Fred

Just ordered (from Jazzmessengers) the Eddie Condon box. Now I have them all.

I'm very, very sad hearing these news. I have pratically all the big sets: I miss only the last Condon box, that I'll order from Jazz messengers in the next days (I'm from Italy). I discovered Mosaic about fifteen years ago, and I ordered directly from them quite all the boxes until Jazz Messengers became an easier way from Europe, free of import taxes. The rest I ordered directly from a member of the company and from ebay. It was a great adventure in music. A true treasure. Long live to Mosaic.

In the booklet there are special thanks, among others, to Scott Wenzel. I hope there are some chances of a Mosaic CD release... Definitely, in the next volume will be published the Basie-Young recordings. I can't wait. The sound is perhaps a little scratchy, not uniform, but is very good, to my ears. I was able, with Itunes, to convert the files in wav.

Just listening to. Amazing.

Wait, wait... No CDs? :-(

Thanks. Love music and comics.

Nice to see a Nat Cole vinyl set up there ! Nope. CD.

Just arrived! It's on the shelf with his sisters and brothers.

Just ordered, with UPS overseas shipping. I can't wait...

My two cents: the weird sounds of wich you are debating about are positively digital artefacts. In the first discs, somewhat irritating to my ears. But the sound of Bird, Miles, etc, is clearer than previous editions. Forgive my english.

Me, too. With the Chick Webb-Ella Fitzgerald and the Clifford Jordan. I hope Italian customs have mercy...

They just charged my credit card, so I think it's on the way...

The very first set I bought immediatly after the release was the Capitol Ellington, CD version. After this, the Stan Kenton and the Benedetti Parker. I became an addict when I started to buy the "last chance" sets, sometimes few hours before they went OOP. And after this, the forsennate battles on Ebay... Few weeks ago I completed all the box sets (the last, the Bill Evans on Ebay). And being in Italy, it was a real madness.

Thanks to a very lucky bid on Ebay (all the Miles Davis sets!), now I'm missing only "The final Village Vanguard Sessions" by Bill Evans, to complete my Mosaic "black box" collection. I know it's a very sought after album, but if someone, in this forum, has a set to sell... :-)

The Complete Art Hodes Blue Note Session, just arrived: CDs #1 and #2. Good music, a lot of polyphonic blues, not only mere Dixieland, as I thought.

Thanks, Bright Moments! I'm still waiting for the shipping of the crucial #114, but I can already see the hole filled on my shelf! And no, I'm not the "Mosaic Fred"... I purchased the sets one by one, and from Italy it's a hard (and expensive) work. wow!! party at fred's house!!! congratulations!!! Not "The" Mosaic Fred?

Just now, having won an Ebay auction for the CD version of the Art Hodes box, I have ALL the CD sets and all the LP-only ones except for 9 titles (the Miles Davis ones). Hoooray! ;-) That means that I have 142 big black boxes on 151, plus several selects and singles.

The 25-31 period, in addition to Classics, were remastered by Davies (if I remember well) in two Jsp 4-discs sets: I have only the first, not so good. I'd like a lot a Mosaic box of the same material, if it were possible a real sonic improvement. With a great booklet in the Mosaic style, of course.

What a nightmare! I cracked a disc, two years ago, and this time is even worse. I forced the plastic "pins" inward: now the discs are loose, but safe.

Over all, I wonder why Mosaic used 78s instead of metal parts (or similar first generation masters). Perhaps they doesn't survive in the Columbia vaults? Or there are other reasons for this choice? To me, too, the sound is a bit too harsh, in the first 3 discs, and the set not so satisfactory: perhaps my expectations were too high. Wonderful music, of course, and it's great to have all this material in one big, beautiful Mosaic box.

No, I'm not *that* Fred

137 big boxes plus 13 selects and 5 singles is now the grand total.

Mine just arrived! Wow! Today in Italy is The Ellington Day! Via UPS (1 day of delay for the weather, I presume), no. 860 - I ordered it the very first day.

Ordered, thanks!