gmonahan

I'd put the Mobley and Teagarden at the top of the list. You definitely don't want to miss out on those. I've owned the Stitt, but was wholeheartedly unimpressed. It was the only Mosaic set I've returned under the Mosaic satisfaction guarantee. I wasn't proud about it, but $154 is a pretty good chunk of change. I love the Teagarden Roulettes. Jack stretches out on the live stuff from the Roundtable, and his groups, while not full of big names, were really very good. There are also some wonderful shorter things, including a version of "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You" that makes you forget Tommy Dorsey ever played it. (To be fair, Dorsey himself was in awe of Teagarden and respected his playing more, I think, than almost anyone else.) I don't know that it's a very big seller, but I think you'll enjoy that set if you get it. 'Course, I'm an old trombone player, so I might be kind of biased! greg mo Thanks, that's good to hear. Not much gets said about the Tea set...but that's what I hoped to hear -- that he finds a good groove on the live stuff. I'm not sure how much of it gets into dixieland...but with good dixieland, I feel the ensemble or collective dialogue is where it happens. The solos don't need to carry as much, it's more the intensity and sync of the band. True of most music...yes, but with a lot of jazz...it don't matter as much...just as long as Miles or Trane or Bird was lit. But with real dixieland it happens all at once, all around you. The whole issue of Dixieland is an interesting one with Teagarden. Many of the songs are the "old [often tired] favorites," and it is also true that he often repeated licks (especially when he played in the All Stars with Armstrong), but for me at least, he seemed to find some fresh things to say on the live stuff at the Roundtable, and some of the other material was different as well. I think he was enjoying something of a renaissance in his last years with Roulette and with Verve. greg mo

I'd put the Mobley and Teagarden at the top of the list. You definitely don't want to miss out on those. I've owned the Stitt, but was wholeheartedly unimpressed. It was the only Mosaic set I've returned under the Mosaic satisfaction guarantee. I wasn't proud about it, but $154 is a pretty good chunk of change. I love the Teagarden Roulettes. Jack stretches out on the live stuff from the Roundtable, and his groups, while not full of big names, were really very good. There are also some wonderful shorter things, including a version of "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You" that makes you forget Tommy Dorsey ever played it. (To be fair, Dorsey himself was in awe of Teagarden and respected his playing more, I think, than almost anyone else.) I don't know that it's a very big seller, but I think you'll enjoy that set if you get it. 'Course, I'm an old trombone player, so I might be kind of biased! greg mo

Picked up the above mentioned title, and this: "Jay McShann -- Blues from Kansas City" That's the one. Bird only solos on a few tracks, but the solos are amazing, and I've always liked Walter Brown's blues singing. greg mo

I think Stan's ballad playing on "Anniversary" and "Serenity" is just gorgeous. They're my two favorites, though I'm still partial to the album he did with Dizzy. Stan could really burn when he wanted to! greg mo

I think I've got just about everything that's been issued. If I were suggesting a more orderly (!) progress for Bird, I'd go with: Dial first, then Savoy, then Verve. To me the Dials are the core, barely ahead of the Savoys. Love the Verves but the others are more essential. Then I'd go back and pick up the McShann Deccas, because I think one only really appreciates those after one knows what came after--they give you a tingle up the spine. Then the live stuff--the Uptown first, I think, then others in no particular order because it's all fine. I'd do the Benedetti Mosaic last. I don't think anyone can appreciate that until s/he's heard just about everything else. It's for the real *hard-core* Bird fanatics (yeah, like me and most others reading this!). Only my opinion of course. I imagine others will rearrange the order, which is just fine. greg mo

There are still cut out bins? greg mo

I've always thought Haig would make a worthy Mosaic project--especially his later stuff, but some of the earlier material too. I suggested it once. Not that they get many suggestions.... greg mo

The French pianist Alain Jean-Marie. I like the new 2-cd Jazz in Paris thing by him. Oh yeah, and T-Bone Walker! I'd never listened to him before, incredibly enough. Way cool. greg mo

The Nat King Cole. Just didn't have that kind of bread then. and the Commodores. I *really* didn't have *that* kind of bread! greg mo

Me too! greg mo

Has the record he recorded with Sarah Vaughan for Mainstream back in the early 70s ever been issued on cd? greg mo

Big Four on Pablo has some of my favorite late-period Dizzy, especially that version of "Birks' Works." But for me, Dizzy was always at his most exciting in front of a big band. I heard him live with one once back in the mid-70s at Buddy's Place in NYC. That was incredible. Oddly, I've seldom experienced that kind of excitement on records--even the live ones. One of the few tracks that ever captured it for me was the studio version of "The Champ" now on the 2-cd Verve big band set. It has an enormous drum solo at the end which is not to my taste, but Dizzy's opening solo, flying over the band, captures him better than anything else I think I've ever heard. When Dizzy was really on, in front of a big band, there was nobody who could match him, IMHO. greg mo

Fascinating story, but how very, very tragic. Basically just two records--great records, but only two. What a shame. greg mo

Great story Allen. Thanks for sharing that one! greg mo

Well, I finally got Dusty to send me the Jean-Marie and the Anachronic Jazz Band. No luck on the Crolla. I'll get it at some point. The Anachronic really is a hoot. Quite bizarre--especially their version of "Giant Steps." I will have to confess that I had never quite imagined Coltrane being played by a trad band! It is odd they didn't go ahead and put in everything, but they did include just about everything. Very entertaining...in fairly small doses! greg mo

I'm with Allen on this one. I just love this album--not that I don't love all the others too. I never miss a chance to pick up something recorded by Mr. Five by Five. (What a *great* singer he was!) Zoot does some nice work on this one as well. greg mo

Whoooooooooooooooooa, how did you do that??? :tup That's cool, the old sites. :D I agree--that IS cool! Welcome to organissimo!!! greg mo

I just ordered all three as well. Keeping my fingers crossed! greg mo ARG--I was too late. Out of stock again. God, but Dusty can be frustrating as hell. They could reserve some copies for at least a few days! And why don't they do back orders? GRRRRR! greg mo

I just ordered all three as well. Keeping my fingers crossed! greg mo

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