Columbia Original Masters: The Best Of Duke Ellington (1932 To 1939)

[crisp]

Couldn't find a thread for this but I know it's been discussed here and is much sought-after.

This boxed set, which was available very cheaply a couple of years ago and now sells for silly money, is being reissued in Sony's The Real series as The Real Duke Ellington, again for a very low price.

Even better, it has five extra tracks (6-10 on disc two).

For what it's worth there are three other new jazz titles in the series:

Benny Goodman

Dave Brubeck

Louis Armstrong

(Also Bob Dylan, Doris Day and, er Christmas.)

[David Ayers]

On Duke, do not hesitate.

[jazzbo]

I had this set. Sound is very good. The Mosaic sound is better (as is the sound on the Smithsonian lps of this material) but for the price this is a great way to get excellent music.

[Steve Gray]

But it isn't the same is it?

The old one had 95 tracks on 4 CDs, this new one has 75 tracks on 3CDs.

Still a great bargain though

Despite the really cheap price, this music has always been so important to me that I would always recommend the Mosaic.

Edited October 11, 2012 by Steve Gray

[Niko]

apparently, they left out disk 4 and added some of it to disk 2...

[mjzee]

Thanks for the tip. They're also available from Amazon US (search by the ASIN # provided by the UK site). I ordered the Benny Goodman from a reseller.

[crisp]

Damn, my error. Still it's a good chance to get most of the original set for peanuts.

[medjuck]

IIRC everything here is on the Mosaic set except the Ebony Rhapsody rehearsal which I don't think is found anywhere else. Also for some reason one cut only which was originally on RCA-- not srue why it was included. If you can't afford the Mosaic get this set!

Edited to add that there are 2 takes of Ebony Rhapsody on the 4 cd set. Not sure which cd they were on. Also can't remember if they were both "rehearsals".

Edited October 13, 2012 by medjuck

[Stan C]

Received the Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and Benny Goodman 3cd sets from Amazon UK. Great music for a cheap price.

[king ubu]

There's a Miles, too ... and a great one by Doris Day

And Johnny Cash (another well-picked one, it has his few first Columbia albums in their entirety, I think).

[Steve Gray]

There's a Miles, too ... and a great one by Doris Day

And Johnny Cash (another well-picked one, it has his few first Columbia albums in their entirety, I think).

Plus an Elvis and a Dylan and a Billie Holiday.

The Billie Holiday, which is otherwise a good looking selection of Columbia material, has a track called "C'est Un Peche de Dire Un Mentire". What on earth is that?

[jazzbo]

"It's a Sin to Tell A Lie" . . . . Not sure why it's in French, I don't recollect Billie singing in French.

[Steve Gray]

"It's a Sin to Tell A Lie" . . . . Not sure why it's in French, I don't recollect Billie singing in French.

:-) I was translating peche as fish!! No wonder I couldn't figure out what song it was.

[Guy Berger]

I may eventually upgrade to the Mosaic, but the 4cd columbia set is fantastic.

[colinmce]

Between this and the Smithsonian 6xLP, roughly what percentage of the Mosaic would I have?

[jazzbo]

That should be decipherable via the discography page of the Mosaic set. The short answer is that if you like this Ducal period, not enough.

[colinmce]

I'll have to print it out and compare. I'd love the Mosaic but can't rightly say when I'll ever have $200 to spend on music at one time.

[king ubu]

"It's a Sin to Tell A Lie" . . . . Not sure why it's in French, I don't recollect Billie singing in French.

:-) I was translating peche as fish!! No wonder I couldn't figure out what song it was.

what's that fishy smell?

[Fer Urbina]

But it isn't the same is it?

The old one had 95 tracks on 4 CDs, this new one has 75 tracks on 3CDs.

CD1 and CD3 in the new 3-CD set have exactly the same titles as CD1 and CD3 in the old 4-CD set.

CD2 in the new set has, from the old one, CD2 (1-5); CD4 (1-5); CD2 (6-8, 10-20); CD4 (6).

"Ebony Rhapsody" is not on the Mosaic set.

More on the old set, in this DE Panorama article (under "mixed feelings")

F

[ejp626]

Hmm, seems a little crazy to get just for 2 tracks, but they are there on CD2. If the prices stay ultra low, I guess I will get it for EBony Rhapsody, but probably pass it on eventually. (I was trying not to buy any more CDs in April, but ...)

[crisp]

Just spotted this: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings, a "new" three-CD set from Verve.

Is this a straight reissue of this set? Would I be right in thinking this material is on neither the Mosaic sets nor the big RCA box?

[J.A.W.]

Just spotted this: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings, a "new" three-CD set from Verve.

Is this a straight reissue of this set? Would I be right in thinking this material is on neither the Mosaic sets nor the big RCA box?

The title of the Mosaic is The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, so there's your answer.

The 1926-1931 Brunswick recordings are now owned by Universal, while the 1932-1940 Brunswick - and all RCA - recordings are now owned by Sony; none of the Sony-owned material is included on the European Verve (= Universal) set.

I think you can safely assume that the material on the U.S. Decca (= Universal) 3CD-set Early Ellington is indeed included on that European set.

Edited May 8, 2013 by J.A.W.

[crisp]

Thanks, JAW. Just wanted to confirm that this complements rather than duplicates the RCA and Mosaic sets, neither of which I own yet.

The split ownership of Brunswick/Vocalion is something I've never been able to get my head round.

[J.A.W.]

The split ownership of Brunswick/Vocalion is something I've never been able to get my head round.

That's been a "who sold what to whom and when"-tale through the decades I once posted the story somewhere, but I can't seem to find it now. The Early Ellington booklet has a few lines about it.

[edit]

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_Records

Edited May 8, 2013 by J.A.W.

[crisp]

Ah, thanks. It's amazingly involved. I've always thought Mosaic should do a box of Decca-owned Brunswick/Vocalion material, without knowing what would be on it, simply because a few Mosaic sets of Sony material mention that such and such a session was left off because, although from the same label, it's now owned by Universal. Beidebecke, Berigan and Bailey (that well known legal firm) might be among them.

Edit: looking at the preview of this discography I can see a few items of jazz interest: Rex Stewart, Red Nichols, Fletcher Henderson, Clarence Williams, just from 1927. I don't imagine Mosaic would touch the Ben Bernie sessions, though...

Edited May 8, 2013 by crisp