For sale is an original 1st mono copy of Freddie Hubbard's Ready for Freddie album on Blue Note. Featuring Wayne Shorter, Bernard McKinney, McCoy Tyner, Art Davis, and Elvin Jones. Detailed condition and playback notes below. 

Record / Disk: 

Overall, I would give this a grade of G. The original Blue Note label is present, and free from writing, although minor spindle marks are visible, and other wear and staining are present. Warping of the disk is very minimal, but *slight* warp visible on spinning platter. No skips detected when using my test system. Plays through completely, both sides. There are *many* surface scratches present across the entire disk on both sides, and some foreign material is present here and there, e.g. finger prints. As noted, the foreign material can be heard on S2T1. A small amount of material is present along the rim, prior to the start of any tracks. Some scratches can be felt through a light cloth. 

Matrix / Runout:

S1: RVG [ear] BN-LP-4085-B.

S2: RVG BN-LP-4085-A. [ear]

S1T1: Significant overpowering surface noise at the beginning of the track, as you'd expect from a record in this condition. It improves on and off (slightly) as the track goes on. Significant noise is present even in non-quiet tracks in many spots. 

S1T2: Surface noise is very significant, presenting as a loud crackle. It's overpowering, esp. in quiet passages. This is probably the worst sounding track on the album. It does not sound pleasant, even in most loud passages. You could potentially say it improves over the course of the track, but this might just be an artifact of becoming accustomed to the crackle. 

S1T3: A louder track, so the noise isn't as overpowering in the beginning. Much more listenable than S1T2. Often sounds pretty good, given overall condition. 

S2T1: Small amount of foreign material on the disk causes a looping pop/hiss for roughly the first minute or so. Otherwise, just some standard surface noise consistent with condition. The foreign material might be removable with a few ultrasonic cleanings. I did not attempt this. Surface noise appears to increase slightly toward the end of T1, due to quieter passages. The last 30 seconds or so, the crackle noise is overpowering in quiet passages. It is very loud between tracks

S2T2: Significant crackle in the opening quiet passages of the track. Many portions of the track sound excellent, with minimal surface noise on my test system. In general, the playback sound on T2 is better than T1. Surface noise is generally just a low rumble when present. This track generally sounds like you'd expect from a VG disk, with exceptions that are comparable to G playback. 

Jacket: Overall condition could be given a grade of G. The original laminate is present, and does not show any obvious large-scale peeling on the front, aside from regions where the cardboard is torn. A large crease of approximately 3" is present near the bottom of the front side. There is a smaller crease near the spine in a similar location. Significant corner dog earing is present on all corners, affecting both the front and back surfaces. There is a large tear of approximately 3/4" on the opening side of the jacket. It extends to the inner portion of the jacket. The bottom of the front side does not show any noteworthy seam splits, but a large seam split of roughly 5-6" is present on the top. This is shown in the photos. A seam split of 1/2-1" or so is present near the top of the spine. The back cover shows noteworthy staining. "James White" is written in the top right corner. Light dirt and debris present in many locations on the cover. The paper shows a large tear of ~4" near the bottom of the back side of the jacket. A stamp reading "N.R." is present. Overall, the cover is also slightly bowed. See photos for additional details. Additional photos available upon request. 

Inner sleeve: The inner sleeve is very damaged, and shows yellowing, as well as general wear and tearing. I am uncertain whether this is original. 

Free shipping via USPS media mail to the lower 48 US only, please. Please ask any questions prior to bidding.