This week’s theme is pretty much what it says: Tracks from 10 random Blue Note records, Artists include Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor, Philly Joe Jones, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Louis Smith, Dizzy Reece, Jackie McLean, Pete LaRoca, Cliff Jordan, Jon Gilmore, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon.

This week’s theme: Jim Hall as a sideman/dollaborator with, among others, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, Art Farmer and Bill Evans. Other artists include Walter Perkins, Steve Swallow, Connie Kay, Percy Heath, Bob Cranshaw, Ben Riley, Pete LaRoca and more.

This week’s theme: Jazz Vinyl recorded or released in 1965. Artists include Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, George Coleman, Anthony Williams, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Ray Bryant, Pete LaRoca, Dave Brubeck, Herbie Mann, Paul Desmond, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, and many more.

This week’s theme: Sonny Rollins, European Tour 1959. Featured artists include Sonny Rollins, Henry Grimes, Pete LaRoca, Joe Harris, Kenny Clarke. Music from the recently released boxed set Freedom Weaver, The 1959 European Tour Recordings, on Resonance Records.

Kenny Dorham, ‘Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia, Blue Note 1524. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The record was in only VG condition and the cover was only G+. Despite those condition issues the record sold for $2,125.99. From the same seller came Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets, Volume 1, ABC Paramount 122. This was in VG condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $450, quite a disparity between this one and the Blue Note, which must be label-related, since the music on both is quite excellent. I wonder if ABC Paramount ever intended to issue a Volume 2 of this record, or maybe even a Volume 3. I have the Japanese pressings of Volume 2 and Volume 3 of the Café Bohemia records, but I don’t think there was ever a Volume 2 of the Jazz Prophets.

Finally we see Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing listed in VG condition for the record and VG- for the cover. The final price was $1,259. Glad I have an original after all of those years of searching (Shades Of . . . ).

Here are a few jazz vinyl auctions I’m watching that will close this week:

Beverly Kenney Sings With Jimmy Jones and the Basie-Ites, Roost 2218. This is an original pressing listed in EX condition for the record and VG for the cover. The start price is $400 and so far there are no bidders.

Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 4205. This is an original New York USA pressing listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding is already in the $750 range.

Zoot Sims – Bob Brookmeyer Octet, Stretching Out, United Artists 4023. This looks to be an original red label mono pressing. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is Ex. I’ve had this record for years and it wasn’t until I began typing this and looked at the back cover that I realized Brookmeyer was a co-leader of the date. I just assumed it was Zoot and Al Cohn.

Here’s one we had our eye on with the idea of a potential bid, but the price went way beyond what we had expected (that seems to be a familiar refrain these days, doesn’t it?): Jackie McLean and John Jenkins, Alto Madness, Prestige 7114. This was an original New York yellow label. The record looked to be in M- condition and the cover was pretty close to that, probably VG++. The final price was $1,036. According to Popsike, this is the second highest recorded price for Alto Madness, behind an $1,191 winning bid from 2019.

Whilst we’re rummaging through the $1,000 bin – or shall we now refer to it as the OOF! Bin – here’s one more: Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399. This was an original blue label, deep groove, mono pressing that was listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $1,101.

And not to be outdone there was Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. This was an original purple label pressing with the deep grooves. The record was listed in VG+ condition, with some “crackle.” Not a very specific term, but I guess we know what that means. The cover was also listed in VG+ condition. There was no mention of crackle, just some very light staining. The price was $2,076.

I pose these questions in advance of looking at eBay, which I will do in a moment. I’m very curious to hear your opinions. Mine is that this will have to have an impact on the jazz collectibles market – certainly over the short term and perhaps permanently as well. With so many people out of work and suffering around the world, the somewhat arcane and mundane minutia that come to have define our hobby over the years feels trivial, to me at least. Yes, music can be a comfort and joy and diversion, as can the hobby of collecting. But, with the world in the throes of major transformation, you have to wonder if, how and when priorities will change. Or, perhaps they won’t. They didn’t during the last economic crisis, but I fear that one will pale in comparison to what is coming.

OK, I am now on eBay, doing a search of the highest priced jazz records for auction now. It is a common search I do. The first thing I notice is that there are fewer high-quality records for sale, period. Second, on the entire first page of this search there are only two records that have any bids at all. They are a signed copy of a record I never heard of, Machine Gun by the Peter Brotzmann Octet for $540, and a clean black label stereo pressing of Bill Evans Waltz for Debby for about $200. On the next page of 25 listings there is some action for a couple of Blue Notes, including Basra by Pete LaRoca and Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter.

I do this particular search all the time in writing posts for Jazz Collector and this is about as light as I’ve seen the action. If you’re a buyer this is probably a good time to buy. If you’re a seller, you might be staying away, holding onto inventory and hoping that the market will return to what had been, for years, a sense of normalcy. But, I repeat the questions I asked above in a different framework: Will there be a new normal and has it begun already?

Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This was a “original” pressing although it likely did not have the New York 23, since the seller is very knowledgeable and didn’t mention anything. Some sticklers only view this as original if it has the New York 23 label on one side. The record was in M- condition and the cover was probably VG++.  It sold for $4,050.

This one wasn’t getting a lot of action early in the bidding and I thought, perhaps, I might even sneak in with a low bid and snatch it. Fat chance: J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in Ex condition for the record, which I take to be around VG+ for better, and probably VG+ for the cover, based on the seller’s description. The record sat there for a long time with no bids, but then . . . . Eventually the bidding reached $1,435.

On this one, CeeDee sent me a noted titled “wowee” and someone else also mentioned it on a previous post, so I guess the high price has caught some attention:

Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 4205. This was an original New York USA pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The price? How about $820. That’s one reason why when/if I ever get back to selling records on eBay, I would still only use auctions. You just never know what’s out there.

Dexter Gordon, A Swingin’ Affair, Blue Note 4133. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. This was listed in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. The price was $192.51.

Horace Silver, Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note 84220. This was an original pressing with the New York USA label. It was listed in pristine M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. It sold for $45.

Bud Powell, Bud!, Blue Note 1571. This was an original pressing. The vinyl was listed as VG+ and the cover was listed as VG. The price was $127.50.

George Braith, Extension, Blue Note 84171. This was an original stereo pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl was VG++ and the cover was VG+. The price was $102.50.

Sam Rivers, Contours, Blue Note 82406. This is an original stereo pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $80.

Bobby Hutcherson, Components, Blue Note 4213. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The vinyl and cover were both listed as VG+. The price was $122.50.

Bobby Hutcherson, Happenin’s, Blue Note 4231. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The record and cover were both VG+. The price was $147.50.

Bobby Hutcherson, Dialogue, Blue Note 4198. This was an original mono pressing with the New York USA labels. The record and cover were both VG+. The price was $79.99.

Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 84205. This was an original stereo pressing with the New York USA label. The record was M- and the cove was VG++. The price was $122.50.