Jazz & Blues Auctions

Jazz & Blues Auctions

For us, Jazz and Blues music very much speaks to the soul. Historically so important to music, the sounds that first appeared onto shellac records in around 1895 are what we now deem to be early Jazz music - from this period there can also be found Blues recordings featuring African-American slaves on the plantations of the deep south. Such recordings are now extremely scarce and when they do turn up can command extremely high prices under the hammer!

More commonly seen, though not necessarily cheaper, are records from the mid 20th century that feature Jazz and Blues musicians. We’re looking here at the ‘big’ US labels such as Blue Note, Riverside, Prestige, Bethlehem, Mosaic, Pacific Jazz, Fantasy, Atlantic, Verve (Clef and Norgran too) and Contemporary, though also UK releases on labels such as Esquire, Tempo and London can be equally as collectable.

For collectors of these genres, the artist is also key. Typically, records fetauring ‘Trad’, ‘Swing’ and ‘Cool’ Jazz musicians do not hold a great monetary value, rather (if we’re talking Jazz records) the more sought after artists are the cats who came after this, the harder end of Bop, the free form style of playing, the ‘avant’, challenging and diverse performers such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane (and indeed Alice Coltrane), Dorothy Ashby, Hank Mobley, Jutta Hipp, Lee Morgan, Sonny Stitt, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Bill Evans, Elysian Spring, Thelonious Monk, Art Pepper, James Tatum, Sun Ra, Don Rendell and Ian Carr.

When we look at Blues records, there’s quite literally hundreds of sought after musicians – usually we can say ‘the earlier the better’ though this understandably isn’t always the case. Records, 10”, LP, 7”, EP or otherwise(!) featuring artists such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson (and Blind Willie McTell for that matter!), Freddie King, Ma Rainey, Mississippi John Hurt, the ‘harmonica boss’ Dr Ross, Etta James, Otis Spann, Lead Belly, Sonny Boy Williamson, Skip James can all be desirable.

If you have records in the collection dating from the early country blues all the way up to the modern blues of Jack White we’d love to see them!

Upcoming Sales

Tuesday 8th October 2024

Vinyl 'Selected' (Including Punk, Soul, Reggae, Jazz, Blues and Psych!)

Viewings
VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT:
MONDAY 6TH OCTOBER

Venue: Newton-le-Willows

Time: 9.00am

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Tuesday 15th October 2024

The Beatles Collection

Viewings
VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT:
MONDAY 14TH OCTOBER

Venue: Newton-le-Willows

Time: 10.00am

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Saturday 9th November 2024

Rare Vinyl - Live from Den Bosch

Viewings
VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT:
FRIDAY 1st NOVEMBER - UK (BY APPOINTMENT)
FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER - DEN BOSCH 1PM - 5PM
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER - DEN BOSCH 9AM - 12.45PM

Venue: Den Bosch, Netherlands

Time: 1pm Den Bosch 12pm UK

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Auction Highlights

Bowie Starman Lyrics

David Bowie Starman Lyrics

Sold For

£203,500

The Record that Launched the Beatles

Sold For

£77,500

David Bowie Reel to Reel Tape with Unreleased Recordings

David Bowie Reel to Reel Tape with Unreleased Recordings

Sold For

£49,200

The Mike Mitchell Beatles Archive

Sold For

£253,000

Elvis Presley Bible Complete with Handwritten Notes

Sold For

£59,000

Paul McCartney English Literature School Book

Paul McCartney English Literature School Book

Sold For

£46,800