Tag: Thelonious Monk

Jazz Vinyl With Cool Covers

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I happened to be browsing on eBay last night when several of the auctions we’ve been watching from the seller robertb8640 were closing, so I plucked a few to watch and share, starting with: Thelonious Monk, Piano Solo, French Swing 33.342. I’m definitely developing a thing for some of these European pressings. This is a 10-inch pressing, apparently first issued in France? The record was VG and the cover was VG++. The price was $225.82. Fantastic cover, with a great picture of a pensive Monk.

Johnny Griffin Quartet, Argo 624. This was an original pressing with the very weird split cover. The seller showed some nice pictures of the cover and how it worked surrounding the record. This one was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $471.88. Is this highest priced of all the Argo records. It is, indeed, according to the Jazz Collector Price Guide.

 

 

 

Blue Notes & Prestige: A Day at Jazz Collector

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Let’s catch up on some of the jazz vinyl auctions we’ve been watching, starting with: Walter Davis, Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018. This was an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The bidding was slow on this one, as you may recall, in the low $100 range with just one day left on the bidding. Well, it may have started slow, but it ended on a high note for the seller. The record sold for $919.99. There are no bargains on Blue Notes on eBay, are there, unless you get lucky with condition.

My friend Dan was urging me to get this record when the bidding was close to $400 with just a few hours to go: Sonny Rollins With Thelonious Monk, Prestige 190. Put in a bid of $700, he said. It’ll be your birthday present. I thought about it, but decided against it. Good thing I didn’t get my hopes up because I wouldn’t have won the record. It sold for $799.55. Speaking of my birthday present, the Lovely Mrs. JC says she’s only gotten one response so far to her request. There’s still time, but it’s running low — birthday is in two and a half weeks. Contact Mrs JC at mrsjc(at)jazzcollector.com.

I thought this one might reach the $1,000 bin, but it came up just short:

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Tracking Jazz Vinyl From The Jazz Record Center

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Sorry to be so inconsistent with my posting schedule. Lots of real work, the paying-the-bills kind, these days. Anyway, back on eBay and I see there’s a new auction from the Jazz Record Center with some choice items, including:

Bill Evans Trio, Explorations, Riverside 351. This is an original blue label pressing in what looks to be M- condition for the record and “extraordinary” condition for the cover. The pricing on this one starts at $200, there is already a bidder and the auction closes in four days.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. This is also an original pressing in M- condition for both the record and the cover. The start price is $1,500 and, as yet, there are no bidders.

This one seems headed for the $1,000 bin: Jackie McLean, Lights Out, Prestige 7035. This is an original pressing in “virtually new” condition, M- for both the record and the cover. The bidding is already in the $700 range and there have already been eight bids.

One more: The Unique Thelonious Monk, Riverside 209. This is an original pressing with the white label. It is also in “near new” M- condition for the record and the cover. The price is now in the $425 range.

 

 

Various Vinyl Odds and Ends

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Haven’t been on eBay in a few days. Here are the results of some of the jazz vinyl auctions we missed:

John Coltrane, Giant Steps, Atlantic 1311. This was an original black label pressing. It was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $510. It’s nice posting Giant Steps every once in a while so I can put a picture with the post and just take a look at it again — inspiring me to put the record on the turntable.

Perhaps I owe CeeDee an apology for this one: Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams, Out of this World, Warwick 2041. This was an original pressing in what looked to be VG+ condition for the vinyl and probably VG+ or VG++ for the cover. It sold for $159.99, higher than I would have expected. CeeDee and I made a trade involving this record and Dexter Calling a few months ago and at some point I may have made some kind of disparaging remark about the Byrd/Adams record. No doubt, it had more to do with the quality of the recording than the quality of the music. My copy just sounded very dull and flat, particularly compared to a Blue Note pressing from the same era.

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Catching on On Some Interesting Jazz Vinyl

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When I last left eBay, about a week ago, here were some of the items I was watching:

Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners, Riverside 226. This was an original pressing with the white labels. It was listed in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover and I recall the seller as being very reputable from previous dealings, as buyer and seller. As I was packing my records to move, I noticed that my copy of Brilliant Corners was a blue-label pressing and it was in maybe VG+ condition. I put this one on my watch list to potentially bid on it, not just as potential fodder for Jazz Collector. I think I would have gone to at least $180 for an original pressing. This one sold for $100, so I missed out.

I also had my eye on this for my own collection, but I knew the price would go way beyond my comfort zone — and it did: Lee Morgan Sextet, Blue Note 1541. This was an original Lexington Avenue pressing and the vinyl was in M- condition. The cover was VG+. It sold for $1,475. One of these days I’ll find a reasonable copy for the right price. Right?

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Rare Autographs: What’s in a Name

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Perhaps I’m naive, but when I see an autographed record I always assume that it is legitimate and not a fraud. It seems kind of weird to me that someone would try to copy the autograph of a jazz artist to try to inflate the value of the record when, in many cases, the autograph actually devalues the record, another oddity that I will never understand. I was watching this record on eBay: Thelonious Monk, Work, Prestige 7169. This was a yellow label pressing and an “original” in the sense that it was the first pressing of this record, which is a reissue of an earlier record. Normally it would be worth about $50 or so, but this one happens to have signatures on it from both Monk and Sonny Rollins. To me, this is a gem, assuming the autographs are legitimate, which I do. I tend not to collect autographs, although something like this is tempting, so I passed the listing on to one of our loyal readers who does collect autographs. I see from the geography of the winning bidder that our friend did not bid for this. The start price was $500 and there was one bidder. Don-Lucky — what happened? Seems like a good price for this one.

Jazz Vinyl Update: A Smattering of 10-Inch LPs

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Let’s catch up on some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching on eBay, starting with: Thelonious Monk Trio, Prestige 189. This looked to be an original pressing, a 10-inch LP, of course, and it was in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $227.50.

Here’s another 10-incher: Howard McGhee, Volume 2, Blue Note 5024. This one was VG+ for the vinyl and between VG++ and M- for the cover. When we were watching it it was in the $150 range and it didn’t really move from there, selling for $159.50.

This 10-incher didn’t sell at all: Lester Young and his Tenor Sax, Aladdin 706. This one was in VG- condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The start price was $99.99 and there were no bidders.

May as well stick with the 10-inch theme today: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Volume 3, Blue Note 5039. This was listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the vinyl and sold for $229.

Labor Day Blues: Kind of Blue, Candy, Monk & Sonny

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we’ve been watching over this Labor Day weekend here in the U.S., the nominal end of summer:

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, Columbia 1355. This was an original promo pressing with the white and red label and six eyes. For the most part, promo copies of jazz records don’t necessarily add to the value. With Kind of Blue, however, that is not the case: We usually see the promo copies selling for a premium. I can understand why: It looks way cool and has the smell of authenticity of an original pressing. This copy was in M- condition for both the record and the cover, with a very nice picture, and it sold for $555. There were 31 bids. quite a high number.

There’s been a lot of chatter on the Jazz Collector site about the auction last week by the seller bobdjukic, who always seems to generate a lot of interest, partly because of his extensive use of hyperbole but moreso, methinks, because of his ability to generate high prices. Here are a couple of his auctions we were watching:

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Updates From The Jazz Record Center Auction, Part 2

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We did promise a Part 2 of our post on the recent auction from The Jazz Record Center, so here goes (apologize for the delay):

Why isn’t this record worth more: Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, Prestige 7075? This was an original New York pressing. The record was in M- condition — nearly new — and the cover looked like it was at least VG++, maybe better. It sold for $192.50. I happen to think this is a terrific album. I love Sonny’s interpretation of The Way You Look Tonight. When I was first getting into jazz I used to compare this version to the Stan Getz version on Stan Getz Plays and it took me a while to reconcile not only that it was the same song, but that it was even the same instrument. My ears are obviously much more sophisticated now, but at the time the difference in approach seemed so stark. And I liked both versions. Anyway, I repeat my query: Why is this great original Prestige, featuring two of the geniuses of modern jazz, not even a $200 record?

This has always been one of the rarest and more expensive of the Riversides, for good reason: Sonny Rollins, The Sound of Sonny, Riverside 241. This was an original white label pressing and it was in M- condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $765. It’s the presence of Sonny Clark with Rollins that makes this one so sought-after, no?

Now for a few Blue Notes:

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Jazz Vinyl Update: Richardson, Monk, et al

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Here’s some jazz vinyl we were watching over the weekend:

Jerome Richardson, Roamin’ With Richardson, New Jazz 8226. This was an original pressing that was listed in VG++ condition for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover. It sold for $305. Looks like a new seller on eBay who will be posted some more items in the next few weeks.

Thelonious Monk, Prestige 7027. This looked to be an original pressing with the kakubushi cover. It looked to be in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The price was $250.

This seller from South Korea sold some nice records this weekend, including: Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original West 63rd Street pressing. The vinyl was M- and the cover was VG++. The price was $638. Also, Curtis Fuller, Volume 3, Blue Note 1583. This was also an original pressing and this one was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. It sold for $421. Finally, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman, Three Trumpets, Prestige  7092. This was an original New York pressing in M- condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. It sold for $344.

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