gmonahan

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

Benny Goodman Columbia box, disc 3. I never get tired of hearing Charlie Christian play "Solo Flight." greg mo

WAY cool! Thanks for posting this! greg mo

greg mo

It's a little irritating that the two Helen Merrill's aren't on sale along with the rest of the singles. Those are the only two I don't have!! greg mo

Benny Goodman Columbia and Okeh Orchestra Sessions, disc 2. Great sound. greg mo

So Chewy is a reward for reading my crap? Yup.

Here, here. Though it would also have been fun to be there for Sinatra's Music for Swingin' Lovers sessions (or Sings for Only the Lonely) with Riddle in the Capitol studios. greg mo

I guess I'm a hopeless dinosaur, but I want RECORDS. If they're cds that's fine, but I want (little) album covers and liner notes and photos and discographies. I don't want to have to download them myself and burn cds so I don't have to depend on the ephemerals of crashing hard drives. My hope is that Luddites like me (and lots of others who post here!) will at least keep specialist labels like Mosaic in business for a while. Sigh. greg mo

I use an ancient database called "Notebuilder" that allows me to file individual entries in a single record for artist, instrument(s), album title, label, catalog number, recording date, session leader, live or studio, and miscellaneous stuff like whether it's part of a series. I do an individual record for each musician on a given album who solos, and sometimes for those of note who don't. My database lets me create sets by any of these characteristics (all trombonists, every record on a given label, and combinations--all albums featuring a given artist recorded in a given year, for example). Takes kind of a long time to index them all, and I often get behind. I've only got my cds indexed. I started after I'd collected a bunch of LPs and never had the time to go back and do them, and I don't even want to think of the 78s I amassed from various thrift stores when I was a kid! And yeah, I'm kind of anal about it! greg mo