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.

It isn’t often these days that I run across a jazz record that I haven’t seen before, but here’s one: Rene Thomas, Meeting Mister Thomas, Barclay 84091. This was an original Mono pressing from France. The record was listed in VG+ condition and the cover was VG. The final price was $227.50

This week’s theme: Standards played by Charlie Parker and others. Featured artists include Charlie Parker, Scott Hamilton, Chris Flory, John Bunch, Phil Flanagan, Chuck Riggs, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Roy Haynes, Paul Quinichette, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day, Tony Aless, Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Dave Lambert, Sonny Rollins, Barney Kessel, Hampton Hawes, Leroy Vinnegar, Shelly Manne, Herbie Mann, Max Roach, Al Haig, Percy Heath, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Steve Davis, Lou Donaldson, Blue Mitchell, Horace Silver, Art Blakey,  Booker Ervin, Richard Davis, Tommy Flanagan, Alan Dawson, Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez.

We were also watching some jazz vinyl from the Jazz Record Center, including Mal Waldron, Mal/2, Prestige 7111. This was an original yellow label pressing with the New York address. We assessed the record as being in VG++ condition, based on the description, and the cover as VG++. We threatened to possibly bid on this copy, since we don’t have an original, John Coltrane is one of the musicians, and, at the time, the bidding was in the $260 range. Alas, we moved on to other events in our life, hence the relatively infrequency of recent posts, and forgot all about Mal/2. The final price was $568.88, which would have been beyond our bidding in any case. Nothing ventured, nothing lost, nothing gained – except I still have my Japanese pressing.

As I am typing this and creating new links, I am on the Jazz Record Center web site and I see they have another auction closing in about five days. Let’s see, here is a deep-groove West 63^rd Street pressing of Lou Donaldson, LD+3, Blue Note 4012. Interesting that they don’t use the word “original” in the description, so perhaps someone can shed light on why this copy would not be an original. In any case, the record and cover look to be in M- or VG++ condition. The bidding starts at $150 and so far there are no bidders.

From the same auction: Workin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige 7166. This is an original yellow label New Jersey pressing. The record and the cover both look to be in M- condition. The cover is still in its original shrink wrap and, psychologically, it definitely looks cooler in the shrink wrap. Perhaps that is leading to higher bidding? The bidding on this one has already surpassed $400.

Let’s look beyond the usual suspects, at least as far as eBay sellers. Here’s one:  Dizzy Reece, Star Bright, Blue Note 4023. This looks to be an original deep-groove West 63^rd Street pressing. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG+, with some writing on the back. The auction closes in about five days from this posting and the bidding is in the $600 range.

One more: Johnny Griffin Sextet, Riverside 12-264. This looks like an original pressing with the small reels and mic logo and the deep grooves. It also has promo stamps on the cover and label. I don’t remember all the factors that go into making these early Riverside’s original, so I could be missing something? Anyway, this copy is listed as VG++ for the record and VG++ for the cover. Nice looking copy. Bidding starts in the $250 range and so far there is no action. If it were a Blue Note with this personnel in this time frame, who knows what it would be. But it isn’t.

This week’s theme: Welcoming in 2025. Artists include Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Brown Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Lou Donaldson, Wynton Kelly, Herbie Harper, Charlie Mariano, and many more. The conceit is records that have 25 in the catalog number.

This week’s theme: Lou Donaldson Memorial on Blue Note: Featured artists include Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Blue Mitchell, Herman Foster, Donald Byrd, Peck Morrison, Arthur Taylor, Dave Bailey, Ray Barrett,Sonny Clark, Curtis Fuller, George Joyner, Gene Harris, Andrew Simkins, Bill Dowdy, Horace Parlan, and more

This week’s theme: Clifford Brown, Early Recordings.

Featuring 10-inch Blue Note and Pacific Jazz recordings, originals and Mosaic reissues/newly discovered tracks. Featured artists include Lou Donaldson, J.J. Johnson, Horace Silver, Jimmy Heath, Art Blakey, Zoot Sims, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Percy Heath, John Lewis, and more. Also some discussion of Michael Cuscuna of Mosaic.

Today’s theme: Horace Silver, Part One. Featured musicians include Horace Silver, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Hank Mobley, Curley Russell, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins, Jimmy Raney, Roy Haynes, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Louis Smith, Blue Mitchell.

How do I know so much about this upcoming auction?

These are records from my collection.

The Jutta and Zoot record I got when I purchased the Bruce M. West collection in Baltimore from November 2013. The Saxophone Colossus and Donald Byrd on Transition came from the same collection. They are, for the most part, pristine, with just the ink marker for the date on the back corner of the cover. Cannonball Adderley Somethin’ Else, Blue Train and many of the others, including many of the Miles, came from the Irving Kalus collection from July 2012.

Many of these records are duplicates from my collection, specifically all of the Rollins, Coltrane, Miles, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderley, etc.  But some, such as the Jutta Hipps, are not.

Why am I doing this? Why did I choose to partner with Carolina Soul? How did I decide what to sell and what to not sell? What does this mean, if anything, for Jazz Collector? The answers to these and other questions will all be answered over the next few days, in the serial tradition of these Adventures in Jazz Collecting. Stay tuned.

This one is a Blue Note: Lou Donaldson, Swing and Soul, Blue Note 1566. This is an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record and cover are listed in VG+ condition, although that may be generous for the cover. Based on the pictures, I would rate it VG. The start price is $1,000 and there are no bidders with more than two days left on the auction. This one has sold for as much as $1,575 in the past, according to Popsike, but the condition was a lot better. I will be surprised if this one gets the asking price, but our Jazz Collector world is full of surprises these days, right?

Hank Mobley with Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1540. This is a West 63^rd Street pressing, which, if you follow the logic of the thread on the previous post, is not an original original, if that makes any sense. An original original would have the Lexington Avenue address. In any case, the seller grades the record and cover as VG+, but that is about as clean a cover as you will normally see for this record. The bidding is in the $700 range with more than two days left on the auction.

Miles Davis, Steamin’, Prestige 7200. This is an original New Jersey yellow label pressing. The record and cover are both listed as VG+. Bidding is in the $160 range, with the auction closing today. Another Prestige: Tadd Dameron, Fontainebleau, Prestige 7037. This looks to be an original New York pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and the cover. The start price is about $180 and so far there are no bidders with more than two days left on the auction.

By now, I’m sure most of you have heard the news that Wayne Shorter died. When I think of Wayne Shorter records, I think of the Blakey and Blue Note era, so I would have to say those are my favorite recordings. But that’s the era I love in general. I’m curious what post-Blue Note and post-Miles recordings some of our readers would recommend. Perhaps with links to YouTube?