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Elvin Jones Mosaic


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I ponied up for the JJJ in its last days, too. Glad I did, BTW.

I have a couple of the Elvin's on vinyl - "The Ultimate" & "Merry-Go-Round" - so I have a pretty good idea what the set is about and I'm feeling OK with passing on it.

Let us know what you think of Max, sidewinder.

Exactly. The Elvin set just doesn't scream "MUST HAVE" in large neon lights like the JJ did for me. Besides, the more essential material in this box has a much better chance of being reissued by BN than did the JJ sides for Columbia.

What's this BTW about the Lighthouse sessions not being truly complete? No "Happy B-day" or stage announcements. Boo!

Edited by trane_fanatic
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The "Happy Birthday" track can easily be skipped. Terrible "singing." The plus to the original Lighthouse cd issues (which are "complete"), however, is that Malcolm Addey did the transfers/remastering.

I dunno, I think the Elvin set is a must-have. I doubt Blue Note will re-reissue much of it as time goes along. Cuscuna's been on record more than once stating that Elvin just doesn't sell. Perhaps The Ultimate or Coalition could make it to a Connoisseur batch some time, but even that seems unlikely.

I think it's one of those situations where, after you physically have the set, you feel great relief — you have it!

Waitaminnut ... I thought this set was already OOP ... :wacko:

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I dunno, I think the Elvin set is a must-have. I doubt Blue Note will re-reissue much of it as time goes along. Cuscuna's been on record more than once stating that Elvin just doesn't sell. Perhaps The Ultimate or Coalition could make it to a Connoisseur batch some time, but even that seems unlikely.

Elvin is a icon to me. Had a chance to see him with his Drum Machine band and McCoy Tyner in his final SFJAZZ concert. I got to hear the materal on the box. Some sessions were good, but a large amount of it was so-so to these ears. With it's heavy price tag, I just don't see myself playing it much with so little time and many discs I haven't even opened yet. Can't justify the cost of it.

Edited by trane_fanatic
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Late, the live session (J) are the same 16 bit transfers that were used for the individual cds, the rest of the set is 24 bit McMaster. Here's what the production notes in the set say:

Remix engineers: Rudy Van Gelder (G-I), Malcolm Addey (J) and Peter Doell (K-M)

Mastered using 24-bit analog-to-digital resolution by Ron McMaster, except session J mastered from 16-bit digital mixes.

Theoretically McMaster did the mastering of those tracks, but the transfers are Addey and they basically sound the same to me as the individual cds.

Edited by jazzbo
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I ponied up for the JJJ in its last days, too. Glad I did, BTW.

I have a couple of the Elvin's on vinyl - "The Ultimate" & "Merry-Go-Round" - so I have a pretty good idea what the set is about and I'm feeling OK with passing on it.

If you had said "Poly-Currents" & "Genesis" instead, I could say that's ok, you know what it is you're passing on.

But...

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I don't recall one person writing on this Board that they regret buying the Elvin set. I bought the Roach and Jones sets at the time time, thinking for sure that the Jones would take second place in my affections. Well, much to my surprise, I like the Jones set even more than the Roach. A really strong point of the Jones set is that it's not bogged down by a lot of alternate takes. Can't recall any, as a matter of fact, though there may be a few.

Don't go by what you know of the individual Jones sessions. When you put all the sessions together in one set, there is a marvelous unity that emerges, which makes individual seesion somehow shine more brightly. I have never heard this happen as strongly on any other Mosaic set as it does with the Jones. I personally believe it's one of the best sets Mosaic has ever done.

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Fine words from Mr. Tapscott. I'm in full agreement.

Lon — oops, you're right. Maybe I'll end up selling my original Lighthouse cds now ... :o I haven't even opened the Lighthouse part of the Mosaic. I just blindly assumed the whole thing was McMastered, and focused in on the other parts. And those "other parts" have taken up my attention for some time now!

Oh yes — I just want to say that Jan Hammer's tune called "Lungs" on the Mosaic ... I love that track. Hammer can play when he wants to.

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When you put all the sessions together in one set, there is a marvelous unity that emerges, which makes individual seesion somehow shine more brightly. I have never heard this happen as strongly on any other Mosaic set as it does with the Jones.

As is often the case Mr. John T. describes the music well.

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I just bit the bullet and ordered this over the phone, so if those numbers are right, there are at best 1-2 copies left.

The guy I spoke with expected it to be sold out before the end of the day.

Erik--livin' life on the razor's edge! (i.e., cuttin' it close) :P

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