LAL

Some more information, from a website on ancestry & genealogy: (May be a good idea to backup favourite discs manufactured in the 80s in case they are the 'defective' ones) Issues Affecting Physical Longevity Because they are sturdier than floppy discs and magnetic tape, most people tend to think of CDs (CD-ROMs) as inert objects. Barring scratches, they should last forever, right? Maybe not. CD-ROMs made when the technology was new in the early 1980s had problems with the protective lacquer coating not fully covering the disc. Aluminum can easily oxidize and when the lacquer did not cover the entire disc, the oxidation would eventually cause the disc to be unusable (except as a coaster). The early CD-ROMs also were labeled with inks that eventually reacted with the aluminum, which also caused the discs to fail. Fortunately, CD manufacturers realized what was happening and made changes in the manufacturing process to ensure better lacquer coverage, and stopped using chemically reactive dyes. (CD-Rs use metals such as gold that do not oxidize.) But there continue to be issues affecting the physical longevity of a CD. According to the technical pages of several CD manufacturers and trade associations, estimates vary widely as to the expected longevity of the media: CD-ROMs are estimated to last anywhere from 30 to 200 years. CD-Rs, before they are recorded, have an estimated shelf life of five to ten years. CD-Rs, after recording, are estimated to last between 70 and 200 years. CD-RWs are expected to last at least 30 years. Because CD technology is only about twenty years old (and recordable technology is younger than that), these expected life spans are estimates based on accelerated aging tests. As the testers at Kodak put it, chances are that if there is a significant error, the disc won’t work. Either it works or it doesn’t. How the discs are handled and stored can greatly affect their longevity. CD-Rs, with their dye layer, are especially prone to light. Leaving them on a desk can lessen the dye’s reactivity when passed through the recorder’s laser beam. The dye’s chemical state also makes for the shorter life span before they are recorded. As time goes on, the dye loses its ability to change from transparent to opaque. In other words, if you are only going to use one every six months, do not buy the 50-pack at your local warehouse club. CD-RWs have a similar problem with their alloy layer. After so many recordings and erasures, the alloy loses its ability to change from one state to another. This is estimated to occur around the 1,000th recording. There are many things that the user does that can shorten a disc’s life. Fingerprints and scratches are the most common. It is especially important that writable CDs not have fingerprints on them before they are written, as the fingerprint can scatter the laser beam from the recorder or weaken the ability of it to change the dye or alloy. In this case, the data can be jumbled or not be recorded at all—both of which can result in an unusable disc. Genealogists are becoming more aware of proper methods of writing on photographs and in scrapbooks, including using acid-free pens. The same advice should be heeded when labeling CDs. As noted previously, early CD-ROMs had inks in the labels that ate away at the disc. The same can happen if the user writes on a disc with a solvent-based marker. Water-based permanent markers are preferred. Ball-point pens should be avoided, as they can cause a scratch that shows through the reflective layer. For safest results, writing should be kept to the clear center portion of the disc. Stickers should be used only with the greatest of care. Labels that are applied off-center or with air bubbles and creases can cause the disc to spin out-of-balance. This is especially harmful in high-speed recorders and readers. Removing a label can also damage the disc’s surface, rendering it useless. Temperature can act upon the longevity of a CD. Several of the accelerated aging tests used 25ºC (77ºF) with 40 percent relative humidity as a baseline. Cooler, drier conditions should be beneficial. Conversely, warmer and damper conditions are a detriment. Wide fluctuations in these conditions are harmful. These conditions can occur when you leave discs in the back seat of your car in July while you are reading or in the trunk in the middle of winter when you are in the library.

Another vote for Ellington and Billy Strayhorn!! What about George Russell?

Ah but 100 discs is not too many particularly for Duke fanatics. The number of concerts reissued on CD alone is at least in the 65-70 discs mark and growing. Further, since the standard is so high on most of these concerts, we fans just have to have it all.

Duke tops the list followed by Bird, Prez, Hawk and Clifford Brown neck and neck for distant second.

Would never do such a thing. Have lent CDs/cassettes to people before and they either took eons to return it or conveniently forgot all about them. In any case, since the people I know don't listen to jazz, let alone know about Mosaic sets, I'd probably have to pay them to borrow a Mosaic from me.

When the number of CDs were still very manageable they were organised neatly on racks by artist by music style. Now they're slotted anywhere I can find a space, including cupboard for clothes, bed and placing them in cardboard boxes. Gotta get some custom-made shelves soon.

My least favoured Mosaic set must be the June Christy/Peggy Lee set as its been lying about unopened since I got it 14 months ago.

Interesting. How often do you dust them CDs and box sets? To keep mine 'dust free', I place CDs in clear plastics (seal right) slot them in mini CD cases housed in ceiling high cabinets with doors, yet the dust still gets to them, a bit anyway. Sorry - no pictures.

This box set should greatly improve on the RCA/Bluebird reissues (even over the Black & White series). The following musicians recorded with Django on these Rome dates: Stephane Grappelli - Violin Carlo Recori - Bass Gianni Safred - Piano Aurelio de Carolis - Drums There's probably also a set of quintet recordings with Andre Ekyan (never heard of him) on the set. Source : AMG This set'll have to wait since I'm getting the Mosaic first.

Listening to jazz with strings is always a refreshing experience. From the various 'with string' albums I've heard, the claim that musicians were watering down their music/playing is just bull. Hawk in Paris and C.P with Strings are a few favourites.

One more for consideration - Opening Night: Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band at the Village Vanguard February 7, 1966 [Alan Grant Presents]. More info at AMG.

Blood, Sweat & Tears' debut, an album I couldn't stop listening to for one period.

Great band - The song "Fresh Garbage" on a Castle 60s compilation alerted me to this band.

Don't ferget to consider the J J Johnson set (gift voucher + $12).

Any fans of The Animals, Procol Harum and (early) Deep Purple?? How about The Troggs?

I wonder if the numbering of the Select's is a subtle psychological play on our collector mentality (some of us anyway) - i.e. resulting in our 'need/desire' to acquire ALL sets just so there are no gaps in our collection, even though we may not particularly enjoy an artist's music. I'm going to have to leave the Selects till much later - already having a tough time keeping up with the regular Mosaic sets.

Milestones. ESP and Miles Smiles close behind.

Teddy Wilson is excellent on every track. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it is this consistency that perhaps gives the music the feeling of similarity throughout. To start off, I listened to 1/2 to 2/3s of each disc then return later in the day or the next to complete the remainder of the disc, repeating this with the other discs every 5 days or so. In this way I got to fully enjoy a dozen or so tunes each time and not feel that they were repetitive. Overall, a recommended set and this one is probably one of the candidates for the running low list.

Beatles, yeh yeh! Other favourite groups include Pink Floyd, Led Zep, The Who (how the Brits dominated the mid to late 60s pop/rock scene!) and Spirit. Can appreciate 2 or 3 Stones songs but that's it. I have to add that I hardly listen to any of these bands anymore.

Thanks patricia. Hhhmm it is sad to read that Pee Wee was emotionally affected by his fellow band members making a 'clown' of him - after all who wouldn't? One can hear quite a bit of it on those Town Hall Concerts.

Hi patricia - very informative bios and great pictures from EKE. Thanks a million! After about 45+ bios or so, I'm (still) keeping a lookout for Dodo (Michael) Marmarosa and Pee Wee (Charles Ellsworth) Russell. Would be interesting to know how they got their somewhat derogatory nicknames. With Dodo, I think it was something about his head being disproportionately larger than his body? Cheers B)

If these suggested half a dozen or so box sets come to pass, well and good, but I'm going to have to get a second and maybe third J.O.B to pay for them.

Gosh. Don't even know if there is a random play option on my player - never bothered to check. In any case I would always have the CD play in its proper order without skipping from track to track. Playing tracks in their sequence often reveals something new in the music on each album anyway, so I'll leave it at that.

1944-1949 Jazz at Philharmonic set Duke Reprise Mosaic.

Never heard a note of jazz until college years when I started exploring all styles of music - 60s pop/rock/prog rock/classical/metal. My first exposure to jazz was a 1950s EMI compilation transferred to 3 CDs. Next up was the Duke Ellington Small Groups Vol.2 set - intimate, sensual and swinging music and couldn't get enough of it. Next, heard samples of Bird and Diz, more wonderful music, but all these still did not seal it. It took another 5 years, when I had proper income, before I started to really explore jazz. First jazz craze - anything by Wes Montgomery, including his late and very commercial Verve sides. Now this was the start of my passion for jazz.