Collecting

[Hardbopjazz]

If one was going to start collecting LPs from a label, are there any labels that won't cost hundreds per LP? Blue Note, Prestige and Riverside original pressings are way out of my league, unless I find some estate sale where the sellers have no clue of the value.

Any label(s)worth going after? I do have about six original LPs on Argo.

[BeBop]

Crown.

(Only kidding. I collected them for years. Amazing array of titles/personnel lists, often unrelated to the actual recordings. Add in the "United Superior"s and such for a bonus.)

Edited December 27, 2011 by BeBop

[BeBop]

A more serious thought: Xanadu. Some good music on those LPs. Not to many or so tough to find as to be impossible. But a challenge and an accomplishment.

Or maybe Uptown. Nessa would be good if it suits your tastes, but, I'd think, harder.

Edited December 27, 2011 by BeBop

[Leeway]

The following have enough variety and general quality to make collecting them interestingI think: Mainstream, Muse, Inner City, Milestone. I think Contemporary might still be within the bounds of affordability, although some titles will be pricey.

I suggest you use Discogs to scope out these and other labels and see if the label's body of work suits your tastes and interest: otherwise, why bother?

[Hardbopjazz]

I did pick up a few Sonny Rollins' LPs on Milestone0

[BeBop]

Leeway's suggestion is good for another reason: it's a tremendous help to have a discography from which to work. In my few completist ventures, I never knew what I was seeking or when I was done.

[Hardbopjazz]

I suggest you use Discogs to scope out these and other labels and see if the label's body of work suits your tastes and interest: otherwise, why bother?

I do have one I am using.

[kh1958]

Prestige blue and purple label pressings (which sound great) are not hundreds of dollars in price. They can often be obtained for a modest price (just avoid the electronically reprocessed stereo ones).

Similarly, orange/black and red/black Impulses sound incredible, and most are not that expensive.

Contemporary LPs, particularly if recorded by Ray DuNann, are some of the best sounding LPs of all--many are not that expensive.

Columbia made great sounding records to the end of the sixties--the six eyes and two eyes label varieties.

RCA made wonderful LPs as well through the end of the 60s (the black dog label).

Capitol LPs also sound fantastic through the mid-60s or so.

Argo is also an excellent label, but I've found that 99 % of the Argo LPs one runs across are by Ahmad jamal or Ramsey Lewis.

That high price collector mania should be avoided--it's stupid.

[clifford_thornton]

ESP-Disk, especially considering the label/cover variations, etc., can be a really fascinating endeavor. Most original titles can be had for well under $100.

Other mentions here I'd certainly second or third. Also...

Muse

India Navigation

Verve

Jazztone

Atlantic

[sidewinder]

Beehive.

[Pete B]

Another vote for BeeHive.

I also collect

Chazz (piano oriented - a lot of Ralph Sutton, for instance)

Blue Angel Jazz Club

Onyx

Meritt

Boris Rose labels

(My tastes are perhaps chronologically a little older than a lot of the members here.)

Pete

[Dan Gould]

I collected Argo but never with the intention of finding everything exhaustively. Prices were definitely easier on the wallet than some other labels. Beehive is a good choice because, iirc, there weren't all that many issues. But I don't think their distribution was very good and its probably pretty challenging to find them all. That rarity probably juices the prices a bit too but I am sure not to BN et. al. levels.

[Bill Nelson]

The owner of a record store in Anniston, AL, told me,"One of my best customers is running the Capitol label."

Impressed by the prospect, I asked,"But does he have executive experience?"

[Hardbopjazz]

What about the reissue series of Blue Note sessions? How is the sound on these? Below is an example.

Dusty Groove

[colinmce]

Those Blue Notes are not bad, especially for cheapie reissues. They are loud and punchy, but not too much. I consider this to be a good thing, personally; too quiet vinyl bothers me.

[sidewinder]

Master Jazz is another one that comes to mind.

[Leeway]

What about the reissue series of Blue Note sessions? How is the sound on these? Below is an example.

Dusty Groove

I never could get a straight answer as to whether they are digitally sourced. My guess is that they are.

[colinmce]

Almost certainly. Explains the loudness and kick.

Another upside is that this LP series has a number of Blue Note titles out that never appeared as RVGs and have thus been OOP and hard to find on domestic CD.

[worldmusic]

One of my favorite labels is ECM founded by Manfred Eicher. The reason for this is one of my favorite musicians is Keith Jarrett. Others that I have on this label are Chick Corea and Gary Burton. I'm looking at the ecm website and their is an endless list of folks on this label.