When I first began collecting vintage jazz records, I quickly noticed that Sonny Clark’s Cool Struttin’ is a very in-demand album and considered by many to be a classic. Additionally, I noticed that original pressings fetched in the upwards of two thousand dollars. At some point I became aware that this third/fourth Liberty pressing with original mono Rudy Van Gelder mastering existed, but it still… More→
I don’t exactly remember what piqued my interest in this LP. I think it started when I came across a copy of Gil Melle Quintet, Volume 2. Tal Farlow is on that LP. I also think I was just getting into ten-inch LPs and Rudy Van Gelder’s earliest Hackensack recordings. This album is rare in any format. There’s only one track buried in an obscure Farlow compilation on Spotify and only two… More→
First off, sorry about the flip-flopping regarding the shutting down and reopening of Deep Groove Mono. Last year was an interesting year as a collector. In short, I tried to make some “power moves” in purchasing some expensive records and equipment. Months later, it just didn’t feel right. I felt like I was spending beyond my means, and… More→
With summer drawing to a close, so does this initial run of Deep Groove Mono’s Jazz Collectors of Instagram. It seems fitting to conclude the series with an established veteran, Clifford Allen a.k.a. @tallswami. I originally came to know of Clifford through his comments and contributions to JazzCollector.com. From there, I furthered my … More→
This hobby is all about patience. Several years back, a friend of mine who is almost exclusively a collector of rock and disco twelve-inches randomly scored an EX original pressing of this album for 30 bucks at a shop in Troy, New York, just a 15-minute drive up the Hudson from my native Albany. Try as I have to pry it from… More→
Back in 2010, I first got interested in collecting vintage jazz records by way of the Blue Note Album Cover Art book. Since then it’s been glaringly obvious that Larry Young’s Unity sports one of the most popular and timeless covers in the legendary label’s catalog — there’s even a copy of it on display (alongside BLP 1530… More→
Fittingly coming off the tail of @jazz_peasant’s recent interview, I bring you another refreshingly honest convo, this time with Christopher Brown a.k.a. @what_can_brown. Chris brings us yet another unique insight into the art of jazz record collecting. Chris does most of his buying online and has plenty of advice to offer in that … More→
Before I started collecting vintage jazz records, a friend of mine who is a jazz drummer let me borrow a bunch of jazz CDs to rip to my computer and this was one of them. At the time, I pretty much took all the John Coltrane he had, not having any idea of what was what. But a couple songs on this album, “Central Park West” and… More→
Well folks, based on feedback I have recently received about the Heavyweights of Instagram series, I’ve decided to rename the series simply “Jazz Collectors of Instagram”. The series is intended to provide insight into some of the jazz collectors I follow on IG, not to make an outrageous claim about the “greatest” collectors … More→
When I started collecting, I bought into the popular opinion that Jimmy Smith isn’t “collectible” and didn’t pay him any attention. But then I found this great 1965 German documentary on him serving as evidence of how “incredible” he really was. From the live performances where he plays with so much heart and frankly, tears it up… More→