Tag: Sun Ra

Free Jazz (And More) At a Price

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Like many of you, I was closely watching the auction last week from the seller  Carolina Soul. There were some items in my wheelhouse, such as Lee Morgan Indeed and Tommy Flanagan The Cats, but what caught my attention were the free jazz and other jazz records that were outside my normal area of interest and expertise. I will leave it to others to flesh out more detail – thank you, Clifford, in advance – so I will just share some of the highlights, starting with Don Pullen/Milford Graves in Concert at Yale University. This copy had a hand-painted jacket, the likes of which was unfamiliar to me. The final price was $9,515. Read more

Jazz Vinyl, Sun Ra and a Sax Played by Trane; Welcome Back

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Lots to catch up on. Let’s start with a few things that are for sale on eBay now and segue into news and comments from readers and see where that takes us. Here’s one that’s closing later today: J. R. Monterose, Blue Note 1536. This looks to be an original Lexington Avenue pressing. The seller has a complicated grading process, but he does mention a slight warp on the record, so I’m thinking VG+ if I were to bid, which I won’t, and maybe VG++ for the cover. The bidding is in the $550 range and I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see this end up in the $1,000 bin. Read more

From the InBox: Sun Ra, Sonny Stitt, Swiftly Flow The Bucks

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Let’s start by looking in the Jazz Collector inbox to see what treasures and wisdom might be awaiting us. I see that our old friend CeeDee has a few links for us, starting with another WOW: Sonny Stitt Plays, Royal Roost 2208. This was an original deep groove mono pressing listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The cover pictures could indicate some optimistic grading. The final price was $760. It went from $219, which is pretty high for this record, to the final price in the last few seconds of the auction. There were 12 bidders altogether. This has to be the highest price ever for a Stitt on Roost record. So, let’s swing over to Popsike and . . . . Indeed, it is not just the highest price for a Stitt on Roost, it is the highest price for any Stitt. Hey, it’s a great record and he was a great player. Read more

Collectibles in the Eyes of the Beholders

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Here’s some more jazz vinyl from our watch list, starting with Paul Chambers, Bass on Top, Blue Note 1569. When I first saw this record the bidding was in the $200 range and I thought it might be something worth considering. The copy I have is a Liberty pressing with an original cover. I did some mixing and matching myself on that, don’t remember the circumstances. Anyway, when I looked at the listing for this I was surprised to see that this was a Liberty pressing with a Liberty cover. The record was in just VG condition, and the cover was VG+. I guess anything with a blue and white Blue Note label is in high demand these days, whether Liberty, United Artists or second/third pressings. This one sold for $272.34. Read more

Warhol, Blue Notes, Sun Ra: An Eclectic Day at Jazz Collector

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It’s not often that you go onto eBay and find $40,000 items in a search of Jazz records and think that, yes, perhaps that is a legitimate price someone would pay. What do you think of this: Original Study Andy Warhol RCA Records Kenny Burrell Blue Note 1543 Jazz Album? From the listing it looks like an original pen and ink drawing from Warhol’s own hand. It seems to be that there is enough certification to assert that this really is a Warhol original. I’d hang it in my home. Not for $40,000, but I’d still hang it in my home. This has already gone through one eBay cycle that I know of and is back again at the same $40,000 start price. There is a “Best Offer” option as well, so you never know.  Read more

Heavy Hitters, Day Two

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Let’s get right to it: The Hank Mobley Blue Note 1568 from the Jazz Record Center sold for $7,600. Is that a record for a jazz vinyl record? I think it is. There was an earlier copy of Blue Note 1568 that sold for $11,000, but we later ascertained that was a bogus bid and the sale didn’t actually go through as described. Unless I get better information from someone in the Jazz Collector universe, I’ll assume this is now our apex. Not a surprise, although I had the record pegged more in the $6,000 range. I actually placed a rare bid on the auction, not for the Mobley record, since I knew that would be WAY out of my price range, and it was. No, after seeing Joe L’s comment on the previous post I became somewhat enamored with the idea of owning that test pressing of Horace Silver, Finger Poppin’, Blue Note 4008. Test pressings have never been my thing, but

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Heavy Hitter Day

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Lots of heavy hitters on eBay this week, including a high-end Blue Note auction from the Jazz Record Center that includes this beauty: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This is an original original pressing, meaning side two has the New York 23 address, which makes it the one most prized by the most avid collectors. The record is probably in VG+++ condition and the cover looks to be M-. The auction closes tomorrow and the bidding is now in the $4,000 range with 18 bids and eight bidders. Anyone want to take a guess on the final price for this baby? We’ve seen $9,000 in the past, but my memory is that was not a legitimate bid or sale. I’m guessing this one sells for somewhere in the $6,000 range. Here are a couple more from the same auction:

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Mail: Byrd, Monk, Sun Ra

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Catching up on some email. Here’s the story of a fun score from a new reader:

“Hi, I am fairly new to jazz vinyl collecting and listening. I have been drawn to the 50’s and 60’s jazz and LOVE your site. Unfortunately so much of this vintage jazz is way out of my budget. I have been buying when and what I can afford. Wanted to share this: This past weekend I was in a vintage shop with my wife and wasn’t sure I would find anything. In the back was a small box with some records. I start flipping through them like I always do when I find records in vintage/antique shops. I run across a Donald Byrd – Royal Flush BLP 4101 original pressing. The vinyl itself is VG in appearance, plays somewhere between VG and VG+ and the cover is VG+. The price on the album was $10. I was elated and couldn’t get the money out of my wallet fast enough! Hope I didn’t bore you. Thanks for your site and keep the posts coming as it is helpful in my jazz education!” Read more

Sun Ra Rarity

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Whoops. I was in the midst of writing this, and it appeared.

Sun Ra Orange Jazz VinylI am not a Sun Ra aficionado but our friend Michael sent me this link because it is assuredly of interest to those who are: Sun Ra, Secrets of the Sun, Saturn 9954. Michael’s note indicates that this may be a one-of-a-kind orange vinyl pressing. Can anyone confirm that? It sounds like it’s in pretty bad condition with constant surface noise and at least one skip. Considering that it has a plain generic cover, my guess is that the buyer may want this copy to put in a frame and not on a turntable. So far the bidding is at $545 and there are more than three days to go. We’ll see what happens.

More Rare Jazz Vinyl, Of Course

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Hank Mobley Jazz VinylLet’s start the day with one of the rarest of the rare, although as rare as it may be, copies seem to be up on eBay quite often: Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1568. This looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address and, for those who really care, the New York 23 label on one side. This copy is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover, although based on the pictures the cover may be more in the VG+ range with some damage on the back. The seller is not an eBay regular and has only 11 feedbacks. This one closes Saturday night and is currently in the $2,000 range.

While we’re on Mobley, there is also: Hank Mobley Sextet, Blue Note 1560. This is an original pressing with the West 63rd Street address, deep grooves, Van Gelder, ear, etc. This one is listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price is $1,250, but so far there are no bidders.  This seller has three other records on eBay now, all with starting prices of more than $1,000, all with zero bids as of now. One more, for the record: Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Riverside RS 9399. This is an original black label stereo pressing. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The start price is $1,100.

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