If It’s Blue Note, It Must Be Collectible
Admittedly my headline is a bit of an exaggeration. As we’ve seen, the early traditional jazz Blue Notes such as the Sidney Bechet and James P. Johnson records, don’t seem to fetch collectible prices these days. But anything and everything Blue Note from the post-bop era of the mid-1950s to the early 1960s, seems to be in demand these days. Take this record: The Three Sounds, Bottoms Up!, Blue Note 4014. In seven or so years of doing the Jazz Collector Price Guide we’ve only listed three records from The Three Sounds and the highest price was around $200. Not anymore. This one, in M- condition for the record and the cover, sold for $305. I’ve never been a big fan of these records and I’ve had them pass through my hands on several occasions, but perhaps I should give them another listen? What’s the consensus (as if we could actually find a consensus here at Jazz Collector).
From the same seller came this Blue Note, well worth any price IMHO: Dexter Gordon, Our Man in Paris, Blue Note 4146. This was also an original pressing and it was also in M- condition. The price was $549. I have a special place in my heart for this one: It was the first Dexter record I ever purchased and to this day it remains a favorite. It was a rare treat to hear Bud Powell in such fine form from this era and there’s an edge and an energy on this record that makes it special. It feels as if Dexter and Bud were highly inspired by one another and elevated their playing (if possible) in order to please and prod the other. Perhaps that wasn’t the case, but it’s fun to speculate and believe and aspire for the best, right?
