This week’s theme: Jazz vocals with verses included. Featured artists include: Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nancy Lamott, Anita O’Day, Chet Baker, Stacey Kent, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Rosemary Clooney, Karrin Alysson, Carmen McRae, Scott Hamilton, Clifford Brown, Paul Quinichette, Warren Vache, Ed Bickert, Roy Haynes, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Quincy Jones, Russ Freeman, Mundell Lowe.

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.

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.

This week’s theme: More jazz vocals and instrumentals from the Great American Songbook. Artists include Lous Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow, Eddie Costa, Vinnie Burke, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Haynes, Thad Jones, Ronnell Bright, Richard Davis, Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, Paul Motion, Zoot Sims, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Warren Vache, and many more.

This week’s theme: Roy Haynes Memorial, Part Two. Featured artists include Roy Haynes, Roland Kirk, Tommy Flanagan, Henry Grimes, Sarah Vaughan, Richard Davis, Thad Jones, Jackie McLean, Phineas Newborn Jr., Bill Evans, Oliver Nelson, Freddie Hubbard, Paul Chambers, Eric Dolphy, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and many others.

This week we do the first in a new Unsung Artists Series, focusing on the Vice President, tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Charles Rouse, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Herbie Mann, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Brooks Kerr, Gene Ramey, Sam Woodyard,Jimmy Jones, Joe Benjamin, Roy Haynes, Webster Young, Mal Waldron, Joe Puma, Earl May, Ed Thigpen, Count Basie, Buck Clayton, Dickie Wells, Gus Johnson, Al McKibbon, Walter Page, Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Thad Jones, Nat Pierce, Joe Newman, Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly, Charlie Shavers, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Jimmy Cobb, Barry Galbraith, Cecil Payne, Hank Jones, Jo Jones, Sweets Edison, Snooky Young, and more.

This week’s theme: Sarah Vaughan Centennial. Featured artists include Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderly, Paul Quinichette, Clark Terry, Jimmy Jones, John Malachi, Joe Benjamin, Roy Haynes, Richie Powell, Herbie Manne, Bill Eckstine, Ernie Wilkins, Wendell Cullen, Frank Wess, and more.

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.

John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577. This was a mono pressing. It looked like it had deep grooves, but there was no mention of deep grooves, ears, RVGs or any of the other markers – not to mention it was a New York USA label. And someone had sliced the cover on the top and spine. Who would do that, and why? Anyway, despite all of those issues, the record still sold for more than $200. BTW, am I the only one who wonders why they called the record Blue Train as opposed to Blue Trane?

One more: Mal Waldron, Left Alone, Bethlehem 6045. This looked to be an original red label pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and probably VG for the cover. The final price was $580.

Anyway, here are a few of items that recently sold on eBay, starting with Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, with some visible staining on the back cover that could be a turn off for some buyers, but obviously was not that big a turn off for the buyer of this copy, who paid $2,850.88. In fact, looking over the cover pictures again, it looks like VG+ is a pretty generous grade. I have an absolutely clean version of this record that I purchased from the Bruce M. West collection in Baltimore, thoughts of which always put a smile on my face.

Speaking of things that always put a smile on my face, someone sent me this great article about the classic album Ella and Louis, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. I was pretty sure I once did a “desert island list,” but I can’t find it in the archives. Anyway, I’m confident if I ever did do a list or if I ever do one in the future, this record will be in the top five, if not number one. Music does not get any better than Ella and Louis.

One more from the eBay watch list: Roy Haynes, Cracklin’, New Jazz 8266. This was a purple label with no deep groove. Does that preclude it from being a first pressing? I think so. The record was M- and the cover was VG+. The final price was $135.50. Does that price indicate that it was not a first pressing? I think so.