Product Description

Collectors of jazz on vinyl know how difficult it can be to find

pristine copies of original classic jazz recordings, and

ever-changing market values can make pricing those albums

even more difficult. With this fantastic, updated 2nd edition,

collectors will be able to accurately price records using the

most current market values.

This all-encompassing reference features all types of jazz

issued on 33 1/3 rpm long-playing records, including Dixieland,

bebop, big band, swing, West Coast, fusion, modern and many

others. It includes over 40,000 albums released between 1948

and today, valued in three grades of condition, as well as a

thoroughly illustrated label guide for easy distinction between

first editions and later pressings. Collectors will discover

thousands of records not listed in any other price guide!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #236877 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

About the Author
A record collector for more than 30 years with a collection containing over 25,000 items, Tim Neely is book editor and research director of Goldmine magazine, the world's foremost print marketplace for record collectors. He is also author of Goldmine[trademark] Record Album Price Guide 3rd Edition, Goldmine[trademark] Standard Catalog of[registered] American Records 1950-1975, and Goldmine[trademark] Records & Prices 2nd Edition, published by Krause Publications, and nearly 20 other books for record collectors.

Customer Reviews

Not much of an update from the Umphred guide
Although it's nice to have listings from beyond 1969 (why was that date chosen as a cutoff for the previous incarnation of this book, anyway?), this book falls short in several areas.

First and foremost, most of the prices have been left unchanged; in some cases, they've been downgraded. A quick market pulse-check will tell anyone that you're not going to net $100 for a first press in M- condition of Lee Morgan's "Candy" on blue note, and you're definitely going to get more than $25 for a first-press Sun Ra record on El Saturn! Frequently, the prices for post-'69 records are formulaic; a majority of those records are listed as $6.25/$12.50/$25.00. Thanks for nothing, Neely!

Second, the label determining information is seriously lacking, frequently repeating mistakes made in the Umphred book (i.e., "the 'deep groove' on Blue Note records is about the size of a 50-cent piece.")! only in the case of Columbia mono/stereo pressings. Argh!

In sum: although this book is complete, its prices are out of touch with reality, and it appears as though the bulk of time it took to get the book to market was spent in arranging the listings, rather than completing the requisite thorough research to successfully achieve its auspicious goal. If you already have Umphred's book, purchase this only if you have a significant number of post-'69 records.

A pointless and very sloppy edition.
Well-a last a long-awaited update to the, despite some minor quibbles, excellent 1994 price-guide by N. Umphred.... But it doesn't take more than a few minutes to discover that this is a serious letdown. This is basically a photo-copy of Umphred's Book with all the excellent details an easily readable format edited out? . This has apparently been compiled without ANY real research, insight or interest for that matter in Jazz Vinyl collecting. The only excuse for the release of this text-book-example-of-cashing-in-on-other-peoples-reputation-and-work is the unavailability of Umphred's edition. Owners of this previous edition should stay way clear of this...

Tim Neely--what were you thinking?!
I ordered this book even after I read the sparse not-so-favorable reviews, because my experience with jazz officionados (sic) is that they are whining nitpickers (example: sniveling over Ken Burns Jazz documentary). I have the old 1992 Umphred book, missed the 1994 edition and thought it was time to update. I screwed up.

Pluses: *listings beyond 1969--though who really cares unless you like to have a checklist for all your albums. They're pretty much all the same price and overpriced at that.

*Frank Zappa listings. Though I don't agree with including this in a jazz book it is kind of cool to see the state of my Zappa collection being addressed.

*Updated prices. Sad to see my mono pressing devalue, but I kind of agree with some of the listings here, though how dime-a-dozen Brubeck albums on Columbia can bring more than early '60's Blue Notes is totally beyond me! Tim, what are you thinking?!

*Label info in the actual listings rather than in the intro--but sparse (see below)

*Cool little checklist boxes to mark off the stock

Minuses:

*WHat I've already mentioned above

*biggest minus: this book is for collectors--what we need more than anything, more than even a "new and improved" price list is "new and improved" label information bordering on the factual. Buyer beware: there is nothing regarding labels except for some Blue Note info and Columbia. I was looking for reliable info on Riverside which is sorely lacking in the '92. I couldn't believe that this vital information was tossed. A real disservice. Is there reliable info in the '94 Umphred? Could someone fax me copies of that so I can paste onto my inside cover. Jeeeezzzz!

*Stupid numerical listing system that separates Mono from Stereo copies. But on the plus side it is divided by labels rather than years. Preferable though I don't really know why myself

I really hope this helps. I should have bought the '94 instead but felt that it didn't address my concerns from the '92. I don't know how hard this can really be if you are steeped in the industry. I do this for s**ts and giggles and know things not in any of the books. A half-assed product, I'm sorry to say. If you are going to do it, do it right or not at all. Where was Neil? He at least has a particular interest in Jazz. WHen you read the forward Tim comes right out and confesses that jazz is not his cup of tea. He therefore has no business getting involved in such a delicate matter as jazz collecting. Sorry Tim, but I suspect I speak for all of those who will purchase this book AFTER have owned an Umphred. Newcomers to the arena will find themselves buried in unwanted reissues in no time.

P.S. Why did my Colpix stereo copy of Jimmy Rushing's "Five Feet of Soul" disappear? Is it even rare? Saw a VG+ copy selling for $25 at a show couple years ago. I already had it.