wesbed

I was thinking... if I purchase the J.J. box, I won't be able to come back to this thread and criticize McMaster, Addey or Van Gelder. Ms. Parkinson is in the same league as the names of McMaster, RVG, and Addey that we are accustomed to?

I passed on the Illinois Jacquet box. I can pass on the Four Freshman box. However, I don't want to pass/miss the J.J. box.

I did a search and did not find a specific thread for the JJ Johnson Mosaic box. I've been reading rumors that the JJ box could be going to Running Low/Last Chance soon. Is this information verifiable? The Mosaic website provides the following information about the remastering: Transfer and remix engineer: Debra Parkinson Who is Debra Parkinson?

Brandon: Maybe you could... errr, post a picture of the bike?

To me, the Art Blakey 'Birdland' set is much more fun on the second disk. But, is this considered an official Disk 2 since the disks are sold seperately?

I don't recognize a single song on the tribute album. Are all of these songs Kenny Gorelick Boy 'standards?'

The T/K/M is still 'holding' on the Mosaic site.

Maybe they got Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, or Andrew Hill to play on this set? It's too bad Charlie Parker can't play on this collection. I know Gorelick always liked the way Parker 'chirped.'

I'm playing the Shank/Cooper Select more and more. Upon my first couple of listens I thought the set seemed 'light.' The more I listen, the deeper the music becomes. To be fair, the box is not full of lots of bombastic playing, although it does have it's moments (such as on the #1 CD, 'How Long Has This Been Going On'). But, overall, some very equisite and sublime playing by all involved. I'm drawn to this set of disks, again & again, for the classy playing and nice feel. Some tracks feature Shank and Cooper, both playing saxophones. Some tracks feature Shank on flute and Cooper on oboe. The flute and oboe tunes cause me to think of classical music gone the way of jazz. Not that these songs sound 'classical' in any way. However, these are instruments I'd normally associate with classical music. It's unique to hear these intruments played in a jazz format. I learned of Shank's jazz flute on the original Bud Shank Mosaic. However, Cooper makes the oboe swing in the same fashion as does Shank on the flute. The flute offsetting the oboe, and vice versa, makes for a great combination of sounds. When I listen to the tunes in this Select, I'm continuously reminded of my own perceptions of what life was like, in Southern California, during the 1950s/1960s. I have a very friendly vision of nice weather, good drinks, nice folks, sandy beaches, fast cars, clear water, and swinging music. I realize my perception of a 'California Perfection' never existed in total. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying my personal vision of time-period California caused by the music in the Shank/Cooper Mosaic Select. This music makes me want to hop in my car and make the 6-hour drive to San Diego. Then drive my car up the coast, toward Los Angeles, while listening to this music.

This ebay ad says the Hank Mobley Mosaic is out of print. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...4007271102&rd=1 Currently $152.50. What will it be worth when it really does go OOP?

After making a couple of requests for this picture, here, I lost track of the thread. I found that Dan was able to post the Mobley picture in THIS thread, back in early December. Somehow I missed the December post and stumbled across the picture just tonight, in April. It's amazing what one can find, sometimes, when scanning through old threads. Thanks, Dan. The picture is not the vibrant Mobley of earlier days, but not as bad as I'd anticipated either. I agree that it's difficult to imagine Mobley in anything but his youthful state as shown in so many Francis Wolff photographs.

I've not yet purchased the Liebman/Beirach Select. With that said, this seems like an 'odd' release for Mosaic. I don't know why. It just seems odd. Is this a McMaster remaster? I don't mean this as a complaint about McMaster. I like McMaster's work. The Mosaic discography doesn't say who remastered the Liebman/Beirach Select.

I took your advice and listened to the Kansas City Revisted set. Yes, it is another fine selection of music on the Brookmeyer Select. The Brookmeyer, in due time, may move to near the top of my list of favorite Mosaic Selects. The couple of vocal tracks on the Kansas City Revisted brought a smile to my face. I had visions of doing a drive, according to my mind's eye view, of the old Route 66, especially on Trav’lin’ Light. After knowing nothing about Bob Brookmeyer till getting the Select, I'm positively impressed with his sound and choice of music. Some of the Selects, while being good to my ears, I'd not want to necessarily just recommend, across the table, to anybody. Especially to those not familiar with the jazz environment. I feel confident in recommending, however, the Brookmeyer and Bennie Green Selects, in full.

It seems I can never go CD shopping and purchase only one disk. Not a chance. I bought these two this weekend. The Blakey, Night in Tunisia, is the one that lists a fake name, in place of Jackie McLean's, on the outer cover.

I just played, for the first time, the Traditionalism Revisted disk. This is very good music. This set is my first exposure to Jimmy Giuffre. I am very pleased with Giuffre's tones. He plays the clarinet, the tenor sax, and the baritone sax. All instruments are played, by Giuffre, in lyrical and delicate manner, yet, very engrossing at the same time. I've never heard a clarinet played with such a subtle tone. This set is described as 'traditional' jazz. Maybe I don't know what the term means, exactly. This doesn't seem any more or less traditional than the music played on, say, the Bennie Green Select. Or, maybe both are traditional jazz? I've always placed the term 'traditional jazz' with the sound of New Orleans jazz. Brookmeyer's 'bone and piano style is, like Giuffre's, delicate and precise. Very warm and cozy. From what I've heard so far, this is an excellent collection of music. After looking through the pages of the Brookmeyer Select booklet. I started wondering... did Jim Hall ever have a full head of hair?

I'm going to see this tonight. >Urinetown< I had to do the shopping thing last night. I was 'told' I couldn't go to the show wearing blue jeans and a pull-over shirt. What the feck. Good luck, Jazzmoose. Don't forget to let us know it it went for you today.

To me, there is a difference between the East Coast and the West Coast styles of jazz. However, both result in good jazz music. Some people laugh but there is also a difference, to me, between 'country' and 'western' music. The East Coast sound causes me to think of the big city, usually New York. Jazz clubs that are packed and warm on the inside while the weather might be cold and bitter on the outside. Lots of hot playing makes up for the cold nastiness of the environment outside of the club. The West Coast sound causes me to see visions of the Los Angeles / San Diego area of Southern California. I see the coastal bluffs, the ocean, and people on surfboards. I imagine jazz clubs that are warm on the inside to reflect the equally warm and relaxed feeling of the weather/environment on the outside. The West Coast music doesn't need to be as 'hot' as the East Coast music. I mean, why not just relax, have a drink, enjoy the warm music, warm weather, and the very nice climate? No worries. Shank's music reflects all I envision of the Southern California culture of the 1950s/1960s. Sublime, exquisite, warm, bouncy, friendly, but still brilliant and intense. The Bud Shank Mosaic Complete box liner notes quote Shank as saying that he always preferred being where it was warm. I believe Mr. Shank has nothing to be less-than-proud of regarding the music he made for Pacific Jazz. This music warms me every time I listen to it. I'm happy to read Late's post where points out why Shank was was 'good' on Pacific Jazz. Since discovering Shank, I've always enjoyed his 'old' style of playing. The Shank/Cooper Select is yet another example of the nice sounds recorded by Pacific Jazz. To me, this music is warm, cozy, calming, precise, sublime, and quietly intense. It gives me visions of old-culture Southern California. I'm even enjoying the relaxing #2 disk upon each additional listen.

This jazz thing. It grows along with itself. The players grow and mature, sometimes getting better and sometimes not. Yes, I read that, in Bud's own words, he believes his playing is better recently than in the years when the songs on the Bud Shank Mosaic Complete box were initially recorded. I own the Bud Shank Mosaic Complete box. This set of tunes has kept me entertained on many an evening. What I like most about the set, though, when looking back to it, is that it educated me on who Bud Shank was/is, where he came from, and how his sound developed. After being familiar with the original Bud Shank Mosaic, I started listening to the Shank/Cooper Select and said, to myself, "Yeah, that's Bud Shank, alright." It was very enjoyable to recognize Shank and his trademark alto during the first few notes from Shank's horn on the Shank/Cooper Select. The music of jazz. The music and the history surrounding it. The music grows, evolves, changes, becomes familiar, twists, turns, and continues to grow. When you can acquire a feel for a little of the history of a certain artist, such as that presented by the Bud Shank Mosaic Complete, it makes everything you hear afterwards, from said artist, that much more enjoyable.

Thank you, sir. I hadn't noticed.

Hehehe...

Mmmm...

I wish I could say more than I already have about how freaking great the Vee Jay Mosaics are. The sound is VERY good. The playing is equal to any example set by the Blue Note sound. Also, to me, the sets contain quite a good choice of songs. It hardly gets much better. For anybody who is still wondering about getting these sets before they go OOP (potentially soon)... make sure you take DrJ's advice and don't let these collections slip by. As I wrote in another thread... I thought the Duke Pearson Select was an example of the 'worst of Mosaic.' Regarding the Vee Jay sets, the opposite is true. The Vee Jays, to me, are an example of the 'best of Mosaic.'

What is really the problem there? I've listened to the Moncur Select tons of times and I do not have any problems with the way it sounds. Is it really a poor remastering job, or is this merely a (very) subjective opinion? I agree with Jazzdog regarding the Moncur. I've listened to it numerous times. I have never heard anything wrong with any of the three disks. What did McMaster make a mess of, exactly?

I like Shank too. I enjoyed the Bud Shank Mosaic Complete box very much. He sounds so... 'Bud Shank ish.' I've heard only the 2nd disk of the Shank/Cooper Select so far. I purchased too many other Mosaics at the same time that I purchased the Shank/Cooper Select. You make a good point about Pacific Jazz. I look forward to future Mosaic releases of Pacific Jazz titles. It's probably due to the West Coast thing, but Pacific Jazz titles, from what I've experienced, seem to offer a very easy-going, nice-flowing, yet grooving & swinging type of sound. I blame the warm & friendly climate of Southern California for creating these pleasant and soulful sounds.

Since reading some negative reviews of the 2nd disk of the Shank/Cooper Select, I had to listen to that disk first. I've listened to only the 2nd disk so far. It is definitely a Bud Shank / West Coast type of sound. The 2nd disk, containing the (B1, B2) sides, the horns with strings, features some very stylish/sublime playing. The listener needs to be in the right mood to enjoy this set (the 2nd disk). I don't like to use this word to describe jazz music, but, the 2nd disk has music that borders on being relaxing. If you're in the mood for some hard, raw jazz playing, this is the wrong disk to start with. However, I listened to this disk while sitting at home on a warm spring afternoon in Tucson. The music fit the day very well. I did enjoy it. >Shank/Cooper Select<