Markdowns on JSP boxes on Amazon

[mikelz777]

There are several JSP's that I own and would recommend. Some of them are great but if you like the music of the respective artist, I don't think anyone would be disappointed with any of these:

Louis Armstrong - Hot 5's and 7's

Jelly Roll Morton 1926-1930

Bix and Tram

Louis Jordan and Tympani 5

Classic Early Django Reinhardt

Django Reinhardt 2 - Paris and London

There are some good buys out there for the box sets from Proper as well. I'd recommend:

Coleman Hawkins Bebop Years

Tubby Hayes - Little Giant

The Fats Navarro Story

-and-

Charlie Ventura - Bop For The People (Though not as strongly recommended, it is fun/interesting and worth checking out. There are currently several new copies out there now for less than $12.00.)

[mikelz777]

Just perusing Proper's listings on Amazon and had to pick up a little Bud Powell. ($12.30)

Tempus Fugue-It (4-CD)

[MomsMobley]

Don't miss the various JSP Rembetika boxes, such as--

http://www.amazon.com/Rembetika-2-More-Secret-History/dp/B000YRZ1WG

I used to be very into-- than very against, in the Bear Family/Yazoo rip-off phase-- JSP but some of the more 'curated' sets are top notch; the Hoagy Carmichael esp.

I think the Mills Bros are goddamn great too tho' I think those date to the old R.T. Davies-era JSP.

Not on sale but astounding-- (from Lauren Brody's website if you have a cpl extra dollars to buy direct).

http://songofthecrookeddance.com/products/products.htm#OTN

[David]

Thanks for the recommendations for the Fats Waller sets. Just listened to the first disc of Set 3. Fantastic music and very good sound to these ears. May have to pick up a few more of the Waller volumes.

[kenny weir]

I've picked up three of cut-price sets over two orders.

Blind Blake - looking forward to getting to know an artist with whom I've only minimal exposure

Memphis Jug Band with Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

Cantors Klezmorim & Crooners 1905-1953: Classic Yiddish 78s From the Mayrent Collection. 3cd set. This looks like one of those "more 'curated' sets". Very cool!

It seems very hard to draw a hard yes/no line with JSP.

And certainly a few reviews I've seen indicate a misunderstanding of what they're about. In the Penguin blues guide, for instance, the guy disses the Texas Blues set because it ignores many major Texan artists. That's NOT what JSP does in many cases. What they do do, as in the Texas set, is simply cobble together a whole bunch of loosely related artists and put it out there. Not a lot of curating going on.

Other reviews at Amazon repeatedly whine about sound quality. But these are from folks who simply have little or no exposure to pre-war recordings of any kind. As one wag put it: "It's Paramount!"

Another interesting thing:

It's obvious to us here that in many, many cases JSP doesn't even aspire to the sound/production/research levels of Bear Family or Mosaic.

Yet some of their sets start gaining collector prices; whether that's because they're actually OOP I don't know.

They include from my racks (current lowest Aamzon price in brackets):

Eddie Condon ($100 secondhand, $160 new)

Texas Blues ($70)

Western Swing And Country Jazz ($28, though I've seen it higher. Only source I know for the classic Smokey Wood sides!)

Mountain Blues ($50)

As well, I just noticed the Buddy Guy set going for $50 secondhand and $500 new!

And the first Bill Monroe for $140 minimum and Masters Of Memphis Blues ($42).

[J.A.W.]

It's obvious to us here that in many, many cases JSP doesn't even aspire to the sound/production/research levels of Bear Family or Mosaic.

I assume you are aware that JSP has often "borrowed" masterings from the likes of Mosaic and Bear Family? BF won a lawsuit against JSP for stealing their Carter Family masterings - see this article.

[jazztrain]

Western Swing And Country Jazz ($28, though I've seen it higher. Only source I know for the classic Smokey Wood sides!)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I recall that a Zircon Vert cd had several Smokey Wood sides. I'll try to dig it out later to confirm.

Edited November 21, 2010 by jazztrain

[kenny weir]

It's obvious to us here that in many, many cases JSP doesn't even aspire to the sound/production/research levels of Bear Family or Mosaic.

I assume you are aware that JSP has often "borrowed" masterings from the likes of Mosaic and Bear Family? BF won a lawsuit against JSP for stealing their Carter Family masterings - see this article.

Oh yeah, up with all that. I would never buy the JSP sets concerned.

But as pointed out above, some of their sets ARE well-researched and well-restored, and unique. The Cantors Klezmorim & Crooners and Carmichael sets, for instance.

I'm uneasy about aspects of the whole JSP thing, but have drawn my own personal line at a place with which I'm mostly comfortable.

What do you do, J.A.W? Boycott them completely?

[J.A.W.]

It's obvious to us here that in many, many cases JSP doesn't even aspire to the sound/production/research levels of Bear Family or Mosaic.

I assume you are aware that JSP has often "borrowed" masterings from the likes of Mosaic and Bear Family? BF won a lawsuit against JSP for stealing their Carter Family masterings - see this article.

Oh yeah, up with all that. I would never buy the JSP sets concerned.

But as pointed out above, some of their sets ARE well-researched and well-restored, and unique. The Cantors Klezmorim & Crooners and Carmichael sets, for instance.

I'm uneasy about aspects of the whole JSP thing, but have drawn my own personal line at a place with which I'm mostly comfortable.

What do you do, J.A.W? Boycott them completely?

No, I have bought JSP sets from their early, "pre-borrowing" days that were mastered by the late John R.T. Davies, and a few later ones that were done by Ted Kendall and Chris King.