Latest Pop Market Complete sets available for preorder

[jazzbo]

That's most likely, though these descriptions on the site are pretty hard to make definitive decisions from.

I'm looking forward to the Ellington, even though I wish there were two discs of A Drum is a Woman (at one point a two cd set was planned). I'm enjoying these sets, like having all these recordings in one little box.

[crisp]

In spite of all the caveats on here (which I do take seriously), I've preordered the Bessie set. The individual Frog sets work out a lot more expensively, and although I appreciate Bessie's genre-transcending greatness, blues isn't much of an interest of mine. So for me it's just a cheap, easy way to get the lot, poor sound notwithstanding. If it turns out to be remastered after all -- and if I can actually tell if it has been -- I'll let you know.

Re Ellington, I'm hoping that it's just a matter of time before Sony repackages and reissues the complete RCA set of about 15 years ago. I was a bit hard up when that one came out and I reluctantly passed on it without realising it was a limited edition. A nice mini-box version of that would be fine.

[crisp]

PS Just noticed that, although the Armstrong box, like the Bessie, replicates the order of the Columbia Masterworks releases of about 20 years ago, the Popmarket site says "Contains the best sound ever, having been remastered by Sony’s multi Grammy-winning engineer, Mark Wilder, in conjunction with producer Michael Brooks." Maybe the Bessie has been redone too? Who knows?

[JETman]

PS Just noticed that, although the Armstrong box, like the Bessie, replicates the order of the Columbia Masterworks releases of about 20 years ago, the Popmarket site says "Contains the best sound ever, having been remastered by Sony’s multi Grammy-winning engineer, Mark Wilder, in conjunction with producer Michael Brooks." Maybe the Bessie has been redone too? Who knows?

Also, consider the possibility that the remastering comment on the site for the Armstrong set refers to that done for the 4 cd Hot Fives and Sevens boxed set released by Sony 10+ years ago. It wouldn't be the first time that a record company was manipulative in its use of language in order to increase sales of its product.

Maybe board member Ricky Ricciardi would have some information to share on this topic since he penned the new liner notes?

[J.A.W.]

I know that Mark Wilder pops up now and again at the Hoffman board. Maybe you could try pm'ing him?

Mr Wilder left the Hoffman board years ago and all his posts have been deleted, I believe at his own request.

[J.A.W.]

Just listened to Sweetnighter from the 1971-1975 Weather Report set and to my ears it sounds too loud and also very harsh/shrill. I have no idea how the original recording sounds and I don't have other versions to compare it to, but I don't like this mastering. Very disappointing. By the way, Mark Wilder mastered the set.

I do have the 2007 Mark Wilder DSD masterings of Tale Spinnin' and Mysterious Traveller on Japanese CDs and I'll compare them later to the same albums in the set.

[follow-up]

Just did a very quick comparison of the first two tracks on Mysterious Traveller. The 2007 Japanese CD (Sony SICP 1243) is much easier on the ears than the version from the set.

[Steve Gray]

I know that Mark Wilder pops up now and again at the Hoffman board. Maybe you could try pm'ing him?

Mr Wilder left the Hoffman board years ago and all his posts have been deleted, I believe at his own request.

Just noticed this fairly recent post from Mark Wilder

Kind Of Blue speed issue

[J.A.W.]

I know that Mark Wilder pops up now and again at the Hoffman board. Maybe you could try pm'ing him?

Mr Wilder left the Hoffman board years ago and all his posts have been deleted, I believe at his own request.

Just noticed this fairly recent post from Mark Wilder

Kind Of Blue speed issue

Ah, good to see he's back. Pity his earlier posts were deleted, there was some useful info there.

Edited September 28, 2012 by J.A.W.

[jazzbo]

There are ten remaining posts.