Pete Whelan's World-Class Pre-War Blues 78's collection, part 1: HIGHLIGHTS!
Closes Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 7:00 pm PT
Peter Whelan was a friend of mine for over twenty years. He started collecting records in 1946 and was the founder of the Origin Jazz Librarylabel in 1960 and of 78 Quarterly in 1967—THE magazine for 78 collectors for 35 years!
Pete passed away in January at the age of 93. Last year, he offered to sell me his World Class collection of Jazz and Blues 78's. He stated his price, which would be the most I ever paid for a record collection, but I didn't hesitate to say YES!
It will take a few years and multiple auctions to find new homes for all of Mr. Whelan's records. Some of these gems are staying here, enhancing my already fantastic collection, but some of them are duplicates and/or records I'm not interested in.
Prices for World Class Blues 78's have been climbing steadily for the past 40+ years and recently have been rising VERY dramatically! This is your chance to obtain some legendary records from one of the world's BEST, and most important, collections before their prices shoot up even higher! So bid competitively if you want to win and use my call back system for "must-have" items!
The Jazz records will be sold separately from the Blues collection. Please let me know if you want to receive the Jazz auction ads.
Thank you and good luck to all!
Pete Whelan's's Pre-War Blues 78's collection auction, part 1, COMPLETE LISTPrinted (PDF) version of Pete Whelan's's Pre-War Blues 78's collection auction, part 1
How to bid on my Monthly Auctions
1. Garfield Akers — "Cottonfield Blues—Part I / Part II" Vocalion 1442 • V- Tiny edge chip on A-side only—NOT into grooves. Plays better than the grade. Maybe six copies known! MASTERPIECE! MB $5,000
2. Kid Bailey aka WILLIE BROWN with CHARLEY PATTON — "Rowdy Blues /Mississippi Bottom Blues" BRUNSWICK 7114 • V+ In the TOP TEN of all Pre-War Blues! Plays fantastic! About eight known copies! They don't get better than this! MB $10,000
3. Teddy Darby — "Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues / My Laona Blues" PARAMOUNT 12828 • E/E- Nice one! See the RARE VICTOR by him later in this list! MB $2,000
4. Mattie Delaney — "Tallahatchie River Blues / Down The Big Road" VOCALION 1480 • G Worn, but this is one of FOUR known copies! Plays rough at start but better after 20 seconds, BEST FEMALE BLUES RECORD EVER—TIED WITH GEESHIE WILEY! MB $3,000
5. Rube Lacy — "Mississippi Jail House Groan / Ham Hound Crave" PARAMOUNT 12629 • E- HIS ONLY RELEASED RECORD AND MAN, WHAT A RECORD!!! Masterpiece with great Vocal and Stinging Guitar! MB $3,000
6. Willie Lofton — "Dark Road Blues / Beer Garden Blues" BLUEBIRD 6229 • E Stunning version of TOMMY JOHNSON'S "BIG ROAD BLUES" and less than EIGHTknown copies! A must-have! MB $5,000
9. Andrew And Jim Baxter — "Bamalong Blues / K.C. Railroad Blues" VICTOR 20962 • E- Plays near perfect! FABULOUS record!!! This is Blues from the previous century, preserved on record in 1927—essential to any serious collection. MB $500
10. Jim And Andrew Baxter — "Dance The Georgia Poss / It Tickles Me" VICTOR • 38603 E Another great one by them and another gorgeous copy!! MB $1,000
11. Lewis Black — "Rock Island Blues/Spanish Blues" COLUMBIA 14429 E- Sticker on label, Nice one MB $300
15. Teddy Darby — "Deceiving Blues / Built Right On The Ground" VICTOR 23311 • E Tough one!!! Tiny label 23000 series. MB $2,000
19. Tom Dickson — "Death Bell Blues / Happy Blues" OKEH 8590 • V+ Plays fantastic! Dixon plays like Mississippi John Hurt. RARE!!!! MB $1,000
27. Will Ezell — "Bucket Of Blood/Playing The Dozens" PARAMOUNT 12773 E Great Piano MB $300
29. Will Ezell — "Freakish Mistreater Blues / Hot Spot Stuff" PARAMOUNT 12914 E- RARE MB $500
30. Famous Blue Jay Singers Of Birmingham — "Clanka A Lanka/I'm Leaning On The Lord" PARAMOUNT 13119 E- Tough 13000 PARAMOUNT and Great GOSPEL GROUP MB $300
32. Otis Harris — "Waking Blues /You'll Like My Lovin' " COLUMBIA 14428 E+ GREAT ONE!! MB $500
33. Willie Harris — "What Makes A Tom Cat Blue / West Side Blues"BRUNSWICK 7092 • E- Great one!!! MB $2,000
34. Willie Harris — "Never Drive A Stranger From Your Door / Lonesome Midnight Dream" BRUNSWICK 7149 • V+ PLAYS FANTASTIC!!! 1/2 inch hair crack on edge. Could be THE WILLIE BROWN, his version of "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor"—STUNNING RECORD! MB $2,000
42. Jesse James — "Southern Casey Jones/Lonesome Day Blues" DECCA 7213 V+ FABULOUS ROCKIN' PIANO BLUES MB $200
44. Blind Lemon Jefferson And His Feet — "Hot Dogs / Weary Dogs Blues" PARAMOUNT 12493 • E/E- HIS BEST RECORD!!! He plays his feet almost as good as he plays the guitar! MB $800
46. Blind Lemon Jefferson — "Bootin' Me 'Bout / Empty House Blues" PARAMOUNT 12946 E Tough one—HIS LAST RECORD MB $500
47. Big Bill Johnson /Western Kid — "Skoodle Do Do /Mountain Girl Blues" GENNETT 7210 • V+ Tough one! A-side is BIG BILL BROONZY, B-side is FRANK BRASSWELL—both sides are KILLER! MB $500
50. Blind Willie Johnson — "Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground / It's Nobody's Fault But Mine"COLUMBIA 14303 • E Gorgeous copy of his MOST DESIRED RECORD—MASTERPIECE!!!MB $1,000
52. Blind Willie Johnson — "Sweeter As The Years Roll By / Take Your Stand"COLUMBIA 14624 • E- One of his last records and harder to find than most of his othersMB $500
55. Lil Johnson — "You'll Never Miss Your Jelly Till Your Jelly Rollers Gone/Never Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Do" VOCALION 1299 E- Tough one! MB $300
60. M. Paul Jones — "A Rag Fantasy/Bolero" HODGE NO # V+ ONLY COPY?? Rare label from Hollywood and nice GUITAR SOLOS MB $200
61. Noah Lewis — "Chickasaw Special /Devil In The Woodpile" VICTOR 38581 • E Great one from MEMPHIS JUG BAND founder MB $500
62. Poor Boy Lofton — "Dirty Mistreater / Rainy Day Blues" DECCA 7049 • V+ FABULOUS and PLAYS GREAT! MB $500
63. Charlie McCoy And Bo Carter — "Mississippi I'm Longing For You/The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home" OKEH 8853 E- Essentially a MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS record MB $500
66. Hattie McDaniels And Dentist Jackson — "Dentist Chair Blues, Part I / Part II" PARAMOUNT 12751 • E- TOUGH ONE! Dentist Jackson is Papa Charlie Jackson MB $500
67. Charlie McFadden — "Groceries On The Shelf/People People Blues" PARAMOUNT 12928 V+ PLAYS GREAT—Nice L-Master Paramount with piano by ROOSEVELT SYKES MB $500
68. Charlie MacFadden — "Groceries On The Shelf No. 2 / Yellow Woman Blues"PARAMOUNT 13076 • E- Tough one and this is THE EVEN RARER 13000 PARAMOUNT!!! Piano by ROOSEVELT SYKES. MB $1,000
72. Elders McIntorsh And Edwards — "Take A Stand / Behold! The King Shall Reign" OKEH 8671 • E Masterpiece! Wild, Crazy Gospel with Guitar and shouting!! MB $800
73. Al Miller — "Someday Sweetheart / I Found A Four Leaf Clover" BLACK PATTI 8047 • V+ With edge bite, NOT into grooves. One of two known copies, not the best Black Patti, but not the worst either— an "affordable" one. First one I've ever had to sell. MB $1,500
76. Memphis Sanctified Singers — "He Got Better Things For You / The Great Reaping Day" VICTOR 38599 • V+ PLAYS GREAT! FANTASTIC and RARE!!! MB $350
77. The Mississippi Moaner — "It's Cold In China Blues / Mississippi Moan" VOCALION 03166 • E Fantastic record and THE ONLY ONE EVER RELEASED BY HIM! MB $1,500
79. The Mississippi Mudder — "Evil Devil Woman Blues / Please Baby" DECCA 7822 • E His version of the SKIP JAMES Classic "DEVIL GOT MY WOMAN"—FANTASTIC!!! MB $500
80. Mississippi Sheiks — "Hitting The Numbers/It's Done Gone Wet" BLUEBIRD 5474 V+ Plays fantastic and the Sheiks Bluebird releases are really tough to find MB $300
83. "Ma" Rainey And Her Georgia Band — " "Ma" Rainey's Black Bottom/Georgia Cake Walk" PARAMOUNT 12590 E Classic MB $400
85. Ma Rainey And Papa Charlie Jackson — "Ma And Pa Poorhouse Blues/Big Feeling Blues" PARAMOUNT 12718 E- MB $300
90. Blind Joe Reynolds — "Nehi Blues/Outside Woman Blues" PARAMOUNT 12927 POOR ONE OF FOUR KNOWN COPIES!!! Labels are faded and it is noisy, but you can hear it—an all time Paramount BLUES MASTERPIECE!!! MB $500
95. Minnie Wallace — "The Old Folks Started It/Dirty Butter" VICTOR 38547 V+ With The Memphis Jug Band MB $500
Pete Whelan Pre-War Blues 78's Auction COMPLETE LIST:
Next Levine Auction: Summer 2023
Good luck, everybody!
John Tefteller
Next Month's Auction:
Rockabilly 45's!