LouisvillePrez

You probably don!t need another recommendation for BB & Q, but it is my favorite Monk on Columbia.

Two that are on my radar.

About the number of discs relative to my listening habits, I really do not buy that many CDs in a year, much less box sets, that the ability to hear, enjoy, and spend quality time with a box set has been a problem, My jazz box set buying began in the 90s, and I am only up to 20-ish, so I average about one a year. I have opened them all, and enjoyed them all. The change in technology with which to listen to my box sets, and my CDs, has also enabled me to hear more of my music more often. With the iPod, I haven't been tied to my home stereo as I was when I first starting buying. Granted, I sacrifice sound quality when I go iPod/dock at work, but I can still listen to my music more often. For what it is worth, when it comes to listening to Dylan, someone I intentionally collected for a period, I often like to throw all my Dylan on my iPod, hit shuffle, and listen to it for days. Thinking about the volume of Coltrane and Miles that I have in box sets, and how often I have been able to hear and get to know each one in its entirety, only makes me think... bring on 18 CDs of Bill Evans -- and more from others down the road.

To meet my current urge for a new box set, I ended up going with: 1. Complete 2. Fills a big gap in the collection 3. Price per CD 4. Packaging safe to handle Found the Complete Bill Evans on Verve (non-metal box) for a good price. Thanks to the earlier comments on it. When it comes to plunging into the waters of a Mosaic, I decided to leave it be for a while, still kicking it around.

I have heard the band from Nashville -- The Long Players -- numerous times. They are a collective of great Nashville musicians. They really are doing tributes to the albums. They play classic LPs start to finish and try to retain, to some extent, the original sound, but what makes their shows most interesting is how they work in guest artists to sing and perform along with themselves. My first LP show was Blonde on Blonde, done as a fundraiser for the drummer on the album. Al Kooper was in town, and he sat in on organ and sang "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat." All of the guest vocalists took a turn with the verses of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." Then they did "Like A Rolling Stone" as an encore (awesome). When they did the White Album, they did not attempt to do "Revelation 9" as it is on the album or otherwise (whether they would was the question on my mind before the show). Instead, a whole other band -- one with Lennon-esque qualities -- came out and did a song "inspired" by "Revolution 9." About the MOPDTK album, they could get more press than ever before because of this. I am not trying to say that it's all a marketing gimmick, but it might get more people to check out the back catalog. Also, when Clark Terry did Porgy & Bess a while back, I totally loved it. If MOPDTK have done something that has its own voice, while still remaining rather close to the earlier Miles work, I could be interested. I would like to know more about just how much of a "copy" it is.

I appreciate people’s thoughts on what makes for a great box set. I especially appreciate the basic idea that a great box set starts with a great concept and follows through. With this and other comments in mind, I have been trying to decide on a Mosaic purchase. My reason, in part, is simply because I have never bought, heard, or even seen a Mosaic set, and I am curious. Because of my budget, I want to limit myself to one, and I have been considering the following: Threadgill Novus & Columbia: Would increase my collection of Sextett records, and I would like Air Lore on CD. MJQ Complete Atlantic: I love everything I have owned by the MJQ – having owned Concorde, Dedicated to Connie, European Concert, and The Artistry of the MJQ over the years. I have no Atlantic studio albums. Feel I could pick up a few separately. Would not mind spending the late fall or winter binging on the MJQ. Mingus Jazz Workshops: I have owned Ah Um and the Atlantics for a long time. I know that there is a ton more Mingus to experience. Could this be next? Dial Sessions: I own very little Parker, and I expect the sound quality to surpass prior releases. I think I could up my Parker collection in other ways (Studio Chronicle?). Any suggestions would be welcome.

Today as I was thinking about my jazz collection, past and upcoming releases, and what I might buy in the future, I found myself asking the question “What makes for a great box set?” These are box sets that I consider “great” with some personal thoughts. John Coltrane Complete 1961 Village Vanguard: Impressions and Live at the Village Vanguard are two albums that shaped my interest in jazz. The box set gave me all of the other tracks, and more really is better. Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968: It’s my favorite group in the history of jazz, and I love every note they ever recorded in the studio. I am super glad to have everything. Charlie Parker Yardbird Suite: It’s only 2 CDs, so maybe it does not count as a box set. I really like it because it introduced me to a range of Parker’s work. Thelonious Monk Complete Prestige Recordings: I had 0 Monk on Prestige when I bought this. I like it all and it filled a gap in my Monk collection. And, here are some box sets that I own and hesitate to call “great” despite the greatness of the music. Bill Evans Complete Complete 1961 Village Vanguard: Sure, it is all impeccable (and the price often makes it a really great gift). And, while part of me thinks that more should be better with this, I often wish that I still had my Waltz for Debby CD to play. Miles Davis Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions: I really can’t get used to the sequencing. For iPod consumption I have divided it into the original album configurations, but this doesn’t help when it comes to playing the CDs on my stereo. Cookin’ was a formative CD in my life with jazz. Thinking about my appreciation of the box sets I own, I see “completeness” as one thing that makes for a great box set (either of a career, a time period of an artist/band, or a live performance). I also see the ability to fill a gap as another thing that can make for a great box set. The extent to which a set can introduce or encapsulate an artist seems to be another possible measure. Box sets seem to be less than great when they disrupt too much my earlier ways of hearing something. At all times, of course, great music makes a great box set. In the past, I did not find myself thinking about upgraded sound quality or the chance to hear something never before released, in and of itself, when buying a box set. I also have not found myself evaluating box sets based on the ability to get things restored to print after a long time (box sets are often followed by restored individual titles). Liner notes, essays, and pictures are all bonuses but secondary to the music. And, I am not sure whether to consider all multi-CD releases box sets. With all of this being said, I wonder what criteria other people use when considering what makes for a great box set – with some examples.

Yes. Detroit has VIP passes for sale that provide front & center seating at 3 of the 4 stages, but every show at the festival site (Cadillac Square and Hart Plaza) can be attended free of charge. I did not try the "late night" sets at the bar/lounge in the Renaissance Marriott to learn if those shows cost anything. Nor can I gauge how crowded they were.

Good to hear! Thanks. I love how smoothly the Iowa City JF is run and it's a nice college town, but it seems much of the crowd is there for the street fair and chatting during most of the music (despite the level of talent on stage). The listening crowd can be an extreme minority, but I guess that's par for a free outdoor festival. I've had some good and bad experiences at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Attendance has increased, which has helped because it's a relatively small park and it's the die-hards that are showing up early enough to secure good real estate. Looking at Detroit's multiple stages, I'm wondering how difficult it is to go back and forth from stage to stage and have a good listening experience. I went in 2013, and I loved the whole experience. I did not have a tough time going from stage to stage, but I went solo which gave me lots of freedom to move and find places to sit, stand, etc. The distance from the Cadillac Square stage to Hart Plaza probably needs to be taken into consideration, but it is not too far. If you are not paying for VIP passes, determine the sets for which you want the best seats possible and plan accordingly. Last year, if you wanted a "good' seat for Ahmad Jamal, you probably needed to have your seat before the set that preceded him began. I really wanted to hear Charles Lloyd, and while I got there early, I would not have had a problem finding a decent seat later. Also, I really liked the acts at the Pyramid Stage in Hart Plaza, and, when I wanted to, I would go see/hear what was happening at the other Plaza stages as I wanted. When I got back from the festival, I made an iPod playlist of songs that represent what I experienced (shared below). The one artist that is glaringly absent, based on what I really enjoyed, is something by Michael Weiss. He had a great set, and I have yet to find something that I want to include to represent my appreciation of his Detroit 2013 performance “Be My Monster Love,” David Murray Infinity Quartet w/Macy Gray, Be My Monster Love “Rabo de Nube,” Charles Lloyd Quartet, Rabo de Nube “Across the Universe,” Bill Frisell, All We Are Saying… “Sunrise,” Warren Wolf, Wolfgang “Footprints,” Dave Liebman + Richie Beirach, New Life-Live in Cologne 2009 “Flying Toward the Sound,” Geri Allen, Flying Toward the Sound “1944 Stomp,” James Carter, The Real Quietstorm “Croquet Ballet,” The Cookers, Cast the First Stone In my humble opinion, the only way Detroit could be better would be if they improved the festival food vendors. My earliest jazz festival experiences were on the central Gulf Coast. I did not find any regional food that could compare as festival food with the NOJ&HF soft shell crab po boy, but that is a high bar. For quality of jazz, ease of moment from one stage to the next, level of fan engagement with the performances, etc., the Detroit festival is great.

I recently noticed that the albums in the Mosaic box are now available as downloads at Amazon -- including the expanded X-75.