J.A.W.

Thanks for posting this, Daniel. That series was a very mixed bag, with some good albums and some (very) poor ones (in my opinion ).

Depending on their condition $200 each for those Commodore LP sets is a steal. They usually go for much more on eBay.

Funny, I've got loads and they don't sound any different to me from other Fantasy stuff. I have one or two that I've also got on other editions... I believe it were the ZYX 20 bit remasters of OJC material in digipaks that could sound very bad. The standard jewel case editions were the same as the US OJC:s, which are mostly quite decent. Yep, those 20-bit OJC remasters in digipaks from ZYX sounded atrocious, without exception. I bought most of the available ones in one go (which is never a good idea, to be honest) many years ago and was appalled when I listened to them. Avoid at all cost. Most of the regular non-20-bit ZYX OJCs in standard jewel cases were indeed OK.

Allen, Could you describe the distortion you're hearing and at how much time into "Weatherbird"?

I'd choose the Quebec/Hardee too. It's one of the rarest Mosaics and usually goes for big bucks on eBay, so in case you don't like it... The Hodes is not to be missed either, though, so if you can afford it, get both.

Because I made a mistake. It happens. It does [couldn't resist my earlier remark ]. To each their own [Very funny, by the way]

Just listened to part of that track. Very commercial and totally not my cup of tea (to put it mildly). [by the way, why do people keep spelling the possessive pronoun "its" with an apostrophe?]

Sorry to hear that. He made a few fine albums.

John Tefteller's Blues Images' special offer: only $19.95 plus shipping.

When ZYX was Fantasy's European licensee they didn't release CD-Rs.

So Richard Nevins decided to revive Yazoo. Interesting. I wonder if there'll be more releases.

Will I have to buy Bessie's complete recordings for the third time? Columbia, Frog and now... Why not? Then you can tell us if Sony newly remastered the set or used the atrocious no-noised masterings from the early 1990s By the way, this set has been discussed recently in at least two other threads, this one and this one.

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.

Conception also has Stan Getz, Chubby Jackson and Lee Konitz dates without Miles that are obviously not included in the Chronicle set.

I'd recommend the Chaloff, Desmond/Hall and Cooper/Holman/Rosolino sets.

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.

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

I got a couple of scans, thanks, much appreciated. I obviously still prefer the booklet itself, so if anyone is selling one, please drop me a PM.

Just got an e-mail from True Blue Music that they're having a Nessa CDs sale.

No copy unfortunately, but there are sound samples on this AMG page.

I second that recommendation. It was reissued on Euphoria/Sundazed in 2001 and it's a legit release It was mastered by Bob Irwin, who has done a lot of mastering jobs for Sundazed. The CD has 16 tracks, including 5 bonus tracks.

I agree that Piano and Pen is by no means a high energy session. However, for me there is a tasty low key elegance that make it quite enjoyable. My recollection is that the Katz Trio date on Reservoir is a more swinging session. As Peter said these are not high energy sessions (recorded in December 1958 and January 1959), but to my ears the guitarists, Chuck Wayne on the former session and Jimmy Raney on the latter, are worth the price of admission alone. I'm one of the world's top Raney fans and like Wayne, too, but IMO Raney fares much better on his own ABC-Paramount albums from a few years earlier, as does Wayne on his marvelous VIK album with Don Joseph and a pocket big band, "Strings Attached." Again, Atlantic engineering tended to be of the ingrown-toenail school, and that, combined with the less than electrifying team of Kay and Joe Benjamin, cast something of a pall over the results. Still, I'm glad I have "Piano and Pen" because Katz-led dates are rare. I think you mean Chuck Wayne's String Fever. You're right, that album and Raney's ABC-Paramount dates are better. The latter would be perfect for a Mosaic set, even though the Spanish "cowboys" (as another member called them) have released them all.

I agree that Piano and Pen is by no means a high energy session. However, for me there is a tasty low key elegance that make it quite enjoyable. My recollection is that the Katz Trio date on Reservoir is a more swinging session. As Peter said these are not high energy sessions (recorded in December 1958 and January 1959), but to my ears the guitarists, Chuck Wayne on the former session and Jimmy Raney on the latter, are worth the price of admission alone.

Perhaps Mr Bluiett can be persuaded to allow someone (JLH or maybe you, Chuck) access to the master for a reissue.

The Hamiet Bluiett 2CD-set Im/Possible to Keep might be a good reissue candidate. In my view it's an excellent album, issued on CD by the long defunct India Navigation label and impossible to find.