Here we are looking at Duke Pearson’s wonderful LP Wahoo!
This is the 4th copy of this one I had for sale…I sold one for $800 (first mono), then sold a 61 repress for $350, I have another 61 repress (VG) for $240, then this one – which is a G graded original mono pressing. As you can see, this is a very valuable record – even the later reissues…I have been very fortunate to have these.
The cover of this one is showing its age, and has shelf wear/rubbing to both the front and the back – not much shine left to the front or back laminate. The back cover liner notes are all completely readable, though there is dirt/aging to it. All 3 edges have some amount of bumping and minor flaking, but they aren’t splitting at all. The inner has been replaced (the original is a Factory inner stating 27 Years of Blue Note), the labels are clean and sharp, both sides.
As for the wax, side 1 has a mark on track one, then some super small storage marks. I actually didn’t see the storage marks (they are that small)but I heard them in play tests, and could not clean them out, like I could if it was dirt. I noticed the noise on the intro of each side, and on side 2, it ends pretty quickly and the rest of the play is lovely. On side one, there was more noise in track one, then some noise in the final track of that side – Farewell Machelle.
This is actually one of the longest play tests I have done, because I clipped the most troubling parts of this side in the video clip. I am pretty certain that if the parts I clipped in the test are not a deal breaker for you, you’ll be happy as heck with the rest of it – side 2 was a pretty great playback overall, with only a little random crackle as it started.
I want to be sure you can make a clear judgement call, because it was hard to see anything in this vinyl, yet there are small marks that cause some crackle that won’t clean out for sure – that’s why this first pressing is priced as low as it is here. I think it is fair to it and the level of playback I heard…the noise is worst where I clipped it for sure. I do have a good tolerance for surface noise when I love the record/playing, but I think I described this one as accurately as I could.
Click any image below to see it lightboxed, and play the whole video clip to hear 2-3 parts of the record that were problematic to me. Lemme know if you have any more questions – this is still a great one, despite its shortcomings – cheers!
