Al Jolson-At Ease-Rarest Set-Near Mint 1946-Original

$

406

From the estate of the famous Broadway critic Louis Sobol comes this incredible set of records. Many of the other records I bought from the estate were unopened and I suspect that these have never been out of the album before. In the pictures, I turned up the contrast in order show two small (and I mean tiny) dimples in the album cover where it appears to have rested against something. The increased contrast makes the cover look a little redder than its true color. I also wanted to show the half moon of dust on the records that I mention below. You can see that I blew most of it off with one breath. The contrast also shows the attached letter has some bleed through of the glue used (minor, but in such a pristine set it is worth mentioning). You may wonder why I started the bidding at $385.00; that was the price for the last set sold (on Ebay actually) five years ago. That set was in no where near the condition of the one offered here (the records in that set were described as scratched and the album was masking taped together). This is a set that you will most probably never see for sale again and almost certainly not in this condition. I copied some information from that previous sale below:

AL JOLSON AT EASE

OCTOBER 27, 1946

Talk about rare, you very well may never have the opportunity to bid on one of these sets again. They were produced in very limited quantity, the exact number is in dispute.  But at the very least 114 sets were produced and sold for $42.00 in 1946! 

This is what Dave Jay says about the set in Jolsonography on pages 104 and 105:

JOLSONOGRAPHY

DAVE  JAY

1969

AL JOLSON RECORDS - SPECIAL RELEASES

Pressed for Private Sale and Distribution; Not offered To The Public Through Regular Channel:

The following album (plain brown cover; gold lettering) is of AI Jolson's complete eighty-minute ad-lib guest appearance on Barry Gray's all-night, disc-jockey radio show,

New York, N.Y., Saturday, October 27, 1946. Under auspices of Gray (who took the orders) and Sig Schy (whoever he was and whatever he did), copies were pressed to order by World Radio, a radio 'transcription subsidiary of Decca, sold and paid for in advance at $42 per. An 8"x10"photo of Al Jolson, Barry Gray etc., taken at ten minutes and fifteen seconds before five AM during the broadcast (not the photo formerly in Lindy's window, likewise from broadcast), was scotch-taped to the inside rear album-cover. To the inside-­front album-cover was glued the following mimeographed explanation:

"On October 27, 1946, Al Jolson paid an impromptu visit to the Barry Gray Show at

WOR, Mutual. The program that followed created such a furor, that it soon became quite evident, that radio history had been made. In response to an overwhelming demand by the listening audience for copies of recordings of the show, it was decided to put out a limited number of albums. The original records of the show were acquired by Sig Schy through whose efforts this collectors item has been made possible. Photos courtesy of Sam Vandervirt. Mr. Schy wishes to express his thanks to the many people who assisted him. This is album No._____" Though reputedly only one hundred copies were pressed - each numbered individually - the one purchased from Gene Fornshell by myself is stamped ".#114". All matrix numbers scratched in wax followed by “D33L" (album's catalogue number'?). Green seal; black lettering. Twelve-inch; 78 rpm. Eight discs; sixteen sides; drop-coupling sequence. Like Decca "Reviewers Copy" pressings, discs are on seemingly black vinilyte which shows red when held up to light. During the Jolson guest segment, Gray played no records and read no commercials. Album is mostly Al talking, being interviewed on his career in general and “The Jolson Story" in particular, plus singing the following selections. Those sung in full are accompanied by Harry Akst at the piano. Those marked with an asterisk (*) sung a capella, only a line or so from each, to illustrate or punctuate Jolson's narrative.            .

This is what "Al Jolson A Bio-Discography" says about the "Al Jolson At Ease" set:

Larry F. Kiner and Philip R. Evans

Al Jolson A Bio-Discography

1992, Page 400

The complete 80-minute Al Jolson portion of this program was released in the limited edition album of eight 12"-78 rpm discs. Songs only were issued as noted on other releases. Only three (3) sets of this album set have been confirmed to exist.

The entire Barry Gray Show with Al Jolson was intended to be released on two 12" LP’s. Tests exist but the LP was never commercially issued. Sides 1 and 3 are matrices 5211 and 5213. Sides 2 and 4 are matrices 5212 and 5214.

So. Pretty amazing. The set for sale today is described below

This is set # 49 and it is in near mint condition (I say near mint, only because I am not a record dealer or expert, but there is no indication that they were ever out of the album until I removed them for inspection). The album cover has minimal discoloration (could probably be cleaned to look as new except for darkening of spine)..  All 8, 12", 78 discs are absolutely perfect. There is a small half moon of very light dust on each record where the sleeves did not entirely cover them, but I blew off  most of it easily (I am afraid to actually dust them).  The panel referencing that this is set #49 is intact on the inside cover.  The original 8x10 photograph that is supposed to be taped in the rear cover is missing. I do not see any indication that anything was ever taped there.

As I mentioned earlier, you may never have an opportunity to bid on this set again they are extremely rare.

Please note: I only ship to the contiguous 48 states

Have fun and good luck!.