what is your most valuable album....

[Chuck Nessa]

Had it, sold it for big bux! Had the cd.

[MomsMobley]

Chuck, as native Iowan-- tho' a good hour plus from Powesheik County-- did you know anyone at that Duke gig?

[Chuck Nessa]

Not at that time.

[Peter Johnson]

Saw Herbie in a quartet hit in Philadelphia. Hung back after the hit and asked him to sign a copy of a first press blue note record of his to my (as of yet unborn) daughter (few others had at that point heard her name).

She was born in New York, and we came back (to Philadelphia) two days later...

That record--Maiden Voyage--was the first music she ever heard.

[GA Russell]

I have two autographed Al Hirt LPs, an If LP signed by Dick Morrissey and a signed Mark Murphy Rah LP.

I wouldn't expect to get much for them now, but perhaps after Murphy passes the Rah will be worth something.

Hey does that copy of RAH have the lyrics he used on the early pressings? "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places/Of the horses at the races......"

By the way, Joe, it's "all the old familiar faces of the horses..."

[clifford_thornton]

Saw Herbie in a quartet hit in Philadelphia. Hung back after the hit and asked him to sign a copy of a first press blue note record of his to my (as of yet unborn) daughter (few others had at that point heard her name).

She was born in New York, and we came back (to Philadelphia) two days later...

That record--Maiden Voyage--was the first music she ever heard.

Now that's what I call valuable.

[Justin V]

I have a signed copy of Bobby Few's Let It Rain, which appears to be the only album released on his own label. I found it in the $1.00 bin at a used book store. It appears to be hard to find. There are a few instrumentals, two Disney tunes and a few vocal tunes. I've also found Uri Caine and Ira Sullivan autographed discs at the same store, surprisingly enough.

An album that I treasure for personal reasons is a signed copy of Gene Ludwig's Duff's Blues. I drove to Pittsburgh to see him play at some loud, trendy restaurant. I think my wife and I were the only ones really listening to Ludwig playing a keyboard/saxophone duet set. Despite not being on his organ (it was a basement restaurant, and he had recently been ill), Ludwig played some nice bass lines with his left hand and was in great form (the keyboard was set to a bass setting in the lower register). When I went up to talk to him, he was a really cool guy, and seemed surprised that someone would drive from Cleveland to see him in a less-than-ideal setting.

I wasn't able to make it to see him again, and he died a couple weeks before the gig we were planning on seeing him at (which ended up being canceled due to illness). The cd serves as a memento of my one chance to see a master. I'm still hoping that his album of Cole Porter tunes, which he was shopping around, comes out one of these days.

[romualdo]

1. My most "special" jazz item is not vinyl/CD but an autographed Thelonious Monk Australian tour program from the 1965 world tour - picked it up at a record fair a few years back for virtually nothing. I found it at the very end of the day as things were winding down. No one had shown any interest in it!!!

2. Again, not strictly jazz (to some) - An Australian pressing (1966) of Frank Zappa's first 7" 45 rpm single (Help! I'm A Rock/How Could I be Such A Fool) on the unique red/yellow Verve label (use an image of this as my Avatar). Less than 100 of these were pressed. It was given to me by a friend who owned a second hand record shop here in Brisbane in the 80's/early 90's - he understood its value to me (I'm a big Zappa fan). He could have scored a lot of money for that but instead gave it to me!! - amazing altruism. Would never part with this.

3. Andrew Hill Mosaic box - he autographed it for me ("You Bought The Big One") when he was touring Australia in 1998 (I think)

& finally I would have to add the Cecil Taylor FMP box (seems to be a favourite here)

[romualdo]

The hardest albums to track down that I own were the 8 CD box set Document: New Music From Russia-the 80s and the LP "New Vitality" by Vladimir Chekasin (both on Leo). I have one of 30 copies of a single made by singer-songwriter Natalie Rose LeBrecht.

A few others I would probably have a hard time replacing would be The Ericle of Dolphi, one of the Sam River's Black Africas on Horo, Edward Vesala's Kullervo and Albert Ayler's Albert Smiles with Sonny.

I remember trying to get the Document set from Leo a few years back (I think there were one or two sets left) - the cost of shipping to Australia was astronomical. In a return email to Leo Feigin I commented that it must have been made of lead for that price - I think he got a bit pissed off with me & never replied to any of my later emails - well I missed out on that one (lament++)

Those elusive Po Torch releases (were they Paul Lovens label? - wonder if he still has the tapes) - The Ericle has to be my favourite LP name - wonderful word play. None of them has made it to CD yet except part of one (Globe Unity) is going to be released in the upcoming FMP box I think.

Edited December 12, 2010 by romualdo