Thelonious Monk; Brilliant Corners, DG, Blue reel label, no Inc., RLP 12-226

$

44

A jazz standard. ... that's really all I gotta say. You got Sonny Rollins, Ernie Henry, and Max Roach on this! Monk's breakout hit. And this is a beautiful copy from the pre-Inc Riverside label era. A fantastic example of this record, definitely one to consider if you've been hunting.
VINYL: VG+ (9.0 of 10): Amazing quality. If you hunt of awhile, you'll find a few faint marks. Very faint. But the fidelity on this is quite amazing. A beautiful example of this OG Riverside press. Grooves look great, the vinyl has a deep glossy black tone.
COVER: VG+ (8.5 of 10): Almost equally as strong is the cover. Beautiful gloss, strong, square corners, no splits, strong seams. The only real blemish is a small crease here or there, and what looks like slight moisture damage at the opening (pictured). Back has some aging/soiling also. But the overall aesthetic is quite good.
COVER SPLITS: None. 

Vinyl Weight:  Around 155g
VINYL SPECIFICS: Deep Groove, original blue label, microphone label, no INC. "US PAT # RE 23,946 CB PAT # 713,418" etched in runout.

VINYL ABNORMALITIES: None.

SPECIAL NOTES: Get it while you can. This will always be a jazz classic and standard, and this is a great example of it. It's been played very little over the years, or it was played with care. The cover has seen a bit more wear than the record, but it's likely due to storage (notice the moisture damage). I see no evidence of groove wear or moisture damage at all. It has amazing fidelity, and I recommend it for collectors and audiophiles alike.

THE SELLER: I'm an AVID jazz collector (and have been for quite some time). I do have all the pedigree classic rock, and dabble in blues and a few other genres, but overall I'm a jazz vinyl collector. That's my specialty. I try to present each album as a unique piece. I strive for an academic-level quality of evaluation. Every vinyl has its positives and negatives, and I hope to depict that reality in each of my listings. I used to sell for volume, but I now want to focus on quality and presentation. Each of my listings is presented after careful evaluation and note taking. As such, I probably won't have any more than 3 listings up at a time (if that), and they may be few and far between ... but when they do come up, rest assured it's a listing presented by a collector. The only reason I sell is to keep my collection on a rotational basis until I get the exact pieces I want. I recommend any potential bidder evaluate the detail and photos critically to evaluate whether or not to add the piece to their collection. I've attempted to consider album historical importance, vinyl performance, overall aesthetic, and unique character. 


Grading: My scale consists of ... G, VG, VG+ ... NOTHING ELSE. I refuse to use the word "mint." Instead I use words describing luster, paper scuffs, scratches, nicks, gouges, needle drops, etc ... and it's all detailed in the vinyl description area. The only time I'll use "mint" is if the LP is sealed. The number after each G/VG/VG+ scoring is meant to describe general eye appeal in combination with the audio during my vinyl audition. It's meant to give you a better idea of the overall piece presented. In other words, you get a general (then more-specific) idea of what the piece is. I also note any cover splits, pressing abnormalities, or additional notes needed (pressing bubbles, radial hues, inconsistent look, possible water damage, etc.). I will provide as much information as needed such as matrix markings, vinyl weight, stamping marks, or any other attributes of note.


* All vinyl I sell is cleaned with a vacuum system and home crafted, all natural enzyme cleaner. I've created my own vacuum cleaning system and process. It's a 3-step process of clean, vacuum, rinse two times. 
** All covers I sell are sanitized and properly wiped down with a lightly alcohol/de-ionized water solution.
*** If I find a short cover split, I will try to repair it if possible. If I do that, it is noted. If the split is too big, then I'll leave it as is for consideration. Regardless, any splits, or lack thereof, are noted.
**** All vinyl ships in a proper record shipping box, with vinyl OUTSIDE the sleeve to protect the cover. Each piece is sent with a 4mil plastic sleeve.
***** All vinyl I sell has been auditioned IN FULL on a Lenco (Bogen) L70 (B62) with a Denon 103 cartridge, using a (modern) generic Pioneer receiver through Polk speakers. While not a professional HiFi system, it most certainly isn't a beginner's setup.
****** All vinyl shipping is $4 in the USA, via Media Mail (any album over $100 gets free insurance). All overseas shipments are charged by WEIGHT. So check WEIGHT before you bid -- there should be a calculator up to to get a general idea of cost.
******* Generally I have a NO RETURNS policy -- unless you have a damn compelling reason.
******** Each auction starts at $4.99, and I let the market dictate the price from there, based on condition and evaluation from myself. I let the vinyl community tell me what it's worth -- forget Discogs, Musicstack, or past eBay listings. You all need to tell me what it's worth.