I’m still hooked on those cool Esquire Prestige covers, and there is this: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Esquire 32-045. This one looks to be in VG++ condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover. The bidding is in the $180 range with less than a day left. You will know things are out of control when you can’t remember if own a certain record. I’m sure many of you have had or will eventually have this experience. Anyway, I just checked. Nope. The only Rollins Esquire I own is Tour de Force.

Here’s one that just ended as I was typing this: Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This looked to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing with both the record and the jacket originally listed in M- condition, although the record may have been downgraded a drop to VG++, after prospective bidders apparently badgered the seller into listening to it once again. The final price was $2,550.

I don’t normally look at blues records but this one caught my eye: Lightnin’ Hopkins, Lightnin’ in New York, Candid 8010. Either I never knew that Hopkins recorded for the Candid label, or I forgot. More likely forgot – sometimes I think I’ve forgotten more than I remember when it comes to records and music, because I used to feel like I knew everything. Anyway, I put this in my watch list and, in so doing, noticed that it is being sold by our friends at the Jazz Record Center. So, I looked at other listings and, lo and behold, they have a blues auction going this week. I picked up a few blues records in that collection I recently purchased but haven’t yet written about. Soon, I hope. Anyway, this record has a very cool cover. The record is probably in VG+++ condition and the cover probably M-. The start price is $100 and so far there are no bidders. I have a few dozen blues records, not an extensive collection, but I do own the URL for bluescollector.com if anyone is interested. 🙂