I’m still gathering my thoughts to write the final chapter in my Confessions of a Vinyl Addict but in the meantime, I’ve noticed something interesting: For many of the rare records, it seems even early pressings that are not originals are increasing dramatically in value. We saw a few week ago several of the United Artists Blue Notes selling for more than $400, but those were clearly an aberration created by a seller who seems to have discovered some kind of new method of record sales based on the P.T. Barnum theory of a sucker being born every minute. We’re not talking about those $400 United Artists Blue Notes. But here’s one we were watching this week that was clearly not an original pressing: Sonny Rollins, A Night At the Village Vanguard, Blue Note 1581. This one has the New York USA label, so Read more
Tag: Sonny Rollins
On eBay Now: Duke, Fuller, Newk
In addition to having an occasional existential crisis, I have also been putting some interesting items on eBay that are worth watching. Here are a couple:
The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington, Mosaic MD 5-160. I got this a dozen years ago and never even opened it, so I figured it might be time to sell it. The CDs are unopened and the price is close to $100. Also: The Complete Blue Note/UA Curtis Fuller Sessions, Mosaic MD3-166. Similar situation as the Duke, with the CDs unopened. This one is currently at $50, but I’m hoping it goes for a lot more.
I had this one hanging in a frame above my desk: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original New York pressing. It is
Updates: $1,000 Bin, Dizzy, Sonny, Trane
Still updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide. It can be a bit tedious, but it’s important, isn’t it? Let’s hope so. Anyway, here are a few items on the extremes: A couple more for the $1,000 bin and a few that normally don’t make the Price Guide but, for one reason or another, have broken through.
First the big ones: Walter Davis, Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original pressing and it was listed in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $1,300. Also, Paul Chambers Quintet, Blue Note 1564. This was an original pressing. The record and cover looked to be in VG+ or VG++ condition. The price was $1,032.
Here are a couple that don’t often get collectible prices: Dizzy Gillespie, Afro, Norgran 1003. This was an original yellow label pressing with a cover design by David Stone Martin. It was only in VG condition and sold for $72. That may not be a Blue Note price, but it is still somewhat surprising. Few of the Dizzy record
Some Top LPs That Didn’t Sell
We usually keep track of records that sell on eBay. Here are a few records that did not sell. Why? Because they did not meet the seller’s reserve price. We will probably see these records back on eBay either with a lower reserve or no reserve at all. I know many of you refuse to bid on records that have a reserve, but I’m open: If I bid my price and it doesn’t meet the seller’s reserve, so be it. Actually, I do get a bit angry, truth be told, and I am circumspect of that seller in the future. So maybe I’m not as open as I would like to be.
This first one is a record we’ve been watching quite a bit lately: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was a New York pressing. It wasn’t pristine. The vinyl was described as having a few marks and the cover was noted as having a small tape repair. The top bid was $1,554, which was below the reserve price.
Here’s another Prestige: Curtis Fuller, New Trombone, Prestige 7107. This was an original New York pressing. The record was
A Couple of New Ones For The Price Guide
Here are a few items that don’t normally make the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Sonny Rollins, The Bridge, RCA 2527. This was an original stereo pressing listed in M- condition by a very reputable seller who also owns the best record store on Long Island. Still, while this is an interesting record with an interesting history — the return of Rollins after his legendary practice sessions on the Williamsburg Bridge — it has never really been a collectible item, at least in terms of its selling price. Perhaps it’s starting to move up the ranks: This one sold for $90.99. Not quite Blue Note prices, but a collectible price nonetheless.
Here’s another one we normally don’t track:
Bird & Newk for the $1,000 and $2,000 Bins
Two of those Sonny Rollins LPs we were watching passed the $2,000 barrier: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original pressing in near mint condition from a reputable seller in Italy. The final price tag was $2,850. Also: Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing, also in near mint condition. This one sold for $2,025.22. Breaking the $1,000 barrier was:
On Ebay: Newk & Jenkins, Blue Note & Prestige
Here’s another one headed for the $1,000 bin: Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This is an original pressing that looks to be in near mint condition by a seller in Italy who has solid feedback. There are about 14 hours to go and it is already at about $1,800. The seller has five rare Rollins LPs on eBay now, also: Sonny Rollins Volume 1, Blue Note 1542. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing that also looks to be in near mint condition. The current price is more than $500, but it has not yet reached the seller’s reserve.
Here’s another seller with some nice Blue Notes on eBay today, including: John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1573. This is an original pressing with
Rare Sonny Rollins & Kenny Dorham Available Here
Okay, here’s an interesting one for you. Back in the early 1970s there was this this guy in New York who had a massive collection of audio tapes that he would record from radio broadcasts. For a while he would issue these tapes on bootleg LPs under a variety of names. I have at least a couple of dozen of these issues, under labels such as Alto Records and Ozone and Session Disk, by a large number of artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins and many others.
He also, apparently, had tapes that were never issued in any format — and we’ve discovered one of them here. Not only that, but it’s quite a legendary performance by a legendary group of artists: Max Roach with Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham, recorded Dec. 12, 1956 at the Cafe Bohemia just seven months after the tragic accident that claimed the lives of Clifford Brown and Richie Powell.
This is the story: One of our friends and faithful Jazz Collector readers visited with the guy who had the tapes back in the 1970s and made a copy, on a reel-to-reel tape, of two
Price Updates: Newk, Cliff Jordan, Johnny Griffin
Here’s some more jazz vinyl for the Jazz Collector Price Guide:
Sonny Rolins, Saxophone Colossus, Prestige 7079. This was an original New York pressing with the yellow label. Based on the description we would rate the vinyl as VG+ and the cover as VG+. Considering the overall condition, this one sold for a pretty hefty price tag: $1,705.
By comparison, based on the condition, we thought this might fetch a higher price: Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This was an original pressing in at least VG++ condition, perhaps M-, based on the description. We expected it to certainly break into the $1,000 bin, but it fell just short. It sold for $939.
This one did not fall short of the $1,000 bin:
On Ebay Now: Blue Notes of Note
There’s some nice Blue Note jazz vinyl on eBay now, including:
Louis Smith, Here Comes Louis Smith, Blue Note 1584. This looks to be an original pressing with the vinyl in VG++ condition and the cover just VG-. The seller goes out of his way to provide some nice clear pictures of the cover, which we always appreciate. This one is only $58 with more than a day to go, but the seller has a reserve price and it has not yet been reached. I know many of you are not fans of auctions with reserve prices, which is something to consider when listing jazz vinyl.
Cliff Jordan, Blue Note 1565. This is also an original pressing and it looks to be in VG++ condition, at least, for both the vinyl and the cover. Actually, it’s probably closer to M- than VG++, based on the description. The current price is $315 and there’s more than a day to go with no reserve. I would
not be surprised to see this one sell for more than $1,000.
April is Jazz Month
