trane123

April 21 1908 Alfred Lion

I'm in California. I was definitely surprised to find it was already on its way.

I ordered this yesterday and just received a shipping notice and tracking number. That was quick.

In another new Mosaic wrinkle, I hadn't received a shipping notice so I logged in to my account to check the order status. The order was marked "complete" and had a USPS tracking number. So, if you're missing the shipping notification, you might try that.

Mosaic had a major impact on my jazz education over the last 30 years. My first box was the Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers set. I remember when I placed the on-line order for my 100th set (this was sometime in the mid-2000s), I noted in the comment block that this was, indeed, my 100th set and thanked them for all the great work. The next day when I got home there was a FedEx overnight envelope sitting on my doorstep. Inside was a card from Michael thanking me for being such a loyal customer and including a $100 Mosaic gift card. RIP Michael and thanks for the lifetime of great work.

I just received a shipping notice and tracking number...

About 10 years ago I picked up a copy of “Melody Nelson”, mostly because I was always kind of curious about it. I found that I really liked it, which led to me going down the Serge G./Jane B. rabbit hole for a while. The first obits that I read seemed to hardly mention Jane’s music – it seemed all about being a French cultural icon and a “Birkin Bag”. Not a lot about her music, which I quite liked. She may have started as Serge’s muse/sex kitten, but her recorded music got more substantial as she aged. There’s some really good stuff in there – especially from the 90’s on.

I usually don't care about what number is on one of my Mosaic sets, but the box I just received is #2406. That seems like a pretty big first run - unless the number printed on the booklet is completely random...

Ordered it last Sunday and just received a USPS tracking number. That was quick. Nice...

There's a 4 CD set called "Lennie Niehaus Complete Fifties Recordings" released on one of those European labels. Sounds good and comes with a nice booklet.

Really loved the Bacharach stuff from the 60s. Especially the songs done by Dionne Warwick. Always loved this one (talk about complex but accessible)

I grew up being a big fan of CSN/CSNY. Since he lived here in the Santa Barbara area I got to see him live maybe five times in the last 20 years. Once was a solo show – just him and an acoustic guitar. He was already in his 70s by then but still sang and played beautifully. I found this story from a recent interview. It’s been told before, but still entertaining… Before we discuss Live at the Capitol Theatre, I’d like to jump back to a lingering question I’ve had ever since I saw Remember My Name. The film opens with you telling this remarkable story about Coltrane bursting into a bathroom while soloing, at a time when you were in there taking solace from the intensity of the music. Did he specifically follow you in there? No, he didn’t know I was there, and he couldn’t have cared less. He didn’t follow me into the men’s room. He went into the men’s room because it sounded good in there. It was a tile men’s room, and it had an echo. This was a club on the South Side of Chicago. It was maybe a thousand seater. He wandered off the stage while he was still playing. He wasn’t through with the idea. Then he decided that he liked the sound of the men’s room, kicked open the door and walked in while he was still playing. [Laughs.] Your reaction was initially prompted by Elvin Jones [Coltrane’s drummer], who got into your head. Elvin Jones scared me to death. I was extremely high and the intensity drove me up against the back wall. Then, finally, I had to get a little breath of air in the men’s room. I was just looking for a moment of relative peace and calm compared to being in the middle of Elvin Jones’ drum solo, which was not peaceful or calm. And then boing! It was pure accidental karma. But it was so good. I’ll never forget it. Ever. [Laughs.]

I’ve been to the Monterey festival many times. Started in ’95 for a few years then from ’01 to ’21 I went every year. It’s always been great. There’s one large outdoor venue and five (at least) smaller indoor sites. Biggest problem is wanting to be in two (or three) different places at the same time. Lots of food and vendors and the weather is usually fine (but definitely chilly at night). The last ten years or so I’ve really enjoyed the indoor shows over the big headlining “arena” shows. Also really enjoy the panel discussions with the musicians, the on-stage Downbeat blind fold tests and things like that. Last year was cut way back due to Covid. No indoor stuff at all. I didn’t go this year because, even though it expanded a little, it still wasn’t back to normal. Hopefully it’ll be back next year.

I got an email from Mosaic a couple of hours ago saying the box has shipped. Also included a tracking number. Edit to be more precise: they sent a "Note added to order" email with the tracking number. The tracking shows label created.

Call me gullible I guess. I do have all but one of these albums on CD. Actually, one of the biggest reasons I ordered it was to support the brand. I've gotten a lot from Mosaic over the last 30 years or so and I don't mind giving a little back. And I'm sure I'll be getting a great sounding set with great liner notes. In a few years I'll probably have to think twice about dropping a hundred bucks on a boxed set, but right now I can do it.