This image is a general representation of the item and the actual product may differ slightly in terms of color shading, logo placement, borders, or other small details. Used items may have various cosmetic differences as well.
We realize that there are many different interpretations of the standard grades used
for pre-owned vinyl record albums & CD, so we thought we'd offer you the ones that we are working with,
so you have an idea what we mean when we give the grade for a non-new item on our pages.
Used Vinyl Grades
Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove. Grading for
the cover should be assumed to be near (within a "+" or "-")
the grading for the vinyl.
If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws,
these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that
since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with
the vinyl of any used item we sell. Additionally, all of our records
are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible
for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt
to listen through them and note how they play.
The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single:
Additional Marks & Notes
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially
if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record.
This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip,
cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.
A landmark meeting of two talents! This rare session has the poet Langston Hughes reading his own jazz-based work, set to arrangements by Charles Mingus, with additional work by Horace Parlan. Hughes' voice is incredible – a bit frail, with a wispy integrity that really opens up his own ... LP, Vinyl record album
A real treasure, and a record that may well be our favorite Jimmy Smith album for Verve – a masterful meeting of his smoking Hammond work with some swingingly sophisticated arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Claus Ogerman! Both Nelson and Ogerman bring a fuller spectrum of horn work to the ... LP, Vinyl record album
Quite an unusual record for Sonny Rollins – but a great one too! At first glance the concept is a strange one – almost a crazy decision to pair modernist tenorist Sonny Rollins with a set of large brassy arrangements – but oddly, the idea works, and works nicely – as ... LP, Vinyl record album
Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, ... LP, Vinyl record album
One of the first Oscar Peterson albums to ever feature "soul" in the title – added, no doubt, as a way of keeping up with Ray Bryant and other pianists making their name in the growing soul jazz field at the time! There's a groove here that's a bit harder than usual for Peterson on ... LP, Vinyl record album
Three great horn players with plenty of space to solo freely – working together on the stage of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957! The combo's one put together for the date, but they groove together nicely – rhythm by the trio of Ray Bryant on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, and Jo Jones ... LP, Vinyl record album
Material that was supposedly recorded during Oscar's "debut" during a Jazz At The Philharmonic show at Carnegie Hall. Ray Brown backs Oscar up on bass, and the tracks include "Fine & Dandy", "I Only Have Eyes For You", and "Carnegie Blues". Recorded by ... LP, Vinyl record album
Warm mellow moody vibes from Cal Tjader, in a great setting for his vibes – with nice sweet orchestrations by Claus Ogerman, who gives the whole thing a nice deep Euro 60's feel! The group includes Hank Jones, Jerome Richardson & Kenny Burrell. The set's mostly ballads, with a number of ... LP, Vinyl record album
A great little groover from David Axelrod – cut years after his more famous work at Captiol, and more of a funky fusion record, but still pretty darn great! The record's got lots of nice keyboards, and is sort of an extension of the style he begun on the Heavy Axe album from the mid 70s. ... LP, Vinyl record album
Classic Art Pepper material, recorded in one of his comeback periods, and featuring the famous Richard Claxton photo of Art Holding his horn next to a tree. There's several different lineups featured, with a coupl of quintet and quartet sides, and a few with larger horn section, and the sidemen ... LP, Vinyl record album