Tag: Tal Farlow

Granz, Farlow & The American Recording Society

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Here’s a little tidbit that comes courtesy of my friend Dan Axelrod. Dan, as faithful readers of Jazz Collector know, was a great friend and protege of the guitar legend Tal Farlow. Dan sent me a note last week asking the following question: Why did Norman Granz farm out the first issue of The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow out to a record club? My first response was surprise. He did? I didn’t know that. Turns out the first issue of this record — my favorite of all the Farlows — was issued under the auspices of American Recording Society. I’ve had a few records issued by ARS over the years and, if I recall properly, they didn’t have hard covers. The ones I recall owning were Billie Holiday records, but I didn’t keep them because I had the original Verves. I, of course, suggested to Dan that we post the question here at Jazz Collector, but before either of us got around to posting, he did some research and came up with the answer. Here it is:

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10-Inch, 12-Inch: Does Size Really Matter

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Here’s some of the jazz vinyl we’re watching heading into the weekend:

The Tal Farlow Album, Norgran 1047. This is an original pressing with the yellow label, deep grooves and beautiful David Stone Martin cover. Or is it? My friend Dan, who was Tal’s great friend and protege, has always been a devotee of the 10-inch version of this record based on the crispness of the sound and the fact that it was the original original pressing. I once did a comparison, played the 12-incher and the 10-incher back to back, and it was true: You could hear a difference in the sound. I’m not sure why: Perhaps it was psychological, Dan had planted it in my head and I always trust him when it comes to music.  The 10-incher, Norgran 19, has eight tracks. This one has additional tracks that come from . . . . where? Dan, if you’re out there, please fill in the blanks. Based on the description, this looks to be in VG+ or maybe VG++ condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. The current price is around $80.

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims, Blue Note 1530. This is an original Lexington Avenue pressing and it looks to be in very nice condition, M- for the record and probably VG++ for the cover. The bidding is already quite high for this, in the $1,500 range with more than two days to go.

Jazz Vinyl: Jackie-ing, Hope and McGhee

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay. Jackie is back: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. This one is from a reputable seller and is listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. VG+ is always a risk, but this one is play-graded and sounds like it is in pretty good shape. The bidding has already topped $1,000 on its way to . . . . we’ll see. Also on eBay now is one of my favorites, Jackie McLean, Swing, Swang, Swingin’, Blue Note 4024. This looks to be an original pressing with the West 63rd address, deep grooves, RVG, ear. It is listed in M- condition for the record and VG++ for the cover. Start price is $650 and, with a day to go, there are no takers so far. For a high start price like that, I think most buyers would appreciate pictures of the labels, for what it’s worth, although I’d be OK bidding on this record if I was inclined to pay that high a price for it in any condition, which I’m not.

This one is tempting:

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Tal Farlow, Downbeat, One More Time

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Dan is back with another request. This upcoming memoir better be good. (Actually, it is: I’ve seen early drafts). This time Dan is looking for a high-res scan of the following photo from Downbeat, May 2, 1967. I know I have this issue in nice condition, bit it is somewhere in storage and I can’t access it. So if someone out there can help out (again), I’m sure it would be most appreciated.

 

In Search of An Obscure Article

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OK, we’re going to see if we can use the collective wisdom, expertise, knowledge and possible collections of the community to see if we can solve a mystery for a friend. In this case, we are looking for a specific article in Downbeat. All we have is a partial headline and story, pictured here. To me this looks like a Downbeat from the early 1950s when it was still in a newspaper format. We are looking for the issue date of the article and, if possible, a copy of the article itself. My friend says we will not be successful in this quest, that the reference is too obscure. I say never underestimate the power of the Jazz Collector community. Let’s see.

Catching Up on Some 10-Inch Jazz Vinyl

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Can’t sleep so I’m up early updating the Jazz Collector Price Guide. Here are some 10-inch records that will be going in:

Miles Davis All Stars Volume 2, Prestige 200. This looks to be an original pressing with the yellow label, probably one of the first Prestiges to have the famous yellow label. The record was listed in VG++ condition and the cover was VG+. The price was $204.50.

I think this was the first LP issued by Blue Note: Mellow The Mood, Blue Note 5001. It features Ike Quebec, Benny Morton, Buck Clayton and others. The record was VG and the cover was VG++. You’d think it would fetch a high price just for the historic value. But, alas, this copy did not: It sold for $28.

I’ve never seen this one and it has quite a cool cover: Bill Jennings/Leo Parker Quintet, Billy in the Lion’s Den, King 527. This was listed in VG condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $81.

Hard to find this one in M- condition, but here was a copy: Gerry Mulligan Quartet, With Chet Baker, Pacific Jazz 5. It sold for $115.52.

And now for some 10-inch Blue Notes:

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A Little Clef, A Little Norgran, A Little DSM

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Trying to get off Blue Note a little bit and infuse some variety to our posts. Yesterday we added some Prestige and New Jazz jazz vinyl to the Jazz Collector Price Guide, today let’s look at a few from the Norman Granz pantheon.

This one has a very pretty, simple cover design by David Stone Martin: A Recital By Tal Farlow, Norgran 1030. This was an original pressing with the yellow label and the trumpeter logo. The record was listed in M- condition and the cover was VG++. The price was $122.16.

This one also has a nice Stone Martin Cover: Anita O’Day, Collates, Clef 130. This was a 10-inch LP and it was listed in M- condition for both the vinyl and the cover. The price was a very reasonable $82.

Here’s another nice 10-inch LP:

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Jazz Vinyl on Ebay: Prestige, Vanguard, Verve

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Here are some odds and ends we’ve been watching on eBay:

Billy Taylor Trio Volume 2, Prestige 7016. This one was in M- condition for both the record and the cover and it sold for $74.99, which is about what you’d expect for a Billy Taylor Prestige these days. I do have a question on this: I’ve had this record with two different covers — the one shown here and another one that I recall as having a black and white and gray design with a picture of Billy. Not sure which is original, but both had the New York address on the label and the cover. I’m sure the original had the kakubushi cover, but I am not home now to check it out. Anyone? Rudolf?

Dave Burns, Vanguard 9111. This one was in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ or M- for the cover. The price was $182.50. I own this record and it’s quite good, featuring Herbie Morgan on tenor sax, and I have rarely seen it on eBay, or anywhere else for that matter.

This one didn’t get a single bid, much to my surprise:

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Adventures in Jazz Collecting: The Auction, Part 6

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Now we get to the batch of records that turned out to be the most pleasant surprise of all. There was at one point a group listed as such: Bill Evans, Seven Riverside LPs. There was a picture on the Web site and there was a copy of Waltz for Debby in there and perhaps an original pressing of New Jazz Conceptions as well. Anyway, I was hoping to steal this one, but once the bidding surpassed $400 I realized there was no steal to be had and I had better keep my mouth shut. The package eventually went for $650. Ah, well. However, about 15 minutes later there was another group of LPs, described as such: Bill Evans, Eleven LPs, Eight Verve and Three Riverside. There was no picture or other description. I won this lot at $80, so my total for these 11 records was $93.60. This is a great batch of music, and each record is in

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A Visit to A Record Store, Part 3

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So many comments to follow up on, but first let me finish my little trilogy about my visit to Infinity Records. Given the market conditions for music the days, it’s easy to assume that the days of the brick and mortar record store are numbered. In the mainstream music market, CDs are collapsing as the medium shifts to an online digital model. In the collectibles market, eBay has become the dominant sales medium. But, for now at least, it seems there is still room for a few places where people can physically walk into a store and purchase music. I happened to be in lower Manhattan a few weeks ago with time to kill and I popped in to J&R Music. It was jam-packed with people. And I was amazed to see the rows and rows and rows of CDs. They even had four bins of new vinyl — lots of recent Blue Note pressings — as well as a wall full of collectible vinyl that featured autographed covers, including Billie Holiday, Dexter Gordon and others.  The key was that they were comprehensive: You got the sense that if there was a jazz CD you wanted, you’d be able to find it there — as opposed to walking into a Border’s or Barnes and Noble, where the music is clearly secondary. There is also room, I think, for good record stores that understand the collectibles market. I spoke to Joe Ostermeier at Infinity — that’s Joe in the picture, standing in front of his wall of records — and he said business is still solid, no major let up as the music world has

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