Not Knowing Squat About Jazz, Indeed

I’ve had this thing in my inbox for the past few weeks and I’ve been debating whether to post it. It’s really silly. The Internet gives pretty much anyone a forum to write pretty much anything they want. So I got this email with a listing from a blog and it was something like the “10 Greatest Jazz Pianists of All Time,” which was silly enough, but then I saw that the guy did a Top 10 list of jazz albums under the dubious heading “10 essential jazz albums if you know squat about jazz but want to become more versed.” The list is so bad and ridiculous I won’t comment, other than to note the lack of any artist from before the post-Bop era, including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Anyway, after great hesitation (and strictly for laughs), here it is:

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. . . And In Jazz Vinyl on eBay . . .

cannonOK, I’m starting to feel guilty over my minuscule posting production over the past few weeks. I vow to do better and, again, I will post every day this week. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I will just catch up with some items I was watching last week and then move on to some new items.

This seller has had a bunch of items recently with high prices. Many of the prices seem to be unrealistic, despite the seller’s nom d’eBay, but sometimes the items sell, such as: Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago, Mercury 60134. This was a stereo pressing that looked to be a first stereo pressing with the deep grooves and black labels. It was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. This one has sold for collectible prices a few times in the past, but it has always been relatively common and available, even on eBay. So the inflated prices seem to be an aberration, such as this one that sold for $149.99.

Just as that price seemed to be inflated, this one seemed to be less than expected:

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Heading For The $1,000 Bin?

cliffWe’re now watching some jazz vinyl from the current Jazz Record Center auction, which closes tomorrow. Here’s some of the records on our watch list, starting with: Cliff Jordan and John Gilmore, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This is an early deep-groove pressing with the West 63rd label on one side and the New York 23 label on the other. The record looks to be in beautiful M- condition, and the cover looks equally nice. The current price is $260. I would expect this to sell for a lot more. If it doesn’t, perhaps I will be in the mix.

Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original New York yellow-label pressing. The record and cover both seem to be in at least VG++ condition, based on the descriptions. The price is currently in the $700 range.

Miles Davis, Volume 1, Blue Note 1501. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing in what looks to be in near-pristine condition, M- for both the record and the cover. The bidding is at around $200. We’ve seen this record sell for as much as $1,007 in the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Will this one match that? We’ll find out tomorrow.

 

 

 

Jazz Vinyl From eBay and Remembering a Score

ShorterAnother slow week of posting for me. Sorry about that. But it’s Monday, a fresh week, a beautiful day and here I am back at my post full of fresh optimism. This week I vow to post at least once every day, starting with: Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194. This was an original pressing with the NY USA label, the ear and the Van Gelder stamp in the dead wax. Seller describes the record and cover as Ex, which probably translates to VG+ or VG++, based on the more detailed description in the listing. I’d probably grade it VG+ if it was my record. This one sold for $560. This seller had a bunch of other nice listings last week, but this one fetched the highest price. Here are a couple more: Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. This was an original deep groove pressing with the white labels. The record was listed as Ex+ and the cover was Ex-. The price was $318.66. Ray Draper Quintet, Tuba Sounds, Prestige 7096. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and New York address. The record was rated Ex- and the cover was listed as VG. No idea why the seller varies the descriptions between Ex and VG. In any case, this one sold for $141.80.

This seller also had a large number of items last week, including:

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Click

SonnyA friend sent me this one a few days ago, assuming, I think, that I would buy it. Ever since, I’ve been debating whether to buy it and/or whether to post it on Jazz Collector for all the world to see. And now, here it is on Jazz Collector: Sonny Rollins Quintet, Esquire 20-080. This is an original 10-inch British pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It would be quite a nice find under any circumstances, and it would also satiate my newfound addiction to European pressings. But, making it more appealing, the cover is also signed by Sonny Rollins. I must give the owner credit: He had Sonny sign it in 2008. It was a lot smarter having him sign this beautiful original 1955 pressing rather than some later record or, heaven forbid, a CD. Anyway, I have not purchased this record, although it is there for the taking at slightly less than $400. Once I click the “Publish” button to publish this post, I suppose I will be committed to letting it pass. I must be getting frugal or something in my relative old age, because this would be quite a cool record/collectible to own.

Speaking of cool records to own,

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Three Tenors

SonnyThere were many records we were watching this past week on eBay, so let’s get right to it, starting with Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This was an original deep groove pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. There were just two bids, but the record sold for $542.10. I am a big Sonny fan, as most of you know, and I think this is the only 12-inch Rollins record from the ’50s or ’60s where I am still looking for an original pressing. I’ll keep looking because the price of this one was too much for me.

Not sure when this became a $240 record, but apparently it did: John Coltrane, Live at the Village Vanguard, Impulse 10. This was an original orange-label pressing we presume, although the information in the listing was all screwed up. It was listed in M- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover, assuming that was the description for this record. Someone took a chance and won the auction at $239.

And, for the $1,000 bin we have Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582. This looks to be an original deep groove pressing with the West 63rd address. The record and cover are both in VG++ condition. The record sold for $1,275.

 

 

Finding the Right Price: Some LPs Sell, Some Don’t

Clifford JordanLet’s catch up on some items we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Cliff Jordan, Blowing in From Chicago, Blue Note 1549. This is a deep groove pressing with two different labels: One has the New York 23, the other doesn’t. What does that make this? A very early second pressing? This one is in VG++ condition for the record and probably VG+ for the cover, based on the seller’s description. The auction closes in about four hours and, so far, there are no bids with a start price in the $550 range. I know the seller is a reader of Jazz Collector, so, if it doesn’t sell and you want to make a trade, you know where to find me.

We thought this one would end up in the $2,000 bin, but it came up just short: Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. Very nice. It sold for $1,845.

Here’s another that may not sell: Sonny Rollins Plays, Period 1204. This is an original deep groove pressing. The record and the cover are both listed in VG+ condition. The start price is around $500 and so far there are no takers with four days to do.

This one did not sell and has been relisted:

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Temptation: A New Jazz & A Test Pressing

bennyI 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:

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Catching Up With The Jazz Collector Price Guide

dolphyI am taking advantage of the holiday time to update the Jazz Collector Price Guide, which could use some new records. So for the next couple of days, at least, I’ll be following up on records I mentioned earlier, or some I never mentioned at all and somehow missed the first time around. Here goes:

Boy did I have my eyes on this one: Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk, Prestige 190. This was an original 10-inch pressing in what looked to be VG++ condition for the record and probably VG for the cover. When I was pondering this there were a few hours to go and the price was just in the $110 range. It wound up selling for $430.

Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch, Blue Note 84163. This was an original stereo pressing in just VG+ condition for the record and the cover, but it was packaged very nicely and we anticipated it would get a nice bid. It did, topping out at $303.

This was a strange one: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad-Lib 6601. This was an original pressing in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. When we first wrote about it, we noted that there was a buy-it-now price of $2,000. We figured someone would grab it up at that price. No one did. However, the bidding ended up at $1,975. Seems to me if you were willing to bid as much as $1,975 for the record, just buy it for $2,000 and save yourself the stress and aggravation.

 

A Newk 10-Inch LP, Prized Stereo Blue Notes

sonnyI should watch this record on Jazz Collector each time it appears on eBay, just so I can put the picture of the cover on the site: Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk, Prestige 190. This is an original 10-inch LP in Ex+ condition for the vinyl and VG for the cover. I would think the record plays really well to be graded Ex+. As you may tell from the longing in my first sentence I do not own a copy of this record. But I would love to. This one is in the $110 range with less than a day to go, although it hasn’t yet reached the seller’s reserve price.

Herbie Hancock, Takin’ Off, Blue Note 84109. This looks to be an original stereo pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. Not sure how the stereo compares with the mono, either in sound or in collectibility, but, for me, I’m quite content to have the original mono pressing. This one closes sometime today and is in the range of about $105 with eight bids.

Eric Dolphy, Out To Lunch, Blue Note 84163. The seller does a nice job of presenting/packing this one, with the nice picture and the original inner sleeve. Makes it look attractive, wouldn’t you say? This is a stereo pressing, looks like an original, with the ear, Van Gelder and New York USA label.  Bidding closes tomorrow and is already over more than $200. So, IMHO, the nice packaging seems to help.

 

 

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