VinylAI 
Data as of Sep 12, 2026
Miles Davis – Porgy And Bess
1959 · US · Columbia · Vinyl LP Album Mono
Price guide
Estimated market value via Discogs · as of Sep 11, 2026
- MMint
- $115.68
- NMNear Mint
- $103.50
- VG+Very Good Plus
- $79.15
- VGVery Good
- $54.79
- G+Good Plus
- $30.44
- GGood
- $18.26
- FFair
- $12.18
- PPoor
- $6.09
48 copies listed on Discogs from $7.65.
These are reference estimates from Discogs sold/asking data for this exact pressing, not offers and not a guaranteed price. Actual value depends on condition, completeness and current demand. Any active seller offers on this page are listed separately above.
Offers · 1
- $80ref VA-F6JSTMedia VG+ · Very Good PlusSleeve VG🇺🇸 Ships from United States
The Discogs price estimate is a separate reference; offer prices above are sellers’ own.
New to condition grades like NM or VG? Read our vinyl grading guide →
Pressing identification
Match these against your copy to confirm the exact pressing.
- Runout — side A
- x"Lp" 44661XLP44661-2AFXLP44661 - 2C H IXLP44661-2ALXLP44661-2ABXLP44661-2L | |
- Runout — side B
- x"Lp" 44662XLP44662-2AHXLP - 44662 - 2C H IXLP - 44662 - 2C 1 T H 1XLP44662-2AKXLP44662-2AG
- Pressing Plant ID
- H(Opposite of matrix number)
- Pressed By
- Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Hollywood
Specifications
- Artist
- Miles Davis
- Genre
- Jazz
- Style
- Big Band, Modal
- Year
- 1959
- Label
- Columbia
- Catalog number
- CL 1274
- Country
- US
Tracklist
- A1The Buzzard Song
- A2Bess, You Is My Woman Now
- A3Gone
- A4Gone, Gone, Gone
- A5Summertime
- A6Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
- B1Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)
- B2Fishermen, Strawberry And Devil Crab
- B3My Man's Gone Now
- B4It Ain't Necessarily So
- B5Here Come De Honey Man
- B6I Loves You, Porgy
- B7There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York
- Engineer
- Ray Moore
- Composed By
- George Gershwin
- Conductor
- Gil Evans
- Photography By
- Roy DeCarava
About this record
The 1959 Columbia pressing of Porgy and Bess stamped at Hollywood carries the deep-groove pressing plant signature and "6-eye" logo labels that mark the original US release. Condition determines nearly everything here: a Mint copy commands 115.68 USD while a VG pressing settles at 54.79 USD—a spread that reflects how few copies survive unplayed in the four decades since pressing.
What drives its value
This 1959 first pressing from Columbia's Hollywood plant holds value almost entirely through condition scarcity. The price guide spans from 115.68 USD in Mint down to 6.09 USD in Poor, with the critical VG+ tier at 79.15 USD and VG at 54.79 USD.
Forty-eight copies currently list for sale, yet 470 collectors want the title against 1,982 who own it—a ratio that favors patient buyers. The 1997 European reissue (CK 65141) exists as an alternative, but the original 1959 US pressing commands the premium because it preserves the deep-groove architecture and the specific "6-eye" label variant.
Even played copies in VG condition hold nearly 55 USD, a floor that reflects the album's canonical status and the rarity of unwarped, quiet copies from this pressing run.
How to appraise this pressing
Confirm the 1959 original by the Columbia catalogue number CL 1274 and the Hollywood pressing plant stamp in the dead wax. The matrix runout will read either x"Lp" 44661 or x"Lp" 44662 on the A-side, with XLP44661-2AF or XLP44662-2AH on the B-side—these codes distinguish the original from later repressings.
The label itself carries the "6-eye" Columbia logo (six small circles arranged around the center hole) and the deep groove running beneath the label surface, both hallmarks of 1959 Columbia pressings. The album title and the credit "With orchestra under the direction of Gil Evans" appear on the label as described in the release notes.
No barcode was printed on original 1959 copies. Grade by playing surface noise under magnification: Mint means unplayed and unsleeved, NM shows no audible surface noise, VG+ permits light surface marks but no skip or distortion, and VG allows light groove wear with occasional pops but no sustained noise.
Further reading: grading a record, how to sell vinyl.
Listen
Hear the album before you buy.
Official videos via YouTube.
Release notes
Columbia red/black, "6-eye" logo center labels, deep groove Label variation: album title written on one line and "With orchestra under the direction of Gil Evans" written on two lines.
Recorded 7/22/1958: tracks A3, A4, B3; 7/29/1958: tracks A2, B2, B4, B5; 8/04/1958: tracks A1, A6, B1; 8/18/1958: tracks A5, B6, B7
Notes sourced from the Discogs database.
Other pressings of this release
Different editions of the same album — pressing decides value.
Frequently asked
What is a VG+ copy of this 1959 pressing worth?
According to the price guide, a VG+ copy is valued at 79.15 USD. This represents a record that shows light surface marks and minimal play wear but plays cleanly without skips or sustained noise. The estimate reflects market data as of the guide's publication date and may shift with actual sales.
How do I tell the 1959 original from the 1997 reissue?
Check the catalogue number: the original is CL 1274, while the 1997 European reissue is CK 65141. The original 1959 pressing also carries the "6-eye" logo and deep groove; the reissue does not. The matrix runout codes (x"Lp" 44661/44662 or XLP44661-2AF/XLP44662-2AH) appear only on the original pressing from Hollywood.
Why is there such a big price gap between Mint and VG?
A Mint copy is valued at 115.68 USD while VG sits at 54.79 USD. This spread exists because unplayed copies from 1959 are genuinely scarce—most records were played, shelved, and accumulated surface noise over decades. A truly silent, unplayed copy commands a premium that reflects its rarity; a played but clean VG copy is far more common and priced accordingly.
How many copies of this pressing are currently on the market?
Forty-eight copies list for sale across major platforms. The lowest asking price is 7.65 USD, though that represents a Poor-grade copy. Most active listings cluster in the VG to VG+ range, where the bulk of surviving copies fall.
Is this the same album as the later Columbia reissue?
The music and Gil Evans arrangements are identical, but the pressing is different. The 1959 original (CL 1274) was pressed at Columbia's Hollywood plant with deep grooves and "6-eye" labels; the 1997 reissue (CK 65141) is a European pressing without those features. Collectors prioritize the 1959 original for its pressing plant signature and scarcity of unplayed copies, which is why it commands higher prices.