Rudy Van Gelder, 1924-2016
Another legend gone. Aside from George Martin, was any recording engineer as influential as Rudy Van Gelder?
Tag: Rudy Van Gelder
Records That Are Not Quite Records
Let’s catch up on a few more jazz records from our watch list, starting with: George Wallington, New York Scene, New Jazz 8207. This was an original pressing with the deep grooves and the purple label. The record and cover both looked to be in VG++ condition. The price was $698, which we though was the highest we’ve ever seen for this record until we looked at the Jazz Collector Price Guide and realized that we’ve seen this one sell for as much as $865. I literally bought a copy of this record for a quarter many years ago, when one of the young workers at Mr. Cheapo in Mineola mistakenly threw it into the bargain bin, for which I have been forever grateful.
That copy of Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’ that we were watching would up selling for $3,507, also not a record, but a pretty hefty price indeed.
I just sold a copy of this record to a dealer, and I would have expected it to get a higher price than it did here:
Temptation: A New Jazz & A Test Pressing
I spent a couple of hours perusing eBay the other night and put a bunch of items on my watch list and even placed a snipe bid on this record: Benny Golson, Gettin’ With It, New Jazz 8248. This was an original pressing that was probably in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. I bid on the record primarily because I don’t have it and I thought it might sell for a reasonable price. It’s also a record I used to own and, frankly, I can’t remember why I don’t own it any more. But I don’t. When I placed my snipe the bidding was at $87 with several hours left, and I thought maybe I could get a nice original New Jazz. My snipe was about $160 and I thought I would get the record. I didn’t. The top bid was $190.50.
I was watching this one, not because I was interested, but because I wanted to see how high it would go, which was plenty: Grant Green, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Blue Note 4202. This was an original mono New York USA pressing in M- or so condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $511.11. Here’s the existential question for today: Why?
Our friend CeeDee sent this link to tempt me:
The Van Gelder Stamp
Interesting article in The Wall Street Journal on Rudy Van Gelder, New Jersey Jazz Revolution. Here’s an interesting quote about Alfred Lion that kind of summarizes why Blue Note tends to be the more collectible label versus Prestige: “Alfred was rigid about how he wanted Blue Note records to sound. But Bob Weinstock of Prestige was more easygoing, so I’d experiment on his dates and use what I learned on the Blue Note sessions.”
A Blues Walk & A Visit to A Shrine
Perhaps CeeDee started a trend this week with his guest column. Here’s another from our friend Don-Lucky:
A ‘Blues Walk’ in NYC…
“Lou Donaldson at the Vanguard on Tuesday April 6th, 2010 was one of the best sets I’ve seen there in a while and well worth the long drive down to NYC from Ottawa. The first set began with Lou’s theme song Blues Walk and escalated through a series of standards and into Alligator Boogaloo from there. He was accompanied by Randy Johnston on guitar, Pat Bianchi on the organ, and Fukushi Tainaka on the drums… It didn’t stop there, Dr. Lonnie Smith dropped in to pay his respects for the second set, along with a quick cameo by Roy Hargrove, and a few vocals by singer Champion Fulton. Definitely worth the trip. Although Lonnie seems to think I owed him money from the last time he was in Canada. Don’t ask me why !
As for the rest of the trip, I did manage to drop in on Rudy Van Gelder at his fabled studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., on the way out Wednesday morning. That’s the studio in the picture above. Rudy wanted