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Who doesn't own any Mosaic sets?


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I'm a Mosaic addict and I really don't buy this remastering controversy. I'm grateful if things previously unavailable on cd are now available.

Mosaic has put out things that you wouldn't be able to get on cd. Obviously, as others have noted, that's changing. Let's look at the Stitt set. Those masters were considered lost until discovered in London, I believe. So you wouldn't have seen those coming out on cd anytime soon. When I first became interested in jazz, I didn't know TOCJ from 24 bit. I bought the Mobley and as far as I knew those recordings were unavailable. I know better now. Another example is the HRS Sessions. Unless you have the 78s, you wouldn't have been able to listen to one of the great sets. So there's Reason Number One.

Number Two, those Mosaic books are great. They usually have a great bio of the artist and then a great analysis of the music that even a non-musician can follow.

Would I pick up a Mosaic if I had the recordings in TOCJ or whatever. No. I have the Chamber recordings so I haven't picked up that select. But I only had Katanga on the Amy Select so I've got that now. The sound is real fine. And I sold Katanga on Ebay. The best thing about the Selects is how the Pacific catalogue is seeing some light.

So I can't think of a reason not to buy the Mosaics or the Select unless you already have the music.

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In regard to listening, I put each CD into its own jewel box when I hear it for the first time. That keeps each Mosaic CD on the shelf with all the other CDs, and thus in my regular rotation of listening. I too would listen to them less if they were packed away in the boxes somewhere, away from the rest of the CDs.

There are a number of sets I have not heard entirely. I open a new CD from each set maybe once a year. So I am still reaping enjoyment for something paid for years ago. I recommend it!

I still keep my CDs in the box set, which I think is my downfall. In the future, when I have the space, my Mosaic CDs will be mixed in with the regular population.

I don't have any regrets about buying the Mosaic sets, but I just found that it's rare when they release a set that I haven't already bought a good part of already. I've really wanted the Tristano Mosaic forever, but I already have everything on it that has been released outside the set.

One thing that I've gotten into doing is making CDRs of my Mosaic sets with the albums in their original orders. I find that's my favorite way of listening to the sets.

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I used to swear off the Mosaics because I was afraid of its crack like qualities and with so many out of print if I got hooked it could get ugly. Besides there is sooo muck music I don't have that I don't feel the need to get the rare stuff yet.

Although I still don't own any "full" Mosaics for the same reasons above, I do own all but two of the Selects. The marketing guy who came up with this nailed me. Here's a new series which is affordable with great music that is not readily available and I can start with Volume 1 and collect them the way my OCD demands it.

The upcoming batch may break that streak as I'm not too interested in these titles. I sure that will change just like the Curtis Amy which I now feel I must have after reading everyones high praise.

My advice to others... just say no!!

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Hm. My problem is that I have this collector streak in me. For about twenty years or so it was contemporary horror fiction (limited and first editions, rare reprints), followed by a steadily increasing interest in contemporary fantasy art. All along, I put together an ever-growing collection of photography books.

In the background my CD collection grew steadily and went through various phases ... getting started in the 80s, buying a huge number of second hand CDs in the 90s (I had to walk by a second hand store every day on the way to work and back) and then going into a remastering fit. I'm the record industry's dream boy.

As my interest in jazz grew again (I listen to music pretty much 24/7), so did that part of my collection. I went for the stuff I knew and liked way back when, started discovering new artists, entered the Blue Note era, etc. You know the way it goes.

My first Mosaic was the Teddy Wilson one not so long ago. Being somewhat of an audiophile, I wanted as much Teddy Wilson I could get in good sound quality and the Mosaic is/was it. Then came the Ellington set (German Spiegel version), the Mulligan is on order with 2001 (wonder if they can/will deliver), and the last purchase was the Blue Mitchell.

I tend to go for the more lavishly produced re-issue series of stuff I've wanted, did once listen to or am pointed towards by others (like the people on this board). Just like with a good book, for me it's not only the content (which comes first, of course), but also the presentation. And Mosaic scores big in that department. The booklets (err, books) are simply wonderful.

I still continue to fill my Universal Deluxe collection (the early Bob Marley discs are simply brilliant, etc.) of which I'm missing only two (some I didn't consider because the music simply didn't interest me), I've gone for the latest Universal France Heritage and Anniversary series recently (even duplicating some stuff I already have in the Jazz in Paris boxes (these new re-issues were re-sequenced) because I found them extremely cheap, etc.

What I am not is a completist (I do have tons of Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, though), and I do not go for re-issues with inferior sound (even if that's the only issue available and recommended by others). I do have some Proper boxes (for a while there was a shop here which sold these at 8.99 Euro, no matter what it was ... the shop has since disappeared ... wonder why), but I basically use those to find out what it is I should be tracking down in better sound quality.

I've reached the point though, at which I intend to stop buying for a while (yeah, right). I do listen to everything I buy, but I feel I haven't had enough time to devote to what I've bought due to the steady stream of packages arriving here.

I think I'll put on what I have and start cataloguing it ... that should take me a year or so ...

But, there are still three Mosaic sets I want, so ...

Hm, on second thought, forget what I said above. ;)

Cheers!

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I bought my first Mosaic last Christmas and picked up another when the Blue Mitchell was running low.

I'm still pretty early in my jazz obsession. I've had some albums for 20+ years but it's really only been in the past few years that jazz has become the primary music choice. I have about 400 titles...which comes out to just under 500 discs. Huh, those 2 discers and box sets add up!

I really hadn't been aware of Mosaic until about a year ago, and I held off as I felt I still had a great deal of other things that I needed to hear (Getz, Art Ensemble of Chicago, all sorts of things I should have heard earlier in life, but better late than never!) first.

However, by not having been a big buyer of jazz for all this time Mosaic can fill the bill quite nicely. After a dozen or so Ellington albums I went for the Hodges as I greatly enjoyed Back To Back and Side By Side, and the only Hodges I had away from Ellington was with Mulligan. So aside from a few songs from Side By Side, the rest of the Hodges was new to me.

I picked up the Blue Mitchell as I had been enjoying his playing on a the Horace Silver discs I had, and I was intrigued that it included him with Henderson/Hancock and Cook/Corea (plus the Duke Pearson material.) So it was a nice fit.

Being a newbie has it's advantages (though I've missed out on years of enjoyment of the music.)

Thus far I've made Japanese purchases off limits, and in comparison the Mosaic pricing is better. Assuming you want all the box includes that is.

And actually, as many older CDs seem to have mastering issues (old Columbias for example), I feel pretty safe in trying Mosaic as the Patton Select aside, most of what I've read about them (and the little I've heard) they sound nice.

I've given up some expensive vices in the past few years and along with better earnings I'm at the point where I have a regular music budget and then a special purchases budget, and just about every month is special now. :) Maybe it's midlife crisis (or having a parent with Alzheimer's), but I'm not assuming any longer than I'll live a long life with great hearing, so I figure I might as well pick it up a notch in my music spending while I'm in my prime listening years.

Anyway, some of the sets provide the music I'm after. And while I'm not sure I really need 6 discs of J.J. Johnson in one fell swoop (haven't bought it - yet) it isn't easy material to get, especially if you factor in time. And since I have 2 music budgets :rolleyes: , I'm making an effort to cast a wide net and explore other artists while feasting in box set gluttony.

Despite the fancy booklet and the big box packaging, so far I play my Mosaics more than I play other box sets. I think this is because they come in regular old jewel cases which I file alongside other discs, while sets like the metal banded Miles boxes are harder to get into to. Especially if you've been drinking.

Ed Swinnich once noted in a thread that he's willing to buy Mosaics of artists he barely knows just because he knows Mosaic does quality work. I don't know if I can be that bold, but I know what he means. They put a great deal of care into their work, and it's nicely packaged.

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Disk Union in Tokyo usually sells used OOP Mosaic's at around $14 per disc. They don't appear that often, but if I see one I usually grab it. I really enjoy every one I have bought, from Louis Armstrong to Jackie Mclean. It is not just the music but the whole packaging the makes them so addictive, at least for me (of course, knowing that they could all be resold at a substantial profit dosn't hurt). Then again, unlike some here, I love box sets with big informative booklets. I tend to play several CD's in one session.

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I bought the Moncur set simply out of pronciple. It's the only one I have. I already had all of those sessions either on CD or LP but rather liked the idea of supporting anyone willing to reissue his material.

As far as the 'real' Mosaics go, I can't justify spending that much money on CDs. When I have money available to spend on music I prefer to get soul 45s or free jazz LPs (ESP, BYG, America, etc).

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Was late in getting into Blue Note material and thus never bought any albums (well maybe 1) that were also on in-print Mosaic sets. Thus, Mosaic Blue Note sets were/are an extremely convenient and more economical way of obtaining albums of artists in one go. Also, not too keen on the idea of buying easily available individual albums and then having to search the world over for 1 or 2 more obscure ones.

:tup for Mosaic sets.

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very interesting thread ...

I own a bunch, but listen to them infrequently ...

just keep waiting for that free three hours to really dig in, but it never seems to arrive ...

although things have generally become more available over the years, I started buying them for stuff that exisited only on lp if you could find it (at very high prices)

case in point - the Jackie McLean set

plus, buying Mosaics have allowed me to discover artists that I previously ignored

for example - the Tina Brooks set - before any of this stuff was out on CD, I bought the Mosaic set - barely knew who the guy was, but was taken by the passion with which Cuscuna described it in some ad copy - I was stunned (and still am) at how nice this stuff is

I see the Curtis Amy and Carmell Jones selects as being in a similar vein

plus, they have issued stuff that folks have just slept on - the Woody Shaw for example

I love those guys :tup

Eric

Edited by Eric
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But, there are still three Mosaic sets I want, so ...

Wow; all I can think to say after that post is which three and do you have a lot of Arkham House stuff that's just gathering dust... ;)

1) Anita O'Day, Johnny Hodges and Elvin Jones

2) Nope. I was never into Lovecraft or stupid old gods, and Lovecraft's deciples just really go on my nerves. I'm more the Joe R. Lansdale, Dennis Etchison; Ed Gorman etc. kind of guy. And a Harlan Ellison completist, although he certainly doesn't really fit the bill. He just happens to be one of the best writers the US ever had.

Cheers!

Edit: Removed the stupid bee) [b)] bug.

Edited by deus62
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I'm not much on Lovecraft, but I do like Derleth...

I was at best lukewarm on Ellison (and don't even think he's the best writer the U.S. ever had with that last name; I'll take Ralph!), but my opinion of him went up when I sold that Ace double for mucho bucks!  :lol:

Care to step outside for a minute or two? :g

[Edit: typo]

Edited by deus62
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I have a bunch of Mosaics (maybe twenty or so), but I've really calmed down in the last few years when it comes to them. Like some others, I keep my box set discs mixed in with the general population, so they're always available should I want to listen to them, but the fact of the matter is that I DON'T listen to them very often. Part of it, I think, has to do with the nature of box sets: they seem to demand more time and attention than individual albums, which are much easier to digest. I have some box sets (not just Mosaics) that I've listened to all the way through exactly ONCE (and it's a bit of a project when I do that). There are some I listen to more often than others (the Miles "In A Silent Way" set, for example) but I find that I'll listen to one or two discs from that set a lot, and hardly listen to others at all. I even own a small handful of sets that I've NEVER heard all the way through because they're just so damn long.

I guess part of me RESENTS the way box sets seem to demand attention. Listening to music shouldn't be work...it should be fun. It's not fun if I feel pressured to listen to one thing rather than another. I realize that this is entirely MY hang-up, btw. I'm sure there are lots of people who don't feel anxious when they think about their box sets...

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