gmonahan

I couldn't agree more. Volkher is wonderful and very conscientious about keeping this list up to date. greg mo

*&%$#@ it. The Crolla already sold out, and I didn't get one. At least they've started actually getting these in stock, and there should be more soon. Nonetheless, the tiny, tiny orders that Dusty gets in (5-10 copies at a time) may drive me to Amazon after all. ARG! And I'm going to be on the road for the next week too. Well, I'll get 'em at some point. greg mo

I think that's right. I remember being particularly pleased that the JiP's hadn't duplicated the Mosaic and vice-versa. Did Django record for any other labels (and yes, this is probably a pretty dumb question) that are represented on any other boxes, or do the JiPs and Mosaic pretty well cover it? Seems like there were some sessions he did in Britain that weren't on either one. greg mo

Ubu, did you go ahead and order it from amazon.fr? If not, where? I like Grappelli, but I want it because I'm a hopeless fanatic about that series! greg mo Yes, but as a European (geographically spoken only... politically Switzerland is, well... somewhere remote up in the mountains, I guess), I often order there, it's a neighbouring country and their prizes often seem better than on amazon.de (which doesn't sell "Nearness of You" either, btw). And yes, I'm crazy about this series, too - I have all the single discs (minus some that I have as part of box-sets or in other, better editions, i.e. the Pres, the Roach and "Ascenseur pour l'echafaud"), and the three previous "hors série" sets. I could not afford the four boxes when they were around cheap, alas... and I have none of the compilations (catalogue plus cd sampler, cd/remix + dvd package, plus belles chansons) that mostly re-packaged previously available material. Yeah, for me in the U.S., it's a $10 S&H from amazon.fr, which is hard to swallow, so I'm waiting on it. I have all the singles and hors-serie 2-cd sets (except for the three brand new ones!) plus the sampler with the catalog. I haven't gotten any of the box sets, since they simply collect material from the singles. Way cool series--but you and I have talked about it before! greg mo

Goodman Columbia Mosaic set, disc 4. "Clarinet A La King" was a great piece. greg mo

Ubu, did you go ahead and order it from amazon.fr? If not, where? I like Grappelli, but I want it because I'm a hopeless fanatic about that series! greg mo

I'm with Chuck here. The Deccas are much looser and they just seem to me to *swing* harder, and Prez is just transcendental on some of them. I know it's probably an unfair choice since it's a classic, but listen to his wild clarinet on "Jumpin' at the Woodside." And I LOVE "Mulberry Bush"! Rushing is great on that recording! (There are very few recordings he *wasn't* great on!) greg mo

Way cool--now if somebody would just stock them on this side of the water!!!!! greg mo Dusty claims they will have them in soon, and I put them on a wish list. In addition, Amazon is allowing us to pre-order (didn't check CD Universe). I'll probably go this route. No idea why the Nearness of You seems so impossible to get, other than they are still pushing the Grappelli box set. I had similar problems getting hold of the Reinhardt Place de Brouckere disc, which was also a single-cd release of the last part of a box set. Weird. I'll check out Amazon for the new ones. I also added the three to my Dusty wish list. We'll get 'em somehow! greg mo

Way cool--now if somebody would just stock them on this side of the water!!!!! greg mo

I'm with Lon (I usually am). I have the Goodman, but if I were facing a choice, I think I'd get the Armstrong, and like Lon, I already have a lot of the material on LPs (the old Jazz Heritage series--remember that one?) and Definitive. I've enjoyed the discussion of this material, and agree with many of the points made, but Satch HIMSELF is so amazing on so many of these recordings that they're just essential, IMHO. greg mo

I've suggested several sets over the years that have eventually been issued, but I doubt seriously that they issued them because *I* suggested them. I remember suggesting the Teagarden Roulette set long before it came out, and Cuscuna responding that they wanted to do one but couldn't find any more unissued material from the Roundtable sessions. Then they found them, and out came the set. I also bugged them for years about a Mulligan Concert Jazz Band set and the Herman Phillips stuff, but they answered for a while that Verve was going to do those. Then Verve didn't and Mosaic did. I think that often we do have an influence, but it tends to be more collective and collaborative, a sort of longer term build-up of support that may result in a set like the Braxton. I was interested in the MJQ Atlantic suggestion. I can sort of understand Chuck's skepticism. I've always blown hot and cold on the MJQ, but it does seem to me like that set would sell well for them, and there's something to be said for issuing sets that sell well. We do want them to stay in business forever!! greg mo

All their sessions with Miles. To me, that was THE Quintet--Miles, Trane, Red, Paul, Philly Joe. With the possible exception of Bill Evans' trio with Scott LaFaro, I don't think I ever heard any group play as perfectly together as that one did. greg mo

And now for a really dumb question--sorry!--but was there a lot of stuff recorded for Debut that Mingus himself didn't play on? That is, how much Debut material, more or less, was there that was not reissued in the Mingus box? I've never invested in the Debut Story box because I have the Mingus. How much overlap is there? Is it worth having both? greg mo

Is it bad that at the moment of...uh...culmination I often shout, "THIS...IS AN ORCHESTRA!!!!"? greg mo

Now why didn't I think of that? And here I was all pleased with myself for working out a weekend trip to New York and Philly. Well you just gotta sacrifice for the music, you know?! greg mo

FWIW, it still shows up in my wish list (as Out of Stock). I wrote to them today asking about it. If I don't get a satisfactory answer, I think it will be time to pool resources and get 2-5 people together to put in an order from Amazon.fr (actually FNAC has it but shipping was even worse if I recall). I'll let you know. Eric Thanks Eric. I may actually be in Paris for a few days in July, so if we haven't worked something out by then, I could possibly pick up a few copies at a FNAC while I'm there--assuming I can find them! greg mo

Here, here. It's one of those performances that still sends a lovely tingle up the spine. When Hodges comes in with his trademark gliss...damn. greg mo

Thanks for posting this. It will be interesting to see if this project comes to pass and what's on it. I could see them issuing the Decca and Urania material plus "Tricotism" though the latter has been available on cd. The big question is all the French stuff. The "Jazz in Paris" series has issued a fair amount of Lucky's Paris sessions both as leader and with various other people, but I don't think that series has issued the sessions recorded for "Swing." But I think all this would be too big for a Select, wouldn't it? greg mo

Has anyone else noticed that Dusty Groove has dropped all mention of Grappelli's "Nearness of You" from its list? I'd sort of hoped they'd get it. The only place I can still find it is www.amazon.fr, and the shipping is 10 euros! Has anyone found it anywhere on the American side of the water? greg mo

Andreas Meyer did the transfers, remixes, and presumably the remastering and mastering of the Columbia set. Excellent sound. I must say. . .I like both the Smith and Farlow equally. . . these were two very different guitarists in sound and technique and "taste". . . these are two very different sets musically. I actually prefer the Farlow to the Smith. I think Tal stretches out a lot more, and I like the sound of his guitar. Not that I don't like the Smith, but I find myself returning to the Farlow set far more often. Also, save for the Concords recorded later, these are some of his only dates as a leader (not that Smith recorded that much either!). greg mo

Well, I'm not sure it quite qualifies as a "box," but I'm enjoying disc 1 of the Oscar Peterson/Fred Astaire Complete Norman Granz Sessions put out by Jazz Factory (and yeah, I really wish Verve had put it out). Lovely work by all concerned, and Astaire is beautifully mic'd. greg mo

That's a good list. I'd add "I Cover the Waterfront" and maybe "The Sheikh of Araby." But "St. James Infirmary" is still it for me. Superb, sublime and transcendental! greg mo greg mo

I will be interested to hear what you think of the Zeitlin set. I don't have much of anything by him. greg mo

He did it already, back in the day, with the now out-of-print #114 The Complete Art Hodes Blue Note Sessions (4 CDs or 5 LPs) Kind of doubt they'd do it again. I guess Blue Note could do it, but I don't know that it would sell much. greg mo

Of course you did Lon--don't you always?! And thank goodness too, because the rest of us always look forward to your take on them. (well...except for the Herman Select... ) greg mo