When I first started collecting, this boxed set was considered one of the top jazz collectibles: The Astaire Story on the Mercury label issued by Norman Granz. It is truly a beautiful, limited edition set, with original photos, original drawings by David Stone Martin, 4 records and a genuine Fred Astaire signature. Of course, we are now in a time when anyone under 30 probably never heard of Fred Astaire, and the jazz musicians who accompanied him on this record in 1952 are also mostly out of vogue even among aficionados like us. Guys like Flip Phillips and Charlie Shavers. The seller of this copy put a start price of $799 on the record, but there were no bids. If you look at Popsike, the highest price recorded for this record was $1,826, back in 2005. The prices have been going down since. As a point of reference, you may want to look at this post we did back in 2017: Is There a “50-Year Rule” for Jazz Vinyl? That post generated more than 40 comments and I imagine this one will generate some discussion as well.

Granz did the deal with ARS to try to expose jazz to a wider audience of non-jazz fans who had a record club subscription and might try out a jazz record. Apparently there were also some scholarship funds as well. At first he would issue unreleased masters to ARS that wouldn’t compete with his Verve issues. Then he also issued some Verve titles, including the Swinging Guitar. The reason Dan asked was that he listened to the ARS recording and said the quality of the sound was far superior to the Verve issue. What does that mean? For me it’s another item on the want list, looking for the ARS version of The Swinging Guitar so I can compare it to the original Verve pressing I have in my collection.

Fred Astaire, The Astaire Story, Mercury 1001 1004. Most of you are probably familiar with this set, produced by Norman Granz in the early 1950s.  There were 1,384 copies produced, all autographed by Astaire, and the set came with four LPs, a booklet with exclusive photos and a set of drawings by David Stone Martin. The music is all jazz even though Astaire was not a “jazz singer,” and the sidemen include many of the greats within the Granz stable, such as Oscar Peterson, Flip Phillips, Ray Brown, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers. Anyway, it is quite a nice set and used to regularly sell in the $2,000 range. Our top price in the Jazz Collector Price Guide is

$2,025. Anyway, I noticed this one sitting out there on eBay with a start price of $899 and I’ve been watching it. I also noticed that one of the drawings seems to be missing, so that would definitely impact the price, not having the complete set. I do have a nice copy of this set — complete — and would consider selling it for the right price, which would be in the aforementioned $2,000 range. If anyone is interested, just send me an emal, al@jazzcollector.com.

Here’s another one that, surprisingly, has no bids: Kenny Drew, This is New, Riverside 236. This is an original white label pressing and the vinyl is in M- condition. The cover has a few flaws and looks to be at least VG+. The start price is around $150. We’d expect someone to grab it at that price, but you never know — that’s about the price range at which we’ve tracked the record in the past.

“I’d like to get this info on a Jazz site where Jazz aficionados and collectors can see it but also where a Jazz memorabilia collector can possibly provide me a reasonable value. My ultimate goal is to sell this piece of Jazz history.

 

All photographs in the binder are by Gjon Mili except that of Ralph Burns which is by Harold Trudeau. Paul Nodler photographed Bud Powell and Max Roach. Original drawing is by David Stone Martin. Label design and front cover lettering by George Maas.

Again, this is 2747 of 5000 copies of “The Jazz Scene” that was produced by Norman Granz of Mercury Records in 1949. Norman Granz original signature is on the title page.

 

The sides include:

Duke Ellington with Harry Carney as soloist on “Sono” Mercury 2077.

Duke Ellington solist Harry Carney on “Frustration” Mercury 2078.

Neal Hefti w/ Charlie Parker on “Repetition” Mercury 2071.

Neal Hefti “Rhumbacito” Mercury 2072.

Lester Young with soloists Lester young, Aye Guy, Buddy Rich “I Want to be Happy”. Mercury 2198.

Coleman Hawkins “Picasso” Mercury 2073

Ralph Burns soloists Bill Harris, , Herbie Stweard, Sonny Berman “Introspection” Mercury 2075.

George Handy soloists Bill Harris, Herbie Steward Mercury 2076

Charlie Parker soloists Charlie Parker, Hank Jones, Ray Brown “The Bird Mercury 2081.

Bud Powell “Cherokee” Mercury 2199

Machito soloists Flip Phillips, Eugene Williams “Tanga” Mercury 2172

 

Additional photos of Louis Armstrong & Roy Eldridge, Lester yound and Dickie Wells, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson & Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton

Harry Edison & Illinois Jacquet, Oscar Pettiford, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Art Tatum, Sara Vaughan, Jons Simmons, Billy Holiday, Charlie Parker.”

I asked the owner how much she is looking for and she mentioned $1,000. If you’re interested you can contact me directly and I’ll put you in touch with her. That’s al@jazzcollector.com.

Here are some more pictures she sent:

 

Here’s another item we found of interest from our Downbeat collection. It’s a review by D. Leon Wolf in the Nov. 18, 1946 issue of Downbeat. The headline: Granz Bash a Caricature on Jazz: Everything Bad in Jazz Found Here.” Here’s how the article starts off: “Of all the wretched music ever inflicted upon this earnest devotee of le jazz hot, nothing, I regret to say, has yet to equal Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic concert the night of Oct. 24. Everything that is rotten in contemporary hazz was to be found in this musical catastrophe.” 

Wolf’s view of some of the musicians:  Illinois Jacquet: “The lousiest tenor in the country making over $50 a week, barring none.” Rex Stewart: “Granz, if he had the guts, should have yanked him off the stage during his second number, the most sickening and obscene demonstration ever perpetrated before a mixed audience.” Another The Bean sounded like a little sewing machine, playing everything at top speed and buzzing along with scarcely a trace of his old feeling . . . more than a trace of re-bop has crept into his playing.” Here Wolf sums it up: “I’m no alarmist, no musical reactionary, but where the heck is jazz going anyway, when Jazz at the Philharmonic is supposed to be It?”