding yet. The start price is $999.99.

Blue Note 1561 would fill a gap in my personal collection and so would this: Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1543. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing — the last of the Lexingtons — and it is listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. This is one of the Burrell’s with an Andy Warhol cover. The price is currently at about $200 with a day and a half or so to go. Hmmm. Tempting.But then again, it’s always tempting to try to fill in the gaps, isn’t it?

Here’s another temptation:

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Catching on On Some Interesting Jazz Vinyl

When I last left eBay, about a week ago, here were some of the items I was watching:

Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners, Riverside 226. This was an original pressing with the white labels. It was listed in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover and I recall the seller as being very reputable from previous dealings, as buyer and seller. As I was packing my records to move, I noticed that my copy of Brilliant Corners was a blue-label pressing and it was in maybe VG+ condition. I put this one on my watch list to potentially bid on it, not just as potential fodder for Jazz Collector. I think I would have gone to at least $180 for an original pressing. This one sold for $100, so I missed out.

I also had my eye on this for my own collection, but I knew the price would go way beyond my comfort zone — and it did: Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing and the vinyl was in M- condition. The cover was VG+. It sold for $1,475. One of these days I’ll find a reasonable copy for the right price. Right?

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Some Jazz Vinyl For the $1,000 Bin

Yesterday we talked about some lower priced collectibles: Today, let’s go in the opposite direction.

Donald Byrd, Byrd Jazz, Transition 5. This was an original pressing that looked to be in M- condition, although the seller described it as being in very good condition. He seemed unfamiliar with the grading system most of us use. The record sold for $2,370.67, so others expected that it is in M- condition as well.

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. This was an original pressing in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $1,915.

Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for the record and VG++ condition for the cover. It sold for $1,650.

Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This one was in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. It sold for $1,191.88. I think this is the only Rollins record from the 50s I don’t own in an original pressing. Hopefully one day we can correct that oversight. But not for $1,200.

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

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.

Monday Morning Blue Notes

Lot of interesting jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay, so let’s get right into it. This one is closing fairly soon: Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. What’s the market for a rare record like this in not very good condition, actually in VG minus condition? So far the bidding on this one has topped $125. I’d love to have this record back in my collection — yes, I sold a pristine copy 20 years ago — but not in this condition. If I can’t listen to the record, I don’t necessarily need to own it just to fill a space in the collection.

This one is in better condition, but hard to actually give it a grade based on seller’s description. My guess from the description and pictures that it’s what I would grade a VG+ for the record and the cover: Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This one has already topped $800. As I mentioned recently, I am now the proud owner of an original pressing of this record, after all of these years of collection. Amazing how rare these things are, when you think about it. I could have paid top dollar over the years, I guess, to acquire a copy of this record, but in the normal course of things — going to record stores, record shows, garage sales flea markets, looking for records in most cities across the U.S. — in more than 40 years I had never come across an original copy of this record, and many others, for what I considered to be a reasonable price at the time.

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A New Batch of Jazz Vinyl For The New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. Here are a few more items going into the Jazz Collector Price Guide. No links on these.

Jimmy Raney Quartet, New Jazz 1101. I like this one because of the maroon and white label, which you rarely see. There were just a few 10-inch New Jazz LPs, so they are pretty cool, and pretty rare. This one was probably in VG or VG+ condition for the record and the vinyl. It sold for $157.50.

Now a bunch of Blue Notes:

Lee Morgan, Lee-Way, Blue Note 4034. This was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $600.

Lou Donaldson, Wailing With Lou, Blue Note 1545. This was an original West 63rd pressing in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $688.

Lee Morgan, Candy, Blue Note 1590. Also an original pressing, of course, this one in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,343.

Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176. This one was in M- condition for the record and VG for the cover. It sold for $200.

Hank Mobley, Soul Station, Blue Note 4031. Record was M- and cover was M-. Price was $1,465.

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