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Lester Young/Basie Set Selling Well


tranemonk

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I am pretty sure that it's been discussed before, but the number in the booklet is not always an indicator of the set's sales count. All of the booklets are printed up in advance. The CDs are pressed as needed, usually in quantities of 1,000 (I think). There have been people who have bought some of the last sets on the shelf and gotten low booklet numbers.

Besides, if Mosaic was down to less than 750 sets, I am pretty sure they would flag it as "Running Low".

Except that up until the recent shipping changes, at least, each booklet had been hand-numbered at the time of shipment to the customer, using a number generated in sequential order by the computer system and appearing on the computer-generated invoice. This was explained to our very own Brad in an email from Mosaic that has been quoted here several times over the past few years. Last I recall, however, Hans had emailed Scott Wenzel asking if this was still the system, and had not yet received a reply.

Hans?

I never got a reply from Scott about that - which is unusual for him, I might add. They're probably sick of this question (just a guess smile.gif)

You should email him again and tell him that it keeps coming up on the Board, and we need a definitive answer! wink.gif

I'd rather remain on friendly terms with him wink.gif

Just sent my own inquiry--now he can be annoyed at me. whistling.gif

Good luck smile.gif

Just heard back from Fred:

They are sent out in sequential order. For new sets the number is preprinted on the back beginning with set # 245 Bing Crosby.

I'm going to save his email for the next time this question (inevitably rolleyes.gif ) comes up here, again.

Edited by Ron S
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Just heard back from Fred:

They are sent out in sequential order. For new sets the number is preprinted on the back beginning with set # 245 Bing Crosby.

I'm going to save his email for the next time this question (inevitably rolleyes.gif ) comes up here, again.

If that's the case then why have some people received some Hank Mobley sets with numbers near the last 50? Something doesn't jive.

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Just heard back from Fred:

They are sent out in sequential order. For new sets the number is preprinted on the back beginning with set # 245 Bing Crosby.

I'm going to save his email for the next time this question (inevitably rolleyes.gif ) comes up here, again.

If that's the case then why have some people received some Hank Mobley sets with numbers near the last 50? Something doesn't jive.

Maybe that should be the next question for Scott/Fred/Michael. I think it's your turn. wink.gif

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  • 2 months later...

Should I get the Mosaic anyway? why

You will be very sorry very soon when that box disappears!

Yes, there is some overlap but the sound on the Mosaic is better and what's in the Mosaic box and not in the Columbia set represents a good chunk of must-have Basie/Lester masterpieces!

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One of the reasons is "I Left My Baby," one of the greatest Basie-Pres-Rushing masterpieces that was somehow left off of the #1 Band set.

The overlap is large, however, so your decision will probably depend on how much you really love this music.

I agree with John, S. If you're not a Basie and Young fanatic, the Columbia set may well be all you'll need of this great music. If you feel you can't get enough, or have enough, the Mosaic set is a great complete chunk of music and the sound is the best I've heard these selections.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

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No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

The main thing is the Famous Door broadcast - Pres is just unbelievable there!

America's #1 Band - CD4:

#1-10 - Famous Door, NYC, 1939-07-15

All on: Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD158 [CD, titled "Count Basie - Volume 11 - 1939 - Complete Edition"]

Jazz Arch JA42 has some of it, but misses "Boogie Woogie Blues" and "White Sails", as well as the opening and closing "One O'Clock Jump"

#11-12 - Savoy Ballroom, NYC - 1937-06-30

This was a longer broadcast (eleven titles plus the theme at the end) and the 4CD set only contains the two tracks with Billie Holiday singing. They were on Columbia C3L 21 in 1964.

The list of releases is way too long to paste in here and various releases didn't contain the entire set.

But all is on: Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD48 [CD, titled "Count Basie - Volume 4 - 1937 - Complete Edition"]

#13 - Meadowbrook Lounge, Cedar Grove, NJ - 1937-11-03

Another lengthy broadcast (eight titles) and again the 4CD set contains the one track with Billie Holiday, which also was on Columbia C3L 21.

All is on: Masters of Jazz (F)MJCD49, Jazz Archives JA73, all but the theme on EPM (F)FDC5502 (CD), all but the theme and the Holiday cut on Forlane UCD19007, all but the Holiday cut on Jazz Soc 67410, all but the Holiday cut and "Moten Swing" on Alamac (It)Q22412. I guess that's about it...

#14 - Panther Room, Chicago, IL - 1939-06-05

This is just a two-tunes broadcast, the other being "Darktown Strutter's Ball" (said to be just a theme song - not that I knew).

Both are on: Jazz Arch JA41, Vintage Jazz Classics VJC1033

"Moten Swing" (the track in the 4CD set) is also on: Joker (It)SM3969

#15-19 - Southland Theatre Restaurant, Boston, MA - 1940-02-20

The 4CD has the whole broadcast except for the opening "One O'Clock Jump", a "Riff Interlude" following "Ebony Rhapsody", and a Helen Humes vocal feature, "If I Could Be with You".

Three releases seem to have the whole broadcast: Jazz Soc AA512, EPM FDC552, Jazz Archives JA75

Various others miss the Humes track and/or the theme.

The Masters of Jazz discs didn't seem to get that far, I have Vol. 11 (the one with the Famous Door material) but know of no later ones.

#20-22 - Café Society Uptown, NYC - 1941-09-20, 1941-10-10, 1941-09-29

One cut from each date, in that sequence.

Seems most of these cuts came out on Jazz Unlimited, easiest to find may be "Café Society Uptown 1941" (JUCD2006/7 2CD set) - but there are missing cuts. And discographically, these sessions seem to be a mess...

Hope this helps...

Just as a note of warning: the info I give above is far from complete... and I'm in no way sure there aren't more recent (than my info, that is) releases where the music could be found more easily.

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No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

The main thing is the Famous Door broadcast - Pres is just unbelievable there!

...

Hope this helps...

Just as a note of warning: the info I give above is far from complete... and I'm in no way sure there aren't more recent (than my info, that is) releases where the music could be found more easily.

Thanks! Very helpful. I'll see if I can track some of these down. It is a shame that some European outfit hasn't pulled together this material into one place.

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No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

The main thing is the Famous Door broadcast - Pres is just unbelievable there!

...

Hope this helps...

Just as a note of warning: the info I give above is far from complete... and I'm in no way sure there aren't more recent (than my info, that is) releases where the music could be found more easily.

Thanks! Very helpful. I'll see if I can track some of these down. It is a shame that some European outfit hasn't pulled together this material into one place.

Oh, that would be a huge effort - there are so many Basie broadcasts around!

And the sound of the Famous Door stuff on the 4CD set is so good - no way you'd ever get that with the pirates!

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No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

Besides the live disc, America's #1 Band includes 40+ tracks not in the Mosaic set - band tracks after Lester left town, 12 octet tracks and some rhythm section material. You get Byas, Hawk, Lucky, Illinois, Wardell and Rouse in place of Young.

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And a nice booklet. I'd get the set rather than track down old LPs and boot cds of the live stuff. I have almost all that live (and studio) stuff on other sources, and it sounds SO MUCH BETTER on the box set.

True, but except for Famous Door, in most cases I'd still have to go elsewhere to get the rest of the live set.

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No. The stuff on disc 4 of the #1 band set was out before (on Masters of Jazz) and it's worth the price of the set alone! It's absolutely fabulous, some magic Pres there!

Is there a discography of Disc 4 of #1 band set floating around (aside from the booklet inside the box of course)? I have the Mosaic, so am unlikely to get this for just the live sessions, but I might look at other ways of obtaining the live material. (I didn't see a specific CD release that had the same material, but maybe it is spread over a few CDs.) Thanks!

Besides the live disc, America's #1 Band includes 40+ tracks not in the Mosaic set - band tracks after Lester left town, 12 octet tracks and some rhythm section material. You get Byas, Hawk, Lucky, Illinois, Wardell and Rouse in place of Young.

I think between this and the Clef/Verve Mosaic, you have the entirety of the official octet studio material, right?

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Is America's #1 Band still in print?

You can get the downloads from eMusic or Amazon and probably iTunes. There are a fair number of new and used copies of the box itself from resellers floating about on Amazon, but no idea how long they will last. You guys convinced me (esp. Chuck) and now there is one fewer...

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Is America's #1 Band still in print?

You can get the downloads from eMusic or Amazon and probably iTunes. There are a fair number of new and used copies of the box itself from resellers floating about on Amazon, but no idea how long they will last. You guys convinced me (esp. Chuck) and now there is one fewer...

You won't regret it!

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  • 1 year later...

Me, I ordered the second French 10LP box a couple of days ago! :excited:

Count-Basie-The-Complete-Coun-462977.jpg

Got the first one in November, now hoping the copy of the second one I scored will be in similarly fine condition!

These should've really been reissued in 2004 by Mosaic...

Now I still want a "real" copy of the RCA material... was there ever a good LP release there? A box? Or several of these Jazz Tribune thingies?

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