Some in extraordinary condition recently came into my life and I thought I'd share them with you. These albums were all released between 1957 and 1962 and these are originals so are between 67 and 62 years old as I post this.
Cliff Jordan & John Gilmore — Blowing In from Chicago — 1957, Blue Note Records #1549
The Hank Mobley Quintet — Self-titled — 1957, Blue Note Records #1550
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers — At the Corner of the World Vol 1 — 1959, Blue Note Records #4015
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers — Big Beat — 1960, Blue Note Records #4029
Hank Mobley — Soul Station — 1960, Blue Note Records #4031
Jackie McLean — Capuchin Swing — 1960, Blue Note Records #4038
Stanley Turrentine — Look Out! — 1960, Blue Note Records #4039
Tina Brooks — True Blue — 1960, Blue Note Records #4041
Jackie McLean — Jackie's Bag — 1962, Blue Note Records #4051
Hank Mobley — Roll Call — 1961, Blue Note Records #4058
Dexter Gordon — Doin' Allright — 1961, Blue Note Records #4077
Dexter Gordon — Dexter Calling — 1961, Blue Note Records #4083
Original Blue Note Inner Sleeve with 43 West 61st St New York 23 address.
I've been a fan of JSG Boggs since first hearing about him in the 90s. He passed in 2017, but I've been thinking about him lately as I'm about to launch A Tiny Bell.
Boggs did one thing and he did it very well: he drew money.
JSG Boggs Bill featuring Harriet Tubman
Here's a scenario: Boggs goes out for lunch, and while sitting there having his sandwich and drinking his coffee, he finishes drawing a $20 bill he'd started days earlier — just one side of it — and signs his name as "Secretary Treasurer." He then offers it to the waiter as payment for his lunch. If the person declines, he pays with "real money" and goes on his way. But, if the person accepts his art as money, Boggs expects his proper change from the twenty along with a receipt.
Boggs then sells the receipt and the change to an art dealer and the art dealer goes to the address on the receipt and attempts to purchase the Boggs bill from the waiter. If successful, the change, receipt, and bill are then framed as a complete piece of art which is then again sold by the dealer to a collector.
If Boggs used the bill to purchase a non-consumable, that item is also part of the finished piece. For instance, he once drew five one thousand dollar bills and used them to purchase a $4999.00 Virago motorcycle:
Lawrence Weschler wrote a great book about Boggs, Boggs: A Comedy of Values, and there's a good, low-quality 15 minute short about him on Youtube with the same name:
Anecdote Alert!
I once tried to convince Boggs to let me design him a website and he could pay me with Boggs Bills. He didn't have a site at the time, but he didn't hesitate — the proposition broke his rules and he declined. Very disappointing, but completely understandable.
All this talk about money reminds me of my first trip to Los Angeles. May, 2010.
I was in a West Hollywood Target. In the checkout line, I got stuck behind behind a man who was taking an inordinate amount of time to pay for a 2L bottle of orange soda. The holdup was because he insisted on drawing on his bills before surrendering them to the cashier.
Wanting to leave the shop, I offered to pay for his drink to speed things along. The cashier checked his progress and turned to me and said, "He's almost done." Indeed, he was, and when he handed over the second bill and left with his purchase, I asked her what was up. She shrugged and said, "Dunno. He always does that. They're the same every time."
I asked if I could have his bills in my own change and she obliged. To to this day I carry them with me for luck when I travel. Here they are:
Front, Lucky L.A. Bill #1Front, Lucky L.A. Bill #2Rear, Lucky L.A. Bill #1Rear, Lucky L.A. Bill #2
For more info on this Boggs, visit the official site: The Estate of JSG Boggs — which I did not design.
