This week’s theme: Various artists playing songs from the Ellington catalogue. Featured artists include Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson, Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Harry Carney, Tyree Glen, Clark Terry, Sonny Greer, Sam Woodyard, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, and many more.

This week’s theme: Two-tenor LPs. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Rouse, Ben Webster, Sonny Stitt, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Paul Gonsalves, Hank Mobley.

Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets, Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. When looking at this record, you can’t ignore that big fat Volume 1. I wonder what they had in mind for Volume 2. I guess we’ll never know, unless someone out there in Jazz Collector world does know. Anyway, this is an original pressing in M- condition for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The starting bid is around $300 and so far there are no takers. This record has sold for more than $1,000 at least one time in the past, so it will be interesting to see where it ends up. Not having been on eBay for a few weeks, I’m wondering if anyone has noticed any changes in pricing and bidding in light of some of the turmoil in financial markets the past few weeks. My gut feeling is that there is little relation between what goes on in financial markets and what goes on in jazz vinyl markets, but perhaps someone has a different theory.

Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige, 7079. This looks to be an original New York yellow label. The record and cover are both listed in VG condition and there is mention of background noise, but the seller describes it as minimal. As a listener I’m sometimes OK with what I consider to be minimal, but get the sense that minimal is in the eyes of the beholder, or in this case, the ears of the listener.

This one came with this note: “Really, folks? Anyone who needs to throw money away can get my contact info through Jazz Collector!” Lee Morgan, Live at the Lighthouse, Blue Note BST 89906. This was a sealed LP and sold for $274. The seller was funkyousounds. I am sorry to share the news with any of you who hasn’t seen it, but the founder of funkyousounds, Jason Koenig recently passed away. I don’t know any details but for those of you who knew Jason, I’m sure you can send an email to funkyousounds. Sounds devastating, such a young, energetic man and, based on my limited interactions with him, very kind and genuine. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

This was another one from vinyl-house-uk: Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves, Salt and Pepper, Impulse A-52. This was an original mono pressing with the orange label and the Van Gelder in the deadwax. The final price was $422. Part of CeeDee’s note: “I had it a long time back. Didn’t move me. Traded it in for who knows  . . . Didn’t expect it to sell for anything like this. Yow.” By way of comparison, here is a much less expensive Impulse: Chico Hamilton, Man From Two Worlds, Impulse A-59. This was also an original mono orange label pressing, featuring both Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo. Very interesting lineup. And the record and cover were both in M- condition. The final price was about $50. We’ll give CeeDee the final word: “Was this LP worth nearly 10 times of the cost of the Chic Chico? Not to me!”

Here’s another from the UK, different seller: Paul Gonsalves Quartet, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion LAE 587. This looks to be an original UK pressing. The record is listed in EX or EX- condition and the cover looks to be about VG+. The start price is about $1,650 and so far there are no bidders. I don’t own a copy of this record. Do the liner notes explain the title? If so, or even if not, does someone out there have an explanation?

Bank to Hank: Hank Mobley, Mobley’s Message, Prestige 7061. This is an original New York yellow label pressing. The seller describes feelable scratches. Not a good sign. Cover looks good from the picture, at least VG+, maybe a stretch to VG++. The start price is $440, but there are no bidders so far. I guess if a beat up, partially eaten copy of Cool Struttin’can sell for nearly $1,200, then perhaps a feelable scratches copy of Mobley’s Message will sell for a big price as well? These days, who knows?

Back to vinyl-house-uk for one more for old time’s sake: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This is an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The record is another one of those EX/EX+ listings and the cover is plain old EX. The bidding is just shy of $1,000 with nearly two days left.

There were several comments on this record: Paul Gonsalves, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion LAE 587. This looked to be an original deep-groove U.K. pressing probably in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. When we spotted this record, there were no bidders at a start price of $1,000. It wound up with 12 bids and a final price of $1,824.99. Then there was the second pressing copy of Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This one had the West 63^rd Street labels, no New York 23. It looked to be in M- condition for the record and cover, and the final price was $621.22.

I really did spend a lot of time off eBay, pursuing that collection to which I’ve obliquely referred, as has my friend Dee, the owner of said collection, who has also cryptically mentioned the name “Ornette,” which provides something of a clue as to its possible derivation. Eventually I will be ready to discuss it.

In the meantime, I would like to go back a few weeks to see what happened to some other jazz records we were watching on eBay, starting with Art Taylor, AT’s Delight, Blue Note 4047. This looked to be an original West 63^rd Street pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price was $449 and I suspected that it might make it into the $1,000 bin. Instead, there were no bids at all. I feel like I may be missing something. The seller lists a lot of records and has 100% feedback. Any guesses? There were a couple of others from the same seller that didn’t get bids, such as Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige 7029. This was an original New York pressing with the original orange framed cover. The record was listed as M- and the cover was VG+. The start price was $349.  A few records I was watching from that auction did sell, with one or two bidders, including Sheila Jordan, Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note 9002. This was an original New York USA pressing listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. There was one bid and the record sold for $249.

At the same time, another seller seemed to do quite well with some later Blue Note records that I didn’t think had the same cachet as collectibles, although, to be fair, I’ve been wrong about these things many times before. For instance, there was Lee Morgan, The Gigolo, Blue Note 4212. This was an original mono pressing, which is a rare version because it was only issued as a promo copy. It had the Liberty labels and was probably in VG or VG+ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. There was an issue with a long visible mark across side one. Still, the record sold for $433, which was the highest price we’ve seen for this record on Popsike.

There was also Bobby Hutcherson, Happenings, Blue Note 4231. This was also a promo mono pressing with the New York USA address on both labels. The record and cover were listed in M- condition. The final price was $308, which was not the highest price we’ve seen for the record – that would be $630 – but it did crack the top 10.

Here’s a nice 10-inch Blue Note that caught my eye: Introducing the Kenny Drew Trio, Blue Note 5023. This is an original 10-inch Lexington Avenue pressing, in what looks to be M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The bidding is at $250 with more than three days left on the auction. The record is from the Jazz Record Center, so, naturally, I clicked over to their other listings, and these are some of the items I saw:

Paul Gonsalves Quartet. Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion LAE 587. This is listed as an original deep-groove British issue and it is listed in M- condition and probably VG++ for the cover. This must be quite the rarity because the start price is $1,000. So far there are no bidders.

Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576. This is described as a second “P” pressing, with the West 63^rd Street labels on both sides. If I remember my Blue Note lessons, the original of this record as the New York 23 label on one side? Yes? No? This one looks to be in M- condition to me, based on the description, though some might quibble and go to VG++. Either way, it looks to play clean. Cover is also in that M-/VG++ continuum. The start price is $500 and so far there are no bidders.

Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original deep groove pressing with the purple label. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover and from the pictures with the listing it looked absolutely pristine. It sold for $2,247.66.

Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’, Blue Note 1588. This was an original pressing that looked to be in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $1,593.88

Paul Gonsalves, Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, Vocalion LAE 587. This was an original British pressing that looked to be in M- condition for the record and the cover. It sold for $1,783.

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:

Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing that was probably in M- condition based on the description. It sold for $3,161.

Paul Gonsalves, Cookin’, Argo 626. This was an original pressing with the black labels and the deep grooves. It looked to be in M- or VG++ condition for the record and similar condition for the cover. The seller didn’t actually apply grades, which I think would affect — negatively — the sale price. This one fetched $264, which is the highest price we’ve recorded for this in the Jazz Collector Price Guide, so perhaps  it’s better to not list a condition.

Thad Jones, Detroit-New York Junction, Blue Note 1513. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. Love to see those original Lexes, especially when they are in my collection (which this one, unfortunately, is not).  The record was in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $767.

This one was a leftover from the recent bobjdukic sale:

Is there a reason why the Ben Webster Verve LPs, particularly this one, seem to have a premium over other artists, such as Stan Getz or even Lester Young? Ben Webster, Soulville, Verve 8274. This one was in near mint condition and sold for $330.09.