Tag: Miles Davis

Guest Column: Collecting Blue Note CDs

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Mattyman has promised us a guest column about collecting Blue Note jazz CDs and here it is:

Collecting Blue Note Albums on Compact Disc
Guest Column by Mattyman, The Netherlands

First of all a big thanks to Al for giving me the opportunity to tell y’all something about collecting Blue Note releases on CD, which I’ve been avidly doing since the early nineties. Since I couldn’t think of a ‘logical line’ in my column, I decided to randomly describe a few of the things that I pay attention to before I buy a CD and to make things more clear, I have once again created a photo page that y’all can use while you read the story. The few photos that I included in this story are only meant to literally jazz up the look of the column. I will continuously refer to that photo page as well, so maybe the best way to do this is to open the page in a new window.
Here we go, folks!
The first jazz album that I ever bought was John Coltrane – Blue Train, in 1992. There was a reason why I bought it. My favorite Dutch writer (and known jazz collector, drummer and DJ), Jules Deelder, has written many long and short stories about his deep love for jazz, how he first heard it as a little boy and how mesmerized he was by the voice and trumpet playing of, as he’d find out later, Chet Baker. His endless hunts for vinyl are the most fun to read, since I had been digging like that myself for seventies funk. I wanted to know more about jazz, ’cause if Jules Deelder dug so frantically, it had to be good. I honestly had not listened to one jazz album in my entire life before 1992. So I went to my favorite record store and grabbed Blue Train, simply because

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Tracking 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl On Blue Note

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There seems to be a corresponding hike in prices for 10-inch Blue Notes as well as 12-inch Blue Notes. Here are a few we were watching this week, several from the same seller, including: Lou Donaldson, New Faces, New Sounds, Blue Note  5021. This was an original pressing with the vinyl in M- condition and the cover VG+. It sold for $577. One thing about the 10-inchers: Unless they are a Japanese or United Artists press, you know they are originals.

Lou Donaldson Sextet Volume 2, Blue Note 5055. This one looked to be in VG++ condition for the vinyl and M- for the cover. The price was $667. Another one from the same seller:

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Jazz Vinyl on eBay: Blue Notes & A Roost

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Here’s some interesting jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay:

Gigi  Gryce – Clifford Brown Sextet, Blue Note 5048. This one had a nice picture with it, as you can see, but the description wasn’t very complete. The seller noted that the record was glossy and had a few light marks and the cover had some wear, but there wasn’t any M- or VG+ or other grading to which we are normally accustomed. Nonetheless, there were bidders attracted to this type of description — optimists I would say — and the record sold for $608. Our previous high for this record in the Jazz Collector Price Guide was $579.

What do you think of records like this next one:

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Jazz Vinyl Update: Jackie, Miles, JR

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Here’s an update on some of the jazz vinyl we’ve been watching. Each of these will be entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide as soon as we get the chance, hopefully by the weekend.

This one almost made the $3,000 bin: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This is the one that was listed as “almost M-” for both the record and the cover. Not sure how I’ll list that in the Jazz Collector Price Guide: Probably VG++, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, this one sold for $2,840.

I was also watching several listings from the seller dobdjukic, who tends to get top dollar, at least, for his auctions. Here are a couple from last week: Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool, Capitol T-762. This seemed to be an original mono pressing. Based on the description, it looked like the record and the cover were both in about VG+ condition. The final price was $315. I just picked up a

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Tracking Some Blue Note 10-Inchers

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Here are some 10-inch Blue Notes that sold for some pretty high prices recently:

Milt Jackson, Wizard of the Vibes, Blue Note 5011. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $343.50.

Miles Davis Volume 3, Blue Note 5040. This was an original pressing. The record was in VG condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $160.

Thelonious Monk, Genius of Modern Music, Blue Note 5002. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was $493.50.

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Tracking Rare Jazz Vinyl on Prestige

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Not everything is Blue Note, right? Here are some Prestiges that we’ve just entered into the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

Dorothy Ashby, Hip Harp, Prestige 7140. This was an original New York yellow label pressing and it looked to be in nice M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was $193.

Miles Davis Plus Horns, Prestige 7025. This was a New York pressing. The record was VG++ and the cover was M-. The listing lacked a little bit of detail — such as whether it was a kakubushi cover — and the price was $170.17. Just a few weeks ago we saw an M- version of this LP sell for $799.

Ray Bryant Trio, Prestige 7099. This was an original New York yellow label pressing

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Some Non-Blue Notes For the Price Guide

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Here are a few non-Blue Notes for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:

The Arrival of Kenny Dorham, Jaro 4644. This seemed to be a mono pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the cover and the record. The price was $943.33.

Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This was an original pressing. The seller listed the condition of both the record and the cover as between VG and VG+. It sold for $840, which means the buying public probably figured the VG grading was more accurate than the VG+. I was listening to some jazz vinyl with the lovely Mrs. JC last night and I asked her if she recalled me ever playing Jackie McLean for her. She didn’t, so I put on

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The Gift of Jazz

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When I was six my parents took me to a jazz show somewhere in New York. I think it was the Palladium, but my memory doesn’t stretch back far enough to remember the exact location. I do remember that there was George Shearing on the bill and I didn’t understand how a blind man could play the piano. How did he know what to play without seeing the keys? And there was the Miles Davis quintet or sextet, and I’m pretty sure I saw Trane when I was six. I wish I could have appreciated it. The education in jazz from my parents continued. There were Sunday afternoon concerts at the Village Gate — Jazz Interactions, they were called — and brunches and late afternoon shows at the Five Spot and the Red Garter, all when I was pre-teen and early teen. I remember my father going up to Kenny Burrell and asking if he’d give me lessons. That was not cool. Anyway, Burrell was warm and friendly and I noticed in my collection the other day an autographed copy of Blue Bash!, Kenny Burrell with Jimmy Smith on Verve signed: “To Diane and Hal, Best Wishes, Kenny Burrell.”  All of which is a roundabout way of saying how much I appreciate this great gift my parents gave me and that I am quite sad to report that my mom just passed away unexpectedly. I will be taking a few days off from Jazz Collector, so there will be no new posts from me, but I am hopeful that you guys can fill in the slack. I will post an item right after I post this called: Reader Forum. Please use this to post new comments and keep an eye on eBay and keep the conversation going while I step away for a few days. Thanks.

Kind of Blue for $5,000?

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Our friend CeeDee sent us this link the other day for this record: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This is an original promo copy with the white label, 6-eye logo. You can click the link and look at the item and go to the bottom of the listing for a laugh, or you can simply continue reading here for the punchline.

The seller has this listed for a buy-it-now price of $5,000 and in his listing he states that this is the only promo copy of this record he has ever seen. A reader is indignant at such an absurd price and preposterous claim and mentions a near mint copy that sold the other for for $355. He refers the seller to popsike where there is a history of these sold and at one point asks the seller: “Listen, are you on drugs?”

To which the seller replies simply: “yes.”

And there it is. A refreshingly honest exchange on eBay.

A Visit to A Record Store, Part 3

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So many comments to follow up on, but first let me finish my little trilogy about my visit to Infinity Records. Given the market conditions for music the days, it’s easy to assume that the days of the brick and mortar record store are numbered. In the mainstream music market, CDs are collapsing as the medium shifts to an online digital model. In the collectibles market, eBay has become the dominant sales medium. But, for now at least, it seems there is still room for a few places where people can physically walk into a store and purchase music. I happened to be in lower Manhattan a few weeks ago with time to kill and I popped in to J&R Music. It was jam-packed with people. And I was amazed to see the rows and rows and rows of CDs. They even had four bins of new vinyl — lots of recent Blue Note pressings — as well as a wall full of collectible vinyl that featured autographed covers, including Billie Holiday, Dexter Gordon and others.  The key was that they were comprehensive: You got the sense that if there was a jazz CD you wanted, you’d be able to find it there — as opposed to walking into a Border’s or Barnes and Noble, where the music is clearly secondary. There is also room, I think, for good record stores that understand the collectibles market. I spoke to Joe Ostermeier at Infinity — that’s Joe in the picture, standing in front of his wall of records — and he said business is still solid, no major let up as the music world has

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