David Ayers

Damn! Caught by surprise again! I was just about to pull the trigger...

Hi Matt - glad you found us. That IS a poetic coincidence. I never bought a T-Shirt, nor the anorak-y Mole LP bag... but now I wish that I had!

Strange error though - it would have had to be removed three times from that page. Maybe they have found a new way to tease us and stimulate sales...

I agree about Nelson. He wore off on me some time ago and I doubt I'll be revisiting this material in its new setting, even though I don't know it all. Chu Berry is another matter...

Any reports on the sound on these?

I wanted to attach my various TOCJ/JRVG lists but I ran out of space. I'll try to think of a way round it when I have time.

I KNEW it!

To look at available TOCJ I suggest (1) go to hmv.co.jp (2) enter the search term TOCJ as a catalogue number search. Make sure you have switched to the English language version of the page! Oh and as Claude is about to say, then order them from earlyrecords.com.

Bertrand I don't know whether you have the JJ Johnson set but that is most definitely in danger, and if you don't have it you could certainly consider it. It's a fine one.

Got to agree. I ditched most of mine and don't have many left, but I think LP preserves the grain of the sound far better than CD and this is essential for the ECM sound. That said, I have only heard a few ECM CDs so there may be some great masters out there...

MOLE JAZZ IS CLOSING 1/3rd OFF ALL COMPACT DISCS - LP’s - DVD’s - VIDEO’s and BOOKS SALE BEGINS 1st OCTOBER and must end on 19th NOVEMBER 2005 This Mole is not the original one. The name and stock was bought by a guy who was running it out of the upstairs of Harold Moore's Records. Evidently it wasn't working out too well. I have a fantasy that I will buy the name and run it as a mail order operation...

Thanks for the info. Many old Conns are indeed listed with a release date of October 14 and a price of 9.99 Euro. http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CDL5V http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004GJVN/ http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004GJVK/ http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002ZBRZA/ http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000589US/ http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004GJVQ/ . . . Some on JPC, but with the original release dates. ← I've seen all of these at FOP stores in the UK recently priced at £5 each. ← Good tip. I may be near the Covent Garden Fopp in the very near future so I'll be sure to call in. Since everything I am interested in seems to show up at £4.99 sooner rather than later it does make me wonder whether I should leap in and buy things when they first come out. I haven't got any of the CC Conns not even in non-CC editions, but if they keep sticking them in front of me at £4.99 I might start scooping them up (I held out when hmv.co.uk did this recently, but...). That said, the amazon.de offer on the new conns works out at a shade over £8 for a single CD including tax and shipping so that may be the way to go - if I can stomach ignoring the CC issues? Or maybe I should hold the line on my my Blue Note strike... WE SHALL OVERCO-OME...

Thanks for the info. Many old Conns are indeed listed with a release date of October 14 and a price of 9.99 Euro. So I noticed. Looks like a campaign. I also found Wilkerson, Braith and Turrentine Complete Blue Hour set to return at 16.99 euros and I'm sure there are others. Time to fill some gaps?

The amazon.de price is not an error. It is the same at jpc and earlier conns are the same price on amazon.de. Makes you think...

Uhh - I want these and I am almost ready to crack and order CC versions for speed and cheapness. No they aren't cheap in UK - amazon is asking £11.99. But amazon.de is asking 9.99 euros which is less than £7. Cheaper than shipping from US and no risk of duties. Hmmm... Why so cheap in Germany and pricey in UK?

Is this an olde englishe expression with which I am unfamiliar? I take it the Euro edition of this disk *is* cc-ed?

Yes it's a McMastering, probably his best and really better than you would expect. Oh but I did mean to say better than any source outside Japan. I wouldn't put my money on McMaster (2002 vintage) versus TOCJ24.

Well, nothing will ever make me into a GG fan (I won't repeat all that stuff here...), but I picked up the Retrospective Box at the weekend and have been more impressed than I thought. The sound on this box is terrific, really among the best Blue Note remastering of recent years from any source. Very colorful, vivid, rich, detailed and dynamic. Better on organ and piano than any BN CD mastering I can think of. So just as an experience I am getting a lot out of this set, as well as finding that there is quite a lot of music on it I didn't have. I'm developing quite a soft spot for this one (as long as I manage to listen through the fluffs and gaucherie). Did folks here buy the box or skip it 'cause they were collecting the individual disks? And I am over-rating the sound or is it as good as I presently think? Or am I going to come down to earth with a bump?

Those who can't foil a $25 interview can explore this alternative... Sonny Simmons speaks!

Yes it is - the CCs were reprinted in 1994/5. The 1995 ones show that date and have a white and blue label.

That would be a shame, the JJJ set is on of the all-time great Mosaics in my opinion. ← Good move You won't regret it. ← Ignore the less than gnomic utterances of the wise man at your peril! Hans is doing a great job of pushing this set. I'll put my 2 cents in and say I agree. This is a musically very strong, very consistent, very satisfying set. I'd say this is the most significant Mosaic (imminent) deletion of the last couple of years. If you collect this style and period of music then the other major Mosaic deletion you'll be faced with in the next year or two is the Mobley. So it's not a long list. I'd say this is as unmissable as Mobley and it deserves a place on anybody's 'Mosaics not to miss' list. If you are wondering whether you want so much trombone, all I can say is the arrangements and solos are characterised by variety and tastefulness, and there is no default to boogaloo and other such devices which sometimes lessen the impact of offerings on - er - some other labels.( ) This is music which grows on you more than most and keeps drawing you back. Downsides? Well the mastering is maybe a little soft grained, but it is fine, gratifying, musical sounding, and involving - which is what you want and what you sometimes don't get in recent remastering. If you are on the fence get out your BN JJ Vol I and remind yourself what is great about JJ. Nothing on the Mosaic box is quite that full on, but the virtues of taste, variety and intelligence are there in abundance. Like I say - just my $0.02.

Well, it was in the store, along with the other new RVGs, plastered over with the Copy Control warnings as usual - so, as usual, I passed...

Thanks Hans. I thought there must have been some discussion but I missed this.

This is a sweet record. Actually I enjoy Byrd's solos. I have the CC CD. We may be waiting some time for a reissue. If you see a copy snap it up!

Thanks guys. I guess he'll be back when the bug bites again...