J.A.W.

Me too, although I fear that this will be the Zappa remixed version again. I really preferred the original although apparently Zappa didn't (hence the remix). With the greatest respect to Mr Z, if it ain't broke, [please, please] don't fix it. Apparently you didn't check the site Д.Д. linked to in post #5 - the remaster of Hot Rats has the original mix. You're correct - I didn't check it (apologies); however, I am still confused as to why Zappa's family would sanction the reissue of the original vinyl mix (which I loved) after Zappa went to the trouble of personally remixing it for the CD release (I think I am correct here) because he didn't like the original mix. In any event if this original vinyl mix really is being reissued on CD then I am delighted and will be buying it as soon as it's available. Edit: Just checked Amazon and this is what it says: "2012 reissue of 1969 album from original 1969 ANALOGUE MASTER. Features 'Peaches En Regalia','Willie The Pimp' & 'It Must Be A Camel'." so I guess that's it! No need to apologize. Although they agree on this point, I assure you that Luke Pacholsky's site is far more trustworthy and accurate than Amazon. His research is always very thorough.

Me too, although I fear that this will be the Zappa remixed version again. I really preferred the original although apparently Zappa didn't (hence the remix). With the greatest respect to Mr Z, if it ain't broke, [please, please] don't fix it. Apparently you didn't check the site Д.Д. linked to in post #5 - the remaster of Hot Rats has the original mix.

Checked the Bessie Smith set; unless I missed it, there's no mention of any remastering, so I guess they did indeed just repackage the old, bad sounding no-noised 2CD-sets from the early 1990s.

I must admit that I find this reissue series intriguing; on the other hand I never really warmed to any Zappa, so I think I'll pass

Thanks for the link. Luke Pacholsky's info is usually pretty reliable.

There are already 1,000+ posts about these on the Hoffman board with interesting and irrelevant facts and opinions, remastering details and what have you, here (thread 1) and here (thread 2).

I posted the same question on the Hoffman board and the Audio Speakeasy forum. Wait and see...

I was thinking of getting this one too, but I'm still hesitating: my experiences with recent Blue Note/Toshiba masterings haven't been good (too LOUD and harsh) and I'd like to know first how this CD sounds. Has anyone heard CDs from this series? Opinions?

PM with questions on the Handy.

Isabelle Faust's recording of BWV1001~1003 has just come out in the U.K., so they're now complete: Amazon U.K. The disc will be released in the United States on September 12: Amazon.

As I said elsewhere I'd gladly be wrong about the mastering of the upcoming Bessie Smith set. Maybe someone should ask Sony directly about it.

Apparently not, though source isn't directly named it's reported here by Hans that they're not remastered. That's what I was told by someone in the music business who doesn't want to be named. Sorry. Maybe someone should ask Sony directly about the mastering, I'd gladly be wrong. To my ears those old Columbia 2CD-sets from the early 1990s stink big time sonically. The older LPs Chris Albertson worked on are OK.

Yep, those LPs are good. Columbia messed up when they mastered the recordings for CD in the early 1990s.

I was told they're not, they're just repackaged.

Are you sure Scott is OK with your posting his e-mail here? I always ask him if it's OK to make things public and when a set is only in the negotiating stages he usually asks me not to.

That (no new masterings, just repackagings) is what I was told by someone in the music business. Anyway, to my ears Bessie Smith never sounded better on CD than on the Frog CDs (DGF40~47) that were mastered by the late John R.T. Davies.

They have just repackaged the earlier sets; none of these have been remastered, which means that the Bessie Smith set will have the same awful sounding heavily no-noised masterings as the 2CD-sets from the early 1990s.

I really hope UMG will not take over EMI, swallow Mosaic in the process and merge them with their Hip-O imprint. I generally don't like UMG/Hip-O's masterings and much prefer Mosaic's sonic output.

I'm told that major companies are often unwilling to license recordings for a set if there are other majors involved, and that the licensing cost is prohibitive.

My advice would be to keep the original CDs.

Thanks. I think you mean Wally Traugott

That doesn't prove anything. Who mastered the original discs? Why don't you do the research and come up with the answers instead of almost always criticizing others? That (criticizing others) is all you seem to do here.

Erskine Hawkins would be a good follow up. I was thinking 30s Earl Hines would be a good choice too. I suppose it will be pre Wardell Gray Hines led a big band from 1928 to 1948. Wardell Gray was with Hines during 1943-1945. I was aware of that but I'm wondering if the "choice" years that would comprise the box would exclude the WG period No idea. Why don't you ask Mosaic?

See the Mosaic site (scroll down) - the mastering of the set was done by Kurt Lundvall.

I'm guessing the upcoming Mingus got precedence over the Webb.