wesbed

I'm so amazed how good the Vee Jay Mosaic sets are. I've been listening to both sets this evening. The playing is at a very high level and the sound-quality is EXTREMELY good. The Wynton Kelly trio dates are just the shit. There is no other way to say it. I'm listening to the Frank Strozier set as I type these words. He and Booker Little simply tear it up. TEAR THE SHIT UP! How else can I put it? I can't say enough... these are EXCELLENT sets. I was going to let them go due to the large number of alternate takes. But, alternate takes or not, the regular takes are worth the price of admission. ss1 recommends the Second Genesis side by Wayne Shorter. I think I'll listen to it next. And, oohhhhh, Mr. Addey! The quality of the sound is some of the best I've heard. How did you do it?

This made me laugh. A nice play on words, ss1.

I received my Vee Jay sets today. After a random listen-through to various tracks in each box, the tunes sound like Blue Note classics (even though they are recorded on Vee Jay). The playing is quite good (no matter some of the opinions posted on the Mosaic site, ignore the negative ones). Lee morgan sounds like 'Lee Morgan.' Wayne Shorter sounds like 'Wayne Shorter.' As usual, Kelly, Chambers, and Philly Joe are at their normal best. The good playing and choice of songs are a 'given' with this group of players. The really surprising thing about both sets is the extremely good quality of the sound. The horns, the drums, the bass, and the piano all sound very accurate and real. The texture of the strings of the bass can be heard as Chambers drags his fingers across them. The detail of the sticks/brushes can be heard hitting the drums. All the instruments sound balanced together with nothing sounding too loud or out of place. I hear no buzzing, no distortion, no 'old' sounds, no 'electric' sounds. I believe the quality of the playing, in these sets, is every bit as good as the Blue Notes from the same time period. But, the SOUND... wow! Addey does it again. Which makes me wonder... why doesn't Addey do more of the remastering work for Mosaic and Blue Note? Does Addey do only what he 'wants' to do? I found a picture of Addey on the internet once upon a time. I know he is no longer a young guy. Maybe he does all he desires to do and will do no more? Maybe he takes projects that interest him and that's it? Maybe Addey does all he 'can' do? Maybe his work is so much in demand that he does all he is able to do? As a result, he is not always available for Cuscuna to utilize for Mosaic and Blue Note? Maybe Addey's services, because they are so damned good, cost more than those of, say, Rudy Van Gelder or Ron McMaster? Maybe Addey charges a higher fee? I'm just supposing, here, I don't know. While I appreciate the work of all three gentlemen, Addey's work shines the brightest. Addey is ALWAYS good and doesn't have low points. With all else remaining the same... price, time, and skill, I'd choose Malcolm Addey for ALL necessary remastering work. I wonder why his name is not listed on more Mosaic and Blue Note reissues? The Vee Jays need to be heard to be believed. The sound is THAT good. Till I read DrJ's post (earlier in this thread), I was leery of purchasing the music for fear of a poor sound quality. I'm familiar with Blue Note's sound but not Vee Jay's. I'd think these were new recordings if I didn't know the truth.

As I've written before, unless you simply dislike the New Orleans style of jazz, you will be very pleasantly surprised with this set. I enjoy the 'dreaded' funeral music on disk one. To me, it seems like the first part of disk one is rather like a suite, with a theme that is repeated throughout. Starting with the 'sad' music and progressing to the 'happy' music. The second part of disk 1, funeral music or not, is not sad. Song #16 (disk 1) is entitled, Down in a Honky Tonk Town. This ain't no kinda sad tune to my ears.

Check here. >link<

The Airborne van, do you mean? Hehe... I forgot what sets you received with this order. I believe I remember you said it was both Vee Jays and various other items.

I always enter a note, when I place my computer order, to leave the package in between the front & screen doors upon delivery. The Airborne guy closes the screen door and locks the package between the doors.

Err... do you have an extra room? I'll bring my Mosaics!

Some new Mosaics arrived today. Did you get yours?

I wonder if anybody else does this? I always place the Mosaic receipt, the computer-printed receipt, under the plastic insert-tray in the Mosaic Complete boxes. I don't know why, it just seems important to keep the 'official' receipt from Mosaic. It has the computer-printed set number on it.

Interesting. My T/K/M set, which I received about two weeks ago, has the unattached style lid.

What's the deal with the remove-ability of the box lids of Mosaic Complete sets? Sometimes the lid is attached and can be opened as if the lid was the cover of a book. Other times the lid is not attached and can be completely removed from the box. I prefer to be able to remove the lid from the box. I can set the lid aside to get better access to the box. I don't have to be concerned about ripping the spine. I don't have to be concerned about the spine wearing as the set ages. Why is this? Why is Mosaic not consistent? What causes the design of a given set to have the lid be removable or not? Does Mosaic have the sets manufactured in different locations and it depends on the manufacturer? Just wondering...

Yeah, the T/K/M sucks. Or, don't buy yours till ss1 is able to buy his and maybe give a better conclusion as to the quality of the set. ss1 is just trying to make certain nobody wastes their money on this set till he is able to let them know of his findings. Anybody for the Duke Pearson Select?

I agree with Africabrass on this. The RVGs have sort of an 'electric' sound to them. Not that they are 'bad.' The RVGs sound kind of too 'electric' when you consider that there are 'acoustic' instruments being used during most of the sessions. Again, see my post above, I'd rather have the bright detail of the RVGs versus the lack of detail of the 1985 recording of Joe Henderson's 'State of the Tenor.'

I voted for neither (null vote). I can't say that one is better than the other. My eyes/ears were opened yesterday. Yesterday, I purchased Joe Henderson's 'State of the Tenor.' The Henderson date was recorded in 1985. It was touched by neither Rudy Van Gelder nor Ron McMaster. 'State of the Tenor' is 30 years newer than the Blue Note 1950s recordings. Yet, the sound quality on 'State of the Tenor,' to me, is not as good as most any of the 1950s/1960s reissues that have been remastered by Rudy and Ron. Upon hearing 'State of the Tenor,' noticing the muffled sound of the recording, I felt relief that we have both Van Gelder and McMaster bringing the old recordings back to life. I'd like to have either man do his best with 'State of the Tenor.'

Tristano/Konitz/Marsh moved to Last Chance today (4/12/04), I think? Anybody still want this one?

I'm thinking the New Orleans jazz has been at Last Chance for a while. Isn't it the T/K/M that's been moved to Last Chance, just today?

Is this 'the' group WAR? As in, the 'Why Can't We Be Friends, Slippin' into Darkness, Cisco Kid, Lowrider, and Spill the Wine' WAR? >click for larger picture< I never knew WAR recorded on Blue Note. Was this music jazzy or funky or bluesy or what? Am I mis-interpreting this picture?

b3-er: Is the bathroom completed yet? Did you post some pictures of the finished product? Did I miss them in another thread, perhaps?

What do you mean by 'from afar?' Are you saying you've not yet purchased the CD? Do you mean you've enjoyed 'State of the Tenor' as a fan? Meaning, afar from the music and the players yet, right there, enjoying the music as any jazz fan should? Just wondering. I listened to the first disk (of the two disk Henderson sesson) this evening. The playing is quite good and most enjoyable. My complaint, though, is that Joe Henderson doesn't sound as 'Joe Henderson ish' as I'd have expected. To me, Henderson, in days of old, had a cranking, grinding, fiery, exacting, wholesome, wild & calming type of sound. On 'State of the Tenor,' Henderson seems less like himself than I anticipated. I picture Henderson the way he sounded on, say, 'The Real McCoy' or 'Mode for Joe.' His playing is good on 'State of the Tenor' but I don't sense the fire and excitment of the old days. Another surprise: As much as I/we criticise the remastering efforts, on these boards, of Van Gelder and McMaster, 'State of the Tenor' (recorded in 1985) doesn't sound as crisp and vibrant, to me, as some of the Van Gelder and McMaster reissues, although it is a good-quality recording. I need to keep in mind that 'State of the Tenor' was recorded about 20 years after Joe Henderson's early Blue Note days. Henderson has had time to mature, experience more of life, relax, and understand in those 20 years. 'State of the Tenor' has more of a matured Henderson feel to it, not as much of the firey/grinding playing as that of his youth. Also, I need to listen to the music more than only halfway through the set (have not yet heard disk 2) before passing too much judgement. Have I enjoyed 'State of the Tenor?' Yes. You can't have too much Joe Henderson. Would I recommend buying it? Yes. Was it exactly what I'd anticipated? No (at least, so far). Postscript: Okay. Upon more listening, now getting through the second disk. I want to add to my words above. The fiery playing is not the same as the old-fashioned Joe Henderson. But, it's still there in warped format (for lack of a better description). I think my real criticism of this recording is not the fire of Henderson's playing... but the sound quality of the recording itself. The sound quality seems muffled and flat compared to what I've become accustomed to with the RVGs and other re-issues. It's like I can't hear the different textures and details of the instruments. The problem, I fear: there is no Rudy Van Gelder or Ron McMaster involved.

Purchased today: Yummy!

This is not jazz. However, it's my standard system-testing album. If this album sounds good on a given system, I know I'll like the same setup for other types of music such as jazz. I believe it could be difficult to test a system with jazz. Do you test with Van Gelder, McMaster, Addey, Myamoto, or who? Do you test with a stereo or mono recording? Do you test a more recent jazz recording that benefits from current technology and doesn't need to be remastered?

My taxes are still not done. Today is Sunday... taxes are due on Thursday. I still have three more evenings to deal with them. Plenty o' time.

After some discussion with others at Organissimo and Head-Fi, I've learned that, in order to properly run a pair of Sennheiser 650s, I will need a headphone amplifier. I'm considering this headphone amplifier. >amp link< Does anybody here have any other, yet undisclosed opinions regarding headphones and headphone amps?

I'll have to give Aric credit for noticing. While I don't know who influenced who, if either. But 'All Blues' and 'Las Cuevas de Mario' do sound oddly similar.