Who doesn't own any Mosaic sets?

[connoisseur series500]

I don't own any Mosaic sets and I wonder why others seem so crazy about them, while I've ignored them.

When I started buying jazz around 5-6 years ago, I was fortunate to be within driving distance of good cd shops in Ann Arbor. I was pretty much able to pick up a lot of oop stuff. There was always so much to buy locally and I wasn't hooked up to the internet back then.

When I became aware of Mosaic sets, I realilzed that I aleady owned many of the individually marketed cds. It didn't seem to make sense to put down big coin for a few unreleased songs or sessions.

Now I've read so much about the dubious remastering on these sets. The latest example would be the bad tape on the recent Patton select.

I would only consider buying a Mosaic set if at least half of the music was unavailable elsewhere. The closest I've come to buying one would be the Duke Pearson Select. Now "How Insensitive" has been reissued on JRVG, and I might not buy the Mosaic. The only impossible one to find there would be "The Phantom."

The Patton select has "That Certain Feeling," which I've got a cd-rom from an LP. Great session too!

Everyone talks about Mosaics like their religious icons or something. I am amazed at how quickly people buy them and so early in their collecting habit too.

Can you all tell us what motivations went into your Mosaic purchases and also whether you started buying them early in your collecting careers? I'm genuinely curious and want to know what i'm missing out on.

[couw]

more holy houses to be burned down?

anyhow my own personal mosaic counter: 0

[AfricaBrass]

I'll admit that I've been a huge Mosaic addict in the past.

but, I haven't purchased any in over two years.

I think they're beautiful sets with wonderful music, but they're just too rich for my blood these days, plus, I just don't listen to box sets as much as I listen to individual CDs.

I used to be obsessed with buying Mosaic sets, but since I let it go, I don't really feel like I'm missing out. Heck, I've got enough to listen to anyway.

[connoisseur series500]

more holy houses to be burned down?

anyhow my own personal mosaic counter: 0

Why don't you own any?

[Big Wheel]

Mosaic sets are the only CDs I buy these days for more than $10. ($10 per disc, that is.) My case is the opposite of AfricaBrass's--I only started buying them 3 years ago, and only owned 2 until this December. Now I have 4 and am considering picking up 2 or 3 more if the budget will allow it.

[ghost of miles]

C'mon, you guys, smoke some crack... all the other kids are doin' it!

[connoisseur series500]

I just don't listen to box sets as much as I listen to individual CDs.

This is a very interesting phenomenon which affects me as well. I own a few box sets and I never listen to them.

There's something psychologically strange about that, but I just don't naturally reach for a box set when I put a disc on to play.

Any others feel that way?

Edited February 26, 2004 by connoisseur series500

[connoisseur series500]

C'mon, you guys, smoke some crack... all the other kids are doin' it!

[couw]

more holy houses to be burned down?

anyhow my own personal mosaic counter: 0

Why don't you own any?

never got around to it I guess. My financial situation didn't allow me to get a credit card when I started buying jazz. There was no pay pal or anything else as easy or affordable, so that meant: no overseas orders. I have developed a entirely different buying scheme in the meantime in which most of the stuff I buy is either the stuff my local 2nd hand dealer has around (usually vinyl) or what 2001 has for sale. This is also because there is no decent brick and mortar shop in the vicinity here. Every once in a while I order some stuff from amazon.de, stuff I really like to hear. My patience has grown over the years; I have learned that a lot of the good stuff will eventually find its way to the reissue circuit. Moreover, my habit of buying stuff I happen to come across has provided me with many a surprise.

[Michel_M]

Hi,

- I live in Montreal far far away (in distance and $) from any TOCJ or any OOP cd's

- Almost all of my collection (about 700) come from buying on Internet. From the good time of Music Boulevard (with their tons of coupons that you could combine at that time ) to present eBay possibilities (not Mosaic there for me however)

- I'm a big Blue Note hard-bop fan and have a prononced "collector side"

- Mosaic boxes are expensive specially for non-euro or non-US$ countries but if I look how many rare albums or impossible to find album I have on a Mosaic, it's a great buy. If I have to buy 5 or 6 TOCJ to have the music of a Mosaic (ex.: Mobley, Morgan) it would be much more costly.

- The box (great b & w photos)

- The booklet

- And last but not least : the Music

Michel

[undergroundagent]

I own one Mosaic: Larry Young.

Otherwise, I'd rather go the TOCJ/JRVG route and buy only the worthwhile sessions. I found in the past when I had a few Mosaics that I never got through all the music. Thus, why spend all that $$ on music I wasn't listening too?

[connoisseur series500]

If I have to buy 5 or 6 TOCJ to have the music of a Mosaic (ex.: Mobley, Morgan) it would be much more costly.

I have noticed the same thing. The problem is, however, that I might already own several TOJCs before the Mosaic comes out.

A good illustration of this point would be the Duke Pearson Select. I've got "I Don't Care Who Knows It" and "Big Band" which costed closed to $15 each. Then I have the JRVG of "Merry Ole Soul" which costed around $26 from Dusty's (The Bastards!) and now "How Insensitive" is available for $27 from Dusty's (The bastards!). It all adds up to a lot more than the cost of the Mosaic. Plus the Mosaic includes "The Phantom."

But again, I already owned the individual cds before the Mosaic came out. It would be cheaper for me to spend the $27 on "How Insensitive" since that's the only one I'm missing (besides the impossible to find, "Phantom.")

I just became aware of Mosaics too late in my collecting habits.

[tjobbe]

I do not own any... -_-

... as up to know, I tried to avoid collecting disc as I normally verify my colleection after a while and decide then to get stuff sold again as I lost either interest or I do not like some records any more (which in the past years was rarely the case....but I do not have an attidute of must have "all recordings an artist ever did..." no.. maybe Bill Evans comes close there or Guaraldi)

Cheers, Tjobbe

[connoisseur series500]

How do Mosaic remasterings compare to TOJCs or JRVGs?

My guess is that the Japanese stuff would sound better. Right or wrong?

[Dr. Rat]

I don't have any Mosaics. The station has a few, but I don't find I'm drawn to them that often. I am not a completist, generally speaking.

I would buy the Commodore set, and there's a few others I would probably spring for, but in many cases I feel the Mosaic sets are more than I need or want (every alternate take, etc.). Though the notes are great, and the overall feel of the product is lavish--makes you feel your money is well spent.

But I'd rather dig through bins and find whatever I happen upon. More of an adventure that way.

--eric

[undergroundagent]

I've found the TOCJ/JRVG to be better sounding, but that's just me.

On that note, one Mosaic I do wish I still had was the Tina Brooks. I guess it was a sentimental thing seeing as I purchased it for $50 Canadian at a USED store, but when I heard the music for the first time it was a revelation. Thank goodness everything has been reissued. I just splurged on "Back to the Tracks" & "Waiting Game" today.

[connoisseur series500]

I just splurged on "Back to the Tracks" & "Waiting Game" today.

Hey Al,

Didn't I offer you "Back to the Tracks" a while ago for cheap?

Man, you must have been in that soul-jazz kick of yours back then when I made the offer.

[undergroundagent]

Yeah, when you bought them from Matt! Boy, I can be foolish!

I felt like my collection was becoming polarized with too much of the same artists, and I wanted to change that. Hence, the new additions of Horace Parlan, Horace Silver, Tina Brooks & Stan T.

Edited February 26, 2004 by undergroundagent

[connoisseur series500]

Yeah, when you bought them from Matt! Boy, I can be foolish!

I felt like my collection was becoming polarized with too much of the same artists, and I wanted to change that. Hence, the new additions of Horace Parlan, Horace Silver, Tina Brooks & Stan T.

Traded with Matt, not bought. I already had my own copy, so I had an extra.

I ended up selling it to a friend here in Toledo for $8 or $9.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

I just don't listen to box sets as much as I listen to individual CDs.

This is a very interesting phenomenon which affects me as well. I own a few box sets and I never listen to them.

There's something psychologically strange about that, but I just don't naturally reach for a box set when I put a disc on to play.

Any others feel that way?

More or less. Excluding the Mosaics, most of which are vinyl... I've ditched every large box set except for the Evans 'Riverside' and will only keep a few smaller more manageable sets around (ie. Garland's 'Complete Prelude'...& a few Selects). When it comes to BN material, I'll buy what I can get now and then sort it all out later. Buying a Reece Select box when I already have the TOCJs/JRVGs & Conn. is undoubtedly a knucklehead move. It's good to be a knucklehead.

[tonym]

I don't own any.

One reason being that I prefer to explore individual albums at a time, and with Mosaics having that price tag, I can indulge in several quality purchases rather than the one set. I'm not a completist (getting close with one or two guys) so having the music thata Mosaic presents isn't an issue --- if I have some of it on particular albums that suffices I suppose.

Secondly, and this is more important from my POV. Apart from a few artists, there aren't many that Mosaic represent that really appeal. I'm always finding new artists to explore and for this reason my buying habits tend to be quite diverse, but often quite 'cyclical', I will revert back after a break to get discs sought after for some time.

cheers, tonym

[Jazzmoose]

I guess I got into Mosaic at the right time for me, as the sets I've bought duplicate little if any of what I have. I picked up the Lee Morgan when I was in my "gotta have all the Mogie I can get" kick, and hadn't I picked up anything before Sidewinder yet. Then I got the Anita, which had just the period I wanted from her, all of it, and I only had one CD from that period. In fact, I don't think I've ever bought a Mosiac that really duplicated anything I had other than that. As strange as this sounds to my wife, with just 500 or so jazz CDs, I just don't have that much...

Now, there are some Mosaics I'll never own. The Blakey for example. What would be the point? I've already got the individual CDs. Same with Tina Brooks. The tough ones are ones like the Byrd/Adams, where I have two of the CDs covered, but not the others. I don't know. We'll see when "last chance" time comes, I guess.

[7/4]

I don't own any because when they first came out, there wasn't anything I was interested in. Then, for a few years, I wasn't really listening to too much jazz. I went through my 20th century composer phase, then a few years of Hindustani raga and now I'm listening to jazz again.

That Elvin Jones Mosaic box is looking interesting......

[GA Russell]

To get to the original question, when Mosaic started out, many of the sets were devoted to people you could hardly find anything of...Mulligan/Baker, Tina Brooks, Art Pepper PJ, Port of Harlem Jazzmen, Chet Baker Live, Ike Quebec's 45s, etc. So the quandary of buying the Mosaic when you already own half the material was not present.

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!

[catesta]

I don't own any.

One reason being that I prefer to explore individual albums at a time, and with Mosaics having that price tag, I can indulge in several quality purchases rather than the one set.

This probably sums it up best for me.