This week’s theme: Tina Brooks as sideman and leader n Blue Note. Featured artists include Tina Brooks, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones, Clifford Jarvis, Freddie Redd, Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Drew, Arthur Taylor, Johnny Coles, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins, Art Blakey.

This week’s theme: Part two of our exploration of jazz tracks that have the name of a woman in the title. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Ray Charles, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Art Blakey, Eddie Jefferson, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Benny Golson, Billy Taylor, Stan Getz, Al Haig, Jimmy Raney, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Barry Harris, Jimmy Rushing, Coleman Hawkins, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, Tina Brooks, Nat King Cole, Sweets Edison, and more.

Starting back in July, I saved the article Celebrating Hank Mobley, from the Substack column Jazz and Coffee written by Syd Schwartz. I know there are a lot of Mobley fans out there in the Jazz Collector world, so I think you will enjoy it.

From the same author, I saved the following article Explorations With the Bill Evans Trio.  The author had written the liner notes for an audiophile reissue of Explorations, which he revisits in this post. The liner notes, IMHO, are well written and informative.

The new set, called Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings on the Craft label is just out now, with 17 alternative takes and outtakes that have never been issued. I applied for a review copy and never got a reply, so I guess it’s time to just order it – on vinyl, of course – which I will do just as soon as I finish typing this post.

Also in July, I received a note from a reader as follows:

Subject: Blue Train BLP1577 mono on side 1, stereo on side 2

“Hi, I have a copy of Blue Train, BLP1577, Liberty version, purchased in UK in 1967 that is stamped RVG, BN-LP-1577-A, with 9M on side 1, and RVG Stereo, BN-ST-1577-B on side 2. I have never seen any mention of this combination of mono on side 1, stereo on side 2 before. Have you ever heard of this?”

I replied as follows: “It sounds to me like they used whatever labels they had on hand, rather than the record being stereo on one side and mono on the other. Blue Note was prone to do that, especially during the transition to Liberty. Also, to my knowledge Blue Train was recorded in mono, so if it is stereo, it would be reprocessed stereo. If you want I could put something on my site to see what other collectors think? — al”

His reply: “It’s not the labels that are mixed mono and stereo (they are both BLP1577 – i.e. mono), but the markings on the vinyl record itself. And sure, please share on your site to see if others have come across this. Thanks.”

It’s taken a few months, but here it is if anyone has any thoughts.

Here’s one from August with a happy ending, or so it seems:

Subject: Tina Brooks

“Hi. I have a copy of Tina Brooks true blue first edition is in vgplus condition. On my turntable, one track, true blue, has a series of about eight mild pops. I’m interested in selling it but when I brought it to Fred at the Jazz Record Center he said it has it has a locked groove at that point. Is this something you would be interested in looking at or do you have any advice for me? I know of all the tricks with a toothpick, etc. but it’s such a valuable record. I really don’t wanna fool around with it. Thanks.”

My reply: “I don’t know what a locked groove is, but I’m sure I’ve encountered it.
I used to use a nickel or a quarter, but I would never try something like that on a record like True Blue. I you would like, I can put a note on my site and see if anyone has any ideas and/or if they would be interested. Not sure of an ultrasonic cleaner would help, but a collector I know swears by it. I don’t have one myself.”

His reply: “Thanks for getting back to me. I didn’t know what a locked groove is either, but it’s basically when something keeps the stylus from moving forward and keeps repeating. Well a funny thing happened when I went to pick up the record at JRC… I brought a toothpick with me figuring I would see if I could find something in the groove and get it out, so I asked Fred if he would play the record and we could find the exact spot. Well, it played just like it did on my turntable this time a bunch of pops, but no ‘locked groove’! He tried it on a second turntable and same result. So he’s putting it up for sale now with an appropriate description. Anyway, I just wanted to get back to you and I really appreciate you taking the time to ride with me.”

Here’s one I’ve been saving since September:

Subject: albums test pressing

“ I have a bunch of album test pressings that have not been played.  Gene Ammons July 17, 1996; count basie big band 1994; Johnny Adams June 29, 1995; Johnny d. Lane march 20, 1997; chico freeman spirit sensitive dec 14 1994;  duke ellington mar 31 1994; art pepper plus eleven  may 24, 1994; and some regular albums; these are all in white sleeves with numbers on them.”

My Reply:

“Thanks for reaching out. This is not an area where I have any expertise. My site focuses on albums primarily from the 1950s and early 1960s. In my experience, collectors don’t have a great interest in test pressings, particularly reissues. I don’t think there would be much value in what you have. Having said that, I could mention the items in a post and see if anyone replies. Otherwise, you might be fine taking them to a local record store, depending upon where you are located. If you are in the New York area, the Jazz Record Center would be the place to go.”

Reply: “If you could mention it they are mainly first test press predating other presses. I am actually in rural Idaho.”

The post Catching Up: Bill Evans, Tina Brooks, Hank Mobley, Et Al first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]> https://jazzcollector.com/uncategorized/catching-up-bill-evans-tina-brooks-hank-mobley-et-al/feed/ 0 9764 https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/favorite-blue-notes-one-more-once/ https://jazzcollector.com/blue-note/favorite-blue-notes-one-more-once/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:54:50 +0000 https://jazzcollector.com/?p=9759 I figure if I keep writing about Blue Notes and putting Blue Notes in the headline, I’ll start scoring well on Google and all of [...]

I figure if I keep writing about Blue Notes and putting Blue Notes in the headline, I’ll start scoring well on Google and all of a sudden the many people who have abandoned Jazz Collector in the past year or so will come charging back. Or not. In any case, to follow up on yesterday’s post and some of the comments, I’ve narrowed down my list of Top Ten Blue Notes and I believe I can settle soon on a Top Ten.  Seven of them are known because they were on the list I began compiling in February 2010 (More Blue Note Favorites, Courtesy of Downbeat). Hard to believe that was nearly 16 years ago. My tastes haven’t changed in all those years.

I am not going to reveal the Top Ten list here in this post, but, instead, will wait until I do the actual radio show/podcast, which means I have to figure out the best way to bring the music into the studio. Here is how I’m progressing on that. I realize I have in my collection Japanese versions of Art Blakey Blue Note 4003 and Reddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. As for Dexter Gordon Our Man in Paris, Donald Byrd A New Perspective, Art Blakey Buhaina’s Delight, and anything by Horace Silver, I’ve already brought them into the studio and nothing happened, so I’ll be comfortable with them.

John Coltrane Blue Train, I’m not so sure. Maybe a CD, to be on the safe side. Perhaps CDs or alternate versions for a few others  as well. For example, if I were to include anything by Tina Brooks, I have the Mosaic boxed set on vinyl.

In case I go for Sonny Clark, I just ordered The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions on Mosaic. It was unavailable for a while and recently made available again. I have no idea how that works, but it’s not an issue for me to worry about.

The Sonny Clark is a CD set. I figure it’s a good one to have in case I ever want to bring any Sonny Clark recordings into the studio for the radio show or if I ever fall into an irreversible coma and my family wants to sell my original copies. Of course, I’d rather them pull the plug on me before selling my original Sonny Clark LPs, but at that point I’ll be in no condition to make any demands. Once the Sonny Clark CD set arrives in the mail, I’ll be able to do the show. Whilst we wait, you are all free to speculate and to include your own lists as well.

The post Favorite Blue Notes, One More Once first appeared on jazzcollector.com.]]>

Kenny Burrell with Art Blakey, On View at the Five Spot Café, Blue Note 4021. This is an original Blue Note West 63^rd Street pressing. It features a great band that also includes Tina Brooks, Boby Timmons, Roland Hanna and Ben Tucker. The record is listed in VG+ condition for the vinyl and VG++ for the cover. Bidding is close to $400 with four days left in the auction.  I was recently talking with a jazz fan who had just turned 90, and he was reminiscing about going to the Five Spot almost every night in the late 1950s, particularly when Monk was playing there regularly. I was hoping to buy some records from this particular gentleman, or at least to peruse his collection. He assured me he had a bunch of original Blue Notes and Prestiges. But he lived in a large house and, after about an hour of searching, we never did find the records. True story.

I see my friends at Carolina Soul are back with an auction, including Dexter Gordon, Go, Blue Note 4112. This is an original New York USA pressing, listed in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover. Cover looks fantastic in the pictures. Bidding is at $400 with more than four days left in the auction. When I worked with Carolina Soul a couple of years ago to sell some records from my collection, there was a copy of Dexter Gordon Go in the batch. It was a duplicate, of course. Don’t remember what it sold for, but I do know these original Blue Notes are constantly going up in value, or in the case of a certain Freddie Hubbard LP going Up, Up, Up.

From the same seller: Jackie McLean, The New Tradition, Ad Lib 6601. The record was listed as VG+ and the cover was VG. The final price was $4,412. As I mentioned before, this seller is getting these very high prices and is only shipping within the U.S. One more from the same seller: Webster Young, For Lady, Prestige 7106. This was an original New York yellow label listed in VG++ condition for both the record and the cover. The final price was $2,175.  Per Popsike, this is the second highest price we’ve seen for this record. Two years ago a copy sold for $2,584.

And what would a Jazz Collector post be these days without a Blue Note or a listing from the seller Carolinasoul. Here we have both: Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing. The vinyl was listed in VG MINUS condition and the cover was VG+. The final price was $2,999. I guess the chances of me ever upgrading my cover are getting slimmer and slimmer all the time.

A couple of updates:

It doesn’t look like I will be doing anything substantial with my record collection yet. Those negotiations we were having with our largest client are over and, basically, we got everything we were asking for, so I’m probably locked in to working full time for another year, at least. I’m OK with that. Despite not being in the game of selling records, I do hope to be able to post more frequently on Jazz Collector. I’ve really let the work stuff get to me and occupy a lot of my brain power. Perhaps now that things are settled, I would like to get back to enjoying my connection with the community here.

I received this note from a reader: “I am interested in selling a 1960 photo of John Coltrane taken at Ralph Gleason’s home in Berkeley, CA. The photo was taken by Jim Marshall and is very rare.” The reader was asking about advertising it on the Jazz Collector site, but I’m not offering paid ads at this point, so here is a free ad. Anyone interested can reach out to al at jazzcollector dot com and I can put you in touch with the potential seller.

I also received a note from a reader interested in selling a large desktop lighter cigar that ostensibly belonged to Dizzy Gillespie. Apparently it was given to Dizzy by James Moody and is mentioned in Dizzy’s autobiography To Be or Not to Bop. Again, if anyone is interested you can reach out to me and I can reach out to the owner.

Donald Byrd, The Cat Walk,  Blue Note 4075. This looks to be an original New York USA pressing with a “Review Copy” stamp on the label. The record is listed in M- condition and the cover is VG+. The bidding is $285 and the auction closes today.  Also closing today: Eric Dolphy, Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236. This is an original pressing listed in VG+ condition for the record and VG for the cover. The current price is about $390. And one more for today: Sonny Clark, Leapin’ and Lopin’, Blue Note 4091. This is an original mono New York USA pressing, also with a “Review Copy” stamp. The record is probably VG++, based on the seller’s description, and the cover is VG+. Bidding is in the $300 range.

Lee Morgan, Volume 3, Blue Note 1557. Original pressing, Ex/Ex+ for the record, M- for the cover: $5,897

Kenny Dorham, Quiet Kenny, New Jazz 8225. Original pressing, Ex+ vinyl, Ex+ cover: $5,142.

Hank Mobley Quintet, Blue Note 1550. Original pressing, Ex/Ex+ record, Ex+ cover: $4,663.

There are a lot more. Seems to me vinyl-house-uk could have retired after this auction.

Whilst we are perusing the $1,000 bin: Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046. This was an original West 63^rdStreet pressing listed in VG++ condition for the record and VG+ for the cover. The final price was $1,514.89. This one had a start price of about $5,000 but did not sell: Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041. This was an original pressing. The record was listed as M-, but the cover was VG-. It is back on eBay for the same start price.

When I wrote about this one the first time, the bidding was less than $1,000 with nearly two days left on the auction: Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. This was an original West 63^rd Street pressing listed in EX/EX+ condition for the record and EX for the cover. The final price was, ta da, $2,670.

The seller, vinyl-house-uk, had a pretty nice haul the week that this one closed. In addition to Shades of Redd, there were original pressings of:

Cliff Jordan, Cliff Craft, Blue Note 1582: $1,938, VG+ for the vinyl and EX+ for the cover.

Introducing Kenny Burrell, Blue Note 1523: $1,719, EX/EX+ for the record and cover.

Hank Mobley Sextet, Blue Note 1560, $2,753, EX for the vinyl and VG+ for the cover.