Sam Rivers - Contours, BLP4206, VanGelder, NY, original issue, Reid Miles cover

$

45

Sam Rivers played briefly with Miles Davis before Wayne Shorter joined the group.  One reviewer says Rivers was too avant-garde for Miles.  Nonetheless, "Euterpe" on this record suggests the music on Miles' later "In A Silent Way".  And look at the other musicians on this date:  Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Joe Chambers.  This is almost V.S.O.P. a decade early.  Five diamonds in the ALL MUSIC GUIDE TO JAZZ, which calls it "the avant-garde, but presented ... in a way that wouldn't be upsetting or confusing to hard bop loyalists. ... One of the high water marks of the mid-60s avant-garde movement."
The vinyl is a pleasure to hear and rated VG+.  There are some superficial marks on the vinyl.  There is a "whoosh", surface noise, for six revolutions half way through the first track on Side 1.  Otherwise there are a few pops as the record plays through.  The record label has the "New York USA" address while the cover shows "43 West 61st St., New York 23".  "VanGelder" is stamped in the deadwax along with BN LP-4206.  These items are consistent with the points for Blue Note firsts on the London Jazz Collectors' website.  The front of the cover has a spot near Rivers' chin.  Some light ringwear shows. See the photo.  The spine and bottom seam are strong but show rubbing.  The top seam is intact two thirds of the way from the opening toward the spine but the last third has been damaged.  There is a photo of this specific area.  The cover is graded VG.  No clipped corner, notch, or cutout hole.  No tape, or stickers. Records are play-graded, but when visual grading is different from the sound, the record is marked at the lower grade. 

You can save on shipping by combining several items.  Please see our other records.  Order two records at the same time with NO INCREASE in shipping charge for domestic shipping.  For international shipping, use Ebay's Global Shipping program.  If your address is not covered by the Global Shipping program, send a message to the seller.  I will ship to most international addresses.  Note, however, that customs documents will show the sale price as the actual value and items sold for more than $50 must be shipped with insurance.  Records are removed from the cover before shipping to save the seams.  Both are packed in a plastic sleeve, bubble-wrapped, sandwiched between cardboard, then packed in a box designed for shipping records. 

If you have a question or a problem, please contact me.  I will resolve it.  I accept returns with full credit, though the buyer pays return postage.  Please see our other records.  

The following Goldmine descriptions were used for grading:

·        NM (Near Mint) ---- A nearly perfect record.  The disc looks as if you just got it home from a new record store.  Many brand new discs do not meet this standard.  The jacket should show no obvious signs of wear with no creases, folds, seam splits or cut-out holes.

·        VG+ (Very Good Plus) ---- A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.  Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear such as slight scuffs or very light scratches that don’t affect the listening experience.  The label may have some ring wear or discoloration but it would be barely noticeable.  The jacket may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation, or corner indicating it was sold at a discount.  

·        VG (Very Good) ---- Surface noise will be evident, especially in soft passages, but will not overpower the music.  Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches that will affect the sound.  Labels and the jacket may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers attached.  Ring wear, scuffing, or seam splitting may be present on the jacket.  Many of the defects in a VG+ jacket will be more pronounced in a VG one.  The jacket will not have all of these problems at the same time.

·        G (Good) ---- Good does not mean Bad!  A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put on a turntable and will play through without skipping or sticking.  But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear.  A jacket will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine.  Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object.