Re: LW 'master stamper' on eBay

[wmharps@xxxxxxxxx]

Tom points to an ebay item up for auction, and raises several interesting 
issues regarding to its historical accuracy.  I'm no Little Walter Jacobs 
expert, but it appears to me that the "Certificate of Authenticity" issued by 
Bill Bryant Management is dated June 23, 2003, a date that hasn't occured yet!

I think I can buy Little Walter's tone for $3500! ;-)

- -tim
www.workingmansharps.com

Tom wrote:
>Hmmm..... anybody else noticed this one on eBay?
>
>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2506997600&category=2375
>
>Rather an odd offering. Presentation plaque identifies it as "Chance 
>Records 1116 'Ora Nelle Blues' master stamper."
>
>'Ora Nelle Blues' (as by Othum Brown and Little Walter J.) was issued 
>in '47 on Ora Nelle. Chance reissued it in '52, but they changed the 
>name of the song to 'That's Alright,' so no song by the title of 'Ora 
>Nelle Blues' was ever even issued by Chance Records.
>
>Also, not sure if this even is a 'master stamper,' since most of the 
>time the process was a four-step one --- i.e. plate the lacquer 
>master to (negative) 'master', to (positive) 'mother,' to (negative) 
>'stamper,' to shellac. <shrug> I suppose one *could* stamp directly 
>from the (negative) 'master,' but only if they intended to press only 
>a few hundred copies... course, you never know with Chance?
>
>And obviously the attached photo of LW is from the wrong era -- looks 
>like mid-60's (although Scott would know this better than I.... any 
>thoughts?)
>
>$3500?? Curious item... just wondered in anybody else thought so? 
>(Usual disclaimers - no affiliation etc.)
>
>cheers,
>
>Tom Ball
>