kenny weir Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 I hope to take the plunge on my first Mosaic set when my tax return arrives. The Blue Note sets are all oh so tempting, but I think I'm gonna go to it a different way (I have quite a lot by all the BN artists currently available). So I think I'll go with something I have very little or none of. And I definitely dig the idea of having a whole lot more West Coast/Cool stuff around. So anyone care to comment on the relative merits of the following boxes? Chico Hamilton (I have none) Tristano (none)/Marsh (none)/Konitz (plenty) Gerald Wilson (zero) Cooper (some)/Holman (zero)/Rosolino (zero) Any help/comments appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Gerald Wilson, for sure. Such a great set, on so many levels. Everything swings, but it's pretty heavy stuff too, even (and perhaps especially) the covers of other jazz classics, like Milestones and All Blues (or is it So What - I forget which). In any case, you get 10 albums worth of material, and really - only one of the 10 is in any way less than 4 or 5 star material. That'd be my vote. -- Rooster T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Wilson Memorable music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 I have to go with the Wilson too... not that I'm following the pack! Some great music on this box... plus Groove Holmes rips it up on the first disc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Tristano - it's an older set, most likely the 1st on the list to go OOP, and if you dig Konitz but don't have any Warne, then you've put on a pair of really nice shoes just to sit around in a recliner. A comfortable recliner, sure, but as long as you dropped the dough on the shoes and bothered with putting them on, why not go for a walk? And Lennie, btw, is the shoestrings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Hamilton or Tristano would be my vote. I think the Hamilto will disappear first of these. And not too long from now. I've had mine for years and am so glad I have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 (edited) I'm a Mosaic nut, so I would definitely say the Chico Hamilton because it's on their Running Low list and will be gone for good (unless you want to pay E-bay prices) soon. This is a box filled with excellent music, always great for when you're in the mood for something different than the standard fare of the era - and it sounds like that is what you're looking for. The ensemble work is wonderful - quiet but adventurous, and I've come to realize by listening to this box that Fred Katz was really a very neglected talent. You can also listen to the box and enjoy just for the percussion clinic Hamilton puts on, a very musical and subtle drummer. And if you're a jazz guitar fan, Jim Hall is captured in great form on the earlier dates. Excellent sound, with transfers and remastering by Malcom Addey. Very unlikely we'll see the majority of these sessions reissued any time soon as single CDs, certainly not with the excellent liners etc. If you're not 100% sure you want to take the plunge with a $96 set, you might check out the single CD ORIGINAL ELLINGTON SUITE (Pacific Jazz) from a couple years back. It's NOT collected in the box because they hadn't located any masters for it at the time the Mosaic box was created. Then as I recall someone found a test pressing in a record store in a small town in England - go figure! But it's from the same era and is an alternate version of the Ellington Suite contained in the box and features a young Eric Dolphy in the line up. Despite that difference, the general sound of the music and approach is very much like what's in the box - excellent. I don't have the Holman et al and Wilson sets yet as I tend to pick Mosaics up in order, from oldest up, but can definitely vouch for the excellence of the Tristano et al box. Still, it's likely to be around longer than the Hamilton, so go for Chico! Edited July 13, 2003 by DrJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Ooops, yeah, the Hamilton might go OOP before the Tristano. The Hamilton would be a good buy too, but my thing with the Hamilton PJ stuff is that after Collette & Hall were replaced by Horn & Pisano, the music took a pretty steep dive from being a truly original and provocative "new sound" into being sterotypically ""West Coast", "foo-foo" clichedom. Just my opinion, but I can listen to the original Hamilton Quintet seemingly forever, whereas the later PJ units (excluding the Dolphy one found on ORIGINAL ELLINGTON SUITE) have me gritting my teeth in a matter of seconds. OTOH, the Mosaic includes a shitload of live material by that original unit, so that's a plus, and a big one at that. Too bad the concept couldn't have been stretched to include Hamilton's PJ TRIO album w/George Duvivier and, on different cuts, Hall or Howard Roberts. That one is even more original and startling than the best Quintet stuff, and shows Hamilton's innovative side at its very highest level. It's on my short "hype whenever possible" list, along w/Hadley Calliman's IAPETUS (hmmm...another California thing...) and a few other undeserverdly neglected (and unreissued) idiosyncratic gems. Requests to Cuscuna to get it out SOMEHOW stateside always come back with "not likely", so the Mosaic would have been the ideal spot for it. But no. Too bad indeed. Too damn bad... All said though, I'd still go w/the Tristano, just because I think it's much more consistent, holds a greater continuing historical relevance to the music (the Tristano trip has slowly but surely been finding its way into the jazz mainstream over the last decade or so, quiet as its kept) and, ultimately, because Kenny's got a radio show and the world needs to hear all the Warne Marsh it can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 I'd go for the Tristano/Marsh/Konitz box - classic music and liner notes by Board member Lawrence Kart. Whichever one you get, I hope you enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 From a purely practical point of view, you should go with the Chico Hamilton because it is on the "Running Low" list. I haven't heard it, but the previous comments here make it sound mighty intriguing. OTOH, I do have the Gerald Wilson set and it's VERY entertaining. Definitely worth getting at some time, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mule Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 The Chico Hamilton for all of the reasons cited above, PLUS, the Chico was MY first Mosaic purchase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphie_boy Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I highly recommend the Gerald Wilson for many of the same reasons that Rooster Ties sited above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 Another Mosaic freak over here... I'd go for the Hamilton (although I agree with Jim's evaluation of the music - Collette and Hall were the real thing) simply for practical reasons: If you get the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh (a wonderful one, and my start with Mosaic) or any other, and start to love it and want more and more of them (and believe me you will! Otherwise you should go see a shrink immediately!), you'll hate yourself for the rest of your lifetime for having had a unhappy start with Mosaic and having passed on the Hamilton 'tis just one man's opinion, though... ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 Sorry everyone... I bought the Hamilton and got rid of it. I found it boring. Yeah, sacriledge, I know, but that's how I found it. Too many funeral dirges. Before dropping the $$ on this 6 CD set, I would recommend picking up a single CD to see if it's your style. Get the "Ellington Suite" on Blue Note. It's got Dolphy, and it's not in the box. If you dig that, get the Mosaic. All of these Gerald Wilson recommendations... hmmm, I may have to pick this one up myself. Maybe Christmas? Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted July 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 Wow, thanks for all the informed comments. That's a big help. The big moment is still a few week's away unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 (edited) I really wanted the Hamilton set for a long time. I finally got it last year, but I still haven't gotten into it. It probably gets the least amount of my Mosaic listening. I'll have to revisit it again. I also have the Kenton Presents set. This is also one that I haven't gotten really into yet. If I was to choose between the Hamilton and the Kenton Presents, I'd get the Hamilton since it's days are numbered. I have most of the Tristano set already, through various reissues, so I don't know if I'll pick it up. I am tempted though, I love this music. If I didn't have any of it, I would buy this set in a second. I also give the Wilson a big two-thumbs up! :rsmile: Edited July 15, 2003 by AfricaBrass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 Kenny, I'll put my two cents in for the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh. It's one of my favorite Mosaics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 Kenny, I'll put my two cents in for the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh. It's one of my favorite Mosaics. YES! And I agree with Kevin on the Hamilton set. I'm a pretty patient listener but the Hamilton was just waaaay to gentle and unassuming for my personal tastes. Buying your first Mosaic is like your first love. Which set does your gut / heart tell you to buy? Buy that one. I wouldn't worry too much (at this point, at least) about The OOP Factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Vitus Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 Your first Mosaic must have that extra oomph that makes you very proud you have it. Each set has its share of great music but the Tristano/Marsh/Konitz set is the one to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjazz Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 Tristano (none)/Marsh (none)/Konitz (plenty) Any help/comments appreciated. Get the Tristano/Marsh/Konitz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 Tristano (none)/Marsh (none)/Konitz (plenty) Gerald Wilson (zero) Cooper (some)/Holman (zero)/Rosolino (zero) I have these three. Nobody has mentioned the Cooper/ Holman set. it's pretty good but undeniably just a notch behind the other two sets both of which are unmissable. Do consider the Cooper/ Holman set it has many fine moments are no duff ones ( unlike the Wilson). Mariano is in great form on many of the sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted August 6, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 Ka-ching! Have just ordered the Chico Hamilton. I'll confess the OOP factor was decisive. Not because I expect to embark on a crusade to get every set (who knows? ), but because after all the reading and asking I've done, I feel I would be saddened if I didn't have this one. Plus the clips on the Mosaic site sound very cool to me. The Tristano and Parlan are next. And what about the The Complete HRS Sessions? I'm really intrigued by this one. Anyone care to comment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 fwiw i have bought every single last call mosaic cd set since the morgan went to last call, the only one i missed was the phil woods set. morgan jones fuller blakey rivers phillips/ventura shank guifree(sp?) shaw my only non-oop set is the mobley. i'll get the chico and jacquet set soon. i look at it as getting the last good price on the set. ss1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted August 9, 2003 Report Share Posted August 9, 2003 I highly recommend the HRS set. A lot of great music on that, and it would cost you a mint to collect it piecemeal (sp?)----that is, one session at a time. I should know: I already had three or four of 'em on various vinyl compilations and I still consider the set worth it. Good sound too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted August 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2003 (edited) The first shocking, and pleasing, thing about this is the process - ordered on Wednesday, shipped on Thursday, on my doorstep on Monday morning in perfect nick! It's a far cry from my first experience of importing records. I must have been about 14, and very much still at high school (very early '70s I guess) when I ordered Lightnin' Slim's Rooster Blues from a shop, oddly enough, in Edinburgh (Peter Russell's???). I had to wait two months and then pay a large chunk to customs before I got my hand on it. I played it to death and still have it (despite having all the material on CD). That was followed by many harrowing and expensive adventures in getting blues, doo wop and various others goodies into NZ - and more than a few examples of badly warped vinyl along the way. So this sort of service is very sweet - about five days from east coast US to Melbourne. Some of the later stuff I know I won't be playing much, but the rest of it just fabulous - I played the first two discs on a sunny Saturday this morning and loved it all. One thing, though, after all this hyperbole and carry on about the Mosaic mystique, I was sorely disappointed by the bland presentation of my first Mosaic set - just a plain ol' black box, nothing special at all. Dull, in fact. No colour pics, just B&W. A real low-rent job, IMHO. (Just kidding) Edited August 16, 2003 by kenny weir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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