Bill Evans Trio - Sunday At The Village Vanguard MONO Riverside RLP 376 1961 1st

$

386

Bill Evans Trio Featuring Scott La Faro - Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Label:

Riverside Records - RLP 376

Format:

Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono 

Country:

US

Released:

1961

Genre:

Jazz

I had this album listed recently and it did not sell. I dropped the price. Do not expect the price to go any lower.

Very similar to the other first mono pressing “Bill Evans Trio Featuring Scott La Faro - Sunday At The Village Vanguard” with blue & silver microgroove labels, but with an "RM 376" label code as opposed to "RLP." "376 Riverside" appears below the photo on the front cover in tan font, not blue. Top right corner of back jacket reads "Riverside High Fidelity RLP 376." Track B3 "Jade Visions" is listed at 3:46 on back jacket but 3:41 on label.

Label Code: RM 376

• Label Code (Side 1): RLP 12-376 A
• Label Code (Side 2): RLP 12-376 B
• Matrix / Runout (Side 1): RLP-12-376-A-1 AB
• Matrix / Runout (Side 2): RLP-12-376-B-1 AB
• 
  
• cover:  VG, the cover is mostly flat with some water damage (lower right corner), the upper right corner has been bent, the lower left corner has small damage, there’s almost no ring wear - which is rare, the spine is nice with visible (worn) text (a little off center but legible) - no flaking, the openings (top and bottom) have small splits - less than 1/2”, no smell, the back paste-on is brownish - it may always have been like this but I don’t know, the water stain is not as noticeable on the back, the color of the album cover is beautiful - warm sepia/burgundy tone. 
• Most of the damage from storage is around the edges so this would look great in a frame.
• 
  

quiet recording - it has to be played loud so there’s constant surface noise regardless of it being in pretty decent condition. The vinyl is old and it has that poured look of some old records. I don’t think it was considered high quality vinyl sixty years ago when it was pressed - my guess is that even a new-old-stock pressing would have surface noise issues because of the vinyl quality and the quiet recording.

         I played a digital FLAC file of a Bill Evans album off of my mac the other day and the surface (tape) noise was in that recording as well. It’s just part of the recording process. The “air” is being recorded.

       The record is flat. It looks like it was stored upright between other albums for decades. The water stain looks to be old and there’s no sign (or smell) of mold or anything musty. 

       There’s numerous surface marks (and tiny nicks on both sides) and sleeve brush from the original generic paper sleeve. 

       I cleaned both sides a few times but maybe an ultrasonic bath could do more to remove any unwanted noise.

 Side 1 is mostly VG with surface noise and light pops it gets better towards the label but it never completely goes away. Mostly VG+ towards the end. There are no repeating “ticks” from hairlines. The longest hairline runs from the 10:00 position to about the 11:00 position and it doesn’t seem to affect play - it is diagonal so the sounds may be staggered but I don’t think so. The surface noise sounds sporadic. The other (very fine) hairline I could see is shorter and very shallow. It is at the 5:00 position.  

       I’ve listened to (play-graded) Side 1 more than once and found myself realizing about 60% of the way through I stopped listening for surface irregularities and I just listened to the tunes.  

       The label is in EX (almost NM) condition with only a few light spindle marks.

Side 2 is in better condition, mostly VG+ with a shallow scuff (not a scratch) at about the 10:00 position and it DNAP (Does Not Affect Play). There’s a very fine short hairline at the 8:00 position (DNAP) and a very fine short scuff next to it. There’s another surface scuff in the dead wax by the label (after the music is over.)  

       The label has some wear and marks around the spindle hole and the raised circles around the hole. I would give it a VG to VG+ grade.

PLEASE READ: A note on the photos. 

       Some of the detail shots of the cover I made using a directional light to cast dark shadows to exaggerate the flaws (mostly) in the corners.  

       As far as the pics of the record - I took the photos outside on my back porch about thirty minutes before sunset. The shots I took inside using a flash made the color of the labels look really off and many of the shots were out of focus so I didn't use any of them.  The outdoor pics of the labels are a very accurate depiction of what they look like.  The vinyl has surface marks (as mentioned above) but they look amazing in these shots.  The surface of the record does have imperfections throughout (both sides) so keep that in mind.  I think the lighting was comparable to bright candlelight - everything looks better under those conditions I suppose.

If you’ve read this far you know this isn’t an album that comes up too often. If you’re looking for a perfect playing copy I’d recommend you purchase a sealed 45RPM MFSL pressing or maybe even a, wait for it, …CD. 

      This record is more significant as a piece of jazz history than an audiophile’s dream pressing.

important shipping information (I use USPS MEDIA MAIL for all LPs) in description below*  

NOT THIS TIME: THE LP WILL BE SHIPPED USPS PRIORITY MAIL AND INSURED

Please check out my other listings. I have more sealed, unplayed, and pre-owned LPs. I upload a handful a week. I still have 12” singles, some private pressings, and some rare stuff.

If there’s something you’re looking for shoot a message my way and I’ll see if I have it. 

a quick note on the photos: 

The item(s) pictured are/is the item(s) you will receive. Taking photos of LPs with shrink wrap is like photographing a mirror. I take some of the photos outside (on a slight angle) because natural sunlight is best for accurate color reproduction - usually but full sunlight can make every detail pop which can exaggerate flaws. The photos I take indoors I need to take at a more extreme angle (sometimes) to avoid flash reflection - I’m sure I’ll set up a better way to do it before I shoot the last ones.

Some photos contain a vertical white line (a pixel wide) - I use an old camera and it isn’t perfect - it’s more pronounced in low-light shots. Some photos have a brown band - different old camera. 

 >>> I never lay the record flat on a dirty surface. All discs are photographed on a small riser. <<<

I play grade about 97% of what I sell unless its sealed or obviously unplayed.  If I’m selling a big lot of cheap records I’ll give them a visual inspection only. Many eBay sellers don’t take the time to wash their albums and only give them a visual grade, not me.  BUT, I’m only human and many of the records are OLD.  If I think Side 1 of a record from 1969 sounds EX and you think it’s only VG+ sorry - I’m trying my best here.  If a record sounds incredible but has one rough patch I’ll drop the grading and usually make note that it’s a NM side except for whatever.  Even SEALED albums can sound terrible.  

If you like records then prepare to hear surface noise, the occasional pop, and some stuff an MP3 doesn’t have.

If the album is in a small lot or sold separately rest assured I have washed and rinsed the disc using my lazy-susan / vacuum set-up or in my two “Spin Clean”s.  I use “The Groovinator” record cleaning solution in distilled water for bath #1 and straight distilled water in bath #2 to rinse the disc.  I wipe down the discs with soft 100% cotton clothes.  All discs are placed in thin round-bottom poly inner sleeves - sometimes something else but never straight paper unless it’s a cheapo going into a big lot.  I’ll give some of the covers a light cleaning if they need it.  I try my best to eliminate dirt and/or mold.

By “cheap or cheapo record(s)” I mean less desirable music.  If a record is inexpensive due to its condition I won’t sell it.  A very, very scratched up Led Zeppelin album has no place in my eBay listings or apartment.  A “M-“ album by some unknown band from the early 80’s that belongs in a dollar bin might make it into a lot.  Just because it sells for dirt cheap doesn’t mean someone out there wouldn’t want a pristine album in their collection. 

Vinyl Grading System: 

(this is visual and play-grading - play-grading is the important part)

Mint (M) : Absolutely perfect in every way. Never been played and usually sealed

Near Mint (NM) : The record has been on a shelf between other records. The vinyl looks glossy and clearly has only been played a few times. There are no marks on the vinyl and the whole package is complete.

Excellent (EX) : Same but I’d tolerate light marks where the vinyl has been in and out of the inner sleeve a few times, or small signs of use generally.

Very Good Plus (VG+) : A few further faults are acceptable, but nothing that really compromises the record visually or audibly too much. A little rub, light audible marks, a little background crackle.

Very Good (VG) : It’s seen a bit of life, but is still usable. Light pops and clicks, maybe an edge split, light visible scratches. You can still listen to it and enjoy looking at it, but it is visually and audibly USED.

Good (G) : To be honest you’re making trouble for yourself here, as Good means Bad. I’d only be selling something really desirable in this condition, with a bargain price and a full, no holds barred description to match.

Poor (P), Fair (F) : Attempting to listen will be a disturbing experience. Expect major noise issues, skipping or repeating. The record itself is cracked, badly warped and has deep scratches. The cover is also approaching death.

I’ll also use M-, NM+, NM-, EX+, EX-, VG-, etc. record grading is kinda tricky and NM might be too high but EX isn’t doing it justice, hence, EX+ or maybe NM-

I TEST-PLAY MY RECORDS LOUD.  

All records sound quiet and clean if you can barely hear them. I crank up the volume so I (and you) can hear the defects - scratches, cracks, dirt, pressing flaws, etc.

If the record is worth $25, $40, $50+ I won’t step away from it when I’m grading it.  The cheaper the album the more likely I’ll get up to go to the kitchen or whatever.  But, like i said, I play the records loud so not to miss the pops and stuff. Remember, most eBayer sellers only visually grade their albums. A shiny clean album may look like it sounds nice only to find out it’s a hot mess. I’ve found this out the hard way on more than one occasion. 

I use LP mailers.  If I can, I’ll place two, three… up to six LPs into a mailer so as to lessen the chance of one getting lost.  Most single discs are placed outside of the outer sleeve/cover to avoid splitting the cover unless the album is sealed but I found packing multiple LPs into one sleeve makes it virtually impossible for them to move around and cause cover splitting or damage to the vinyl.  If the album is dirt cheap it will probably not be placed into an outer poly sleeve.  I received a big lot in a pizza box one time - the thing was thick and clean so I might use something like that for a big lot but usually not.

> ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS. NO RETURNS. <

items are sold “AS IS” 

I do my best to describe the item but, for example, if a sealed LP has flaws I have no way of knowing

eBay has updated payment options - hopefully, there's no issues :^)

No International sales unless you have a U.S. mailing address

*PLEASE READ! > Things (right now) have gotten somewhat better (and worse in some states) but we’re still dealing with a global pandemic so… 

What might normally take 4 to 5 days might take closer to 6 to 12 (or more) days to be delivered.  Media Mail isn’t fast (about the same as First Class I was told at the post office) but it keeps the price down. (CDs, LPs, 8-tracks, books, VHS tapes, reel-to-reels, and a few other items are media.)  I always use USPS MEDIA MAIL for shipping vinyl records (unless it’s over $100 - I’ll use Priority Mail) - Recently, I started selecting “free shipping” when creating my listings - if something other than Media Mail is advertised on your end it is inaccurate and a mistake in the listing and, know full well, I’m not trying to bait-and-switch as I have had a buyer suggest.  I don’t sell on eBay full-time and I’m learning as I go.

Once an item is purchased I do not consider it to be my item any longer and I do my best to move it along to its proper owner as quickly as I can. I mail out items as soon as I am able. Sometimes items go to the post office in less than 30 minutes from payments received, other times I have to wait until Monday morning or after a holiday to ship.  

Once the item is dropped off at my local post office it’s “out of my hands” and I can not make the item appear at your doorstep any faster than the USPS can.  

Please do not ask for refunds or replacements when I have clearly mailed your item (I will always add the tracking number the USPS provides me with.)  

If after reading this you don’t want to buy from me than please don’t. If you purchase an item from someone else and wonder why it’s taking so long to receive your item remember I warned you.  We’re still living through a pandemic and not everything is going to go the “usual” way. 

Be patient, be safe.

you may be asking yourself - why so much information in this listing? Because eBay buyers can be picky and record buyers are always picky (I know I am) so I try to cover all of the information. It takes longer than jotting down “the record looks good” but it is worth it for me and, I believe, the buyer(s). 

PLEASE LEAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK - IT REALLY HELPS,  THANK YOU!

I have around a 99.6%* positive feedback for purchases and sales since 2004 

*I had a buyer just looking for trouble and they left negative feedback the first moment they could - don’t be like that buyer, please

I buy a lot on eBay so I know how I want items to arrive (fast and as described) and I’m just an email away if you have a question or two.

Thanks for looking!