HORACE SILVER&JAZZ MESSENGERS Art Blakey RVG Ear 9M MONO DG 63rd BLP 1518 ORIG.

	£		82
	$		109

HORACE SILVER and THE JAZZ MESSENGERS - S/T

An impressive and highly presentable condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1959 US early press jazz gem, on BLUE NOTE records, MONO, BLP 1518

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  BN-LP-1518 A  also  "ear" , "RVG", and "9M" all hand etched

Side 2 BN-LP-1518 B  also  "ear" , "RVG", and "9M" all hand etched

The overall appearance and condition of this completely flat and beautifully thick vinyl is a solid very good (VG) - most would grade as "VG+", I am sure. In normal daylight the vinyl comes across as in excellentcondition, with a jet black sheen and beautiful luster. Close scrutiny under a bright light reveals just a few hairlines on each side and on side 2 there are a few closely congregated and slightly more pronounced hairlines/small marks (see photo) but even these are non-feelable, appear to be superficial and do not impinge upon the excellent audio quality. Considering it's 60+ year antiquity the condition of this record is truly impressive.

The labels are each excellent (EX). All text and the famous Blue Note logo with blue and white writing remains perfectly intact upon the equally impressive light matt textured blue and white backgrounds. Held up in a bright light and just a few very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole come into view on each label. Note the circular "deep groove" on each label, indicative of very early pressings. 

The non-laminated thick cardboard iconic outer sleeve is in very good plus (VG+) condition also. Beautiful thick cardboard with rigid edges with intermittent (but clearly noticeable) scuffing on each edge and with 1.5cm of continuous scuffing on the bottom edge adjacent to the bottom right corner and also at the bottom of the spine (which itself remains firm but also contains intermittent scuff marks). The corners remain nicely defined right angles with mild rubbing on each, and the opening edges remain firm with no fraying. There are some light age marks on the reverse side next to the bottom edge, a sticker with "11" on it located in the top right corner, and an arrow written in blue biro next to "HIPPY" in the track listing - apart from these minor blemishes the condition of the reverse side is excellent, with all text in great shape. Note the "767 Lexington Ave., New York 21" address at the bottom of the reverse side of the sleeve, again indicative of an early pressing.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent (EX). Terrific MONO audio quality with wonderful tone and clarity throughout, even on higher frequencies and at higher volume. No jumps, repeats, sticks, or skips; just the very occasional background click (though upon playback I noticed 4 mild, background rotational clicks towards the beginning of track 4, side 1 which upon close inspection under a bright light revealed the cause to be a tiny non-feelable mark on the vinyl) and only the merest hint of some occasional very, very light (barely discernible) background crackle on side but this really is negligible and overall the MONO reproduction is crystal clear. Blue Note records of this era were made to last, and they do! It's not hard to see why this 1959 Blue Note LP is so highly regarded and sought after with these jazz giants on top form - KENNY DORHAM, trumpet; HANK MOBLEY, tenor sax; HORACE SILVER, piano; DOUG WATKINS, bass; ART BLAKEY, drums - and it's hardly surprising that every track makes for a great listen. Groundbreaking stuff!

Track lists :

Side 1 

1. ROOM 608

2. CREEPIN' IN

3. STOP TIME

4. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Side 2

1. HIPPY

2. THE PREACHER

3. HANKERIN'

4. DOODLIN'

Comes complete BLUE NOTE advertising inner sleeve with a small tear on each of the top edges and another small tear on the bottom edge, and some obvious creasing. Still functional, but not in great condition. NOTE that I always insert the vinyl into a a standard plain white sleeve in order to protect the original inner sleeve during shipping.

In summary an impressive condition and very presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after US early press Blue Note jazz gem - worthy of gracing any serious jazz vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am now 65 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard crucifix style mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class, signed for  : UK £4.00; 

and Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for continental Europe £10, and Rest of the World £14. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler