Can Man live by Mosaics alone?

[LJazz]

I don't have a large CD collection by the standards of many who frequent boards like this (probably in the 200-300 range rather than thousands -- maybe about 1/3 of which is not jazz), but I do own about 10 Mosaic sets and the list of "wants" in terms of the large box sets and selects and singles continues to grow. So, the quandry. In a world of limited resources, can one build a reasonable jazz library focused almost exclusively on Mosaic releases? Or do you think the sets are just too narrowly focused on a portion of a musician's career and there is too much other "must have" stuff out there?

[tranemonk]

there's a LOT of stuff not on Mosaic.. that one must have...

Take almost all 'Trane leader dates for one... All on Impulse... (will they eventually be re-re-re-released by Mosaic in 15 years... probably)....

As well as all Prestige/Riverside/OJC stuff... Bill Evans...Monk.... Won't see Mosaic for a long time....

I don't have a large CD collection by the standards of many who frequent boards like this (probably in the 200-300 range rather than thousands -- maybe about 1/3 of which is not jazz), but I do own about 10 Mosaic sets and the list of "wants" in terms of the large box sets and selects and singles continues to grow. So, the quandry. In a world of limited resources, can one build a reasonable jazz library focused almost exclusively on Mosaic releases? Or do you think the sets are just too narrowly focused on a portion of a musician's career and there is too much other "must have" stuff out there?

[Dan Gould]

I'd agree. You can make up a very good collection with Mosaic but there would be huge gaps in it too. With limited resources, I'd concentrate on buiding a collection based on what you like most and what is currently in print.

[John L]

I'd agree. You can make up a very good collection with Mosaic but there would be huge gaps in it too. With limited resources, I'd concentrate on buiding a collection based on what you like most and what is currently in print.

...not to mention that for the price of buying all the o-p Mosaics on the market today you could acquire just about every jazz CD that you would ever want to hear.

[porcy62]

My answear is: No, until Mosaic will realase the Complete Recording of Kenny G.

[jlhoots]

Get some of the Selects.

[Brad]

That's unusual that you have 10 Mosaics but only 200 other CDs. I think Mosaics are great but I'm almost to the point where I prefer the individual CD. Too many Mosaics and other box set just seem to sit on the shelf.

[paul secor]

90/95/99? (I haven't made a count, but it's up there somewhere) % of the classic jazz recordings from 1920 until today are not/were not available on Mosaic.

If you're just starting out, look elsewhere first.

[Big Wheel]

That's unusual that you have 10 Mosaics but only 200 other CDs. I think Mosaics are great but I'm almost to the point where I prefer the individual CD. Too many Mosaics and other box set just seem to sit on the shelf.

Not all that unusual. I think my collection numbers less than 400 but I have 8 Mosaics. Of those 8, the Mobley, Rivers, and Tristano/Konitz/Marsh easily fall into the "essential" category. The other ones (Atlantic New Orleans, Thad Jones BN/UA/Roulette, JJ Johnson, Anita O'Day, and Blue Mitchell) I grabbed because they were going OOP and I knew I might never see some of the albums individually.

[LJazz]

Not all that unusual. I think my collection numbers less than 400 but I have 8 Mosaics. Of those 8, the Mobley, Rivers, and Tristano/Konitz/Marsh easily fall into the "essential" category. The other ones (Atlantic New Orleans, Thad Jones BN/UA/Roulette, JJ Johnson, Anita O'Day, and Blue Mitchell) I grabbed because they were going OOP and I knew I might never see some of the albums individually.

That's sort of my situation. Actually, I just counted and I have 13 sets. Some are sets where I was familiar with the artist and figured I couldn't go wrong -- e.g., J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Hank Mobley -- and others I was less familiar with a musician's work, but listened to samples and figured I would take a chance -- e.g., Woody Shaw, Tristano/Konitz Marsh, Jazz Crusaders.

I don't think I would say that "I'm just getting started." Actually I've been playing and listening to jazz for some time. It's just that my buying habits are fairly haphazard. I suppose maybe I could sell some of the Mosaics and use the money for some other "essential" CDs, but I don't see much purpose in that, because the music is generally great. I guess the better course is probably to start buying more single CDs and only jump to a Mosaic if there is something I'm interested in that's in danger of going OOP. I would love the Buddy Rich and upcoming Dizzy Gillespie sets, for example, but they will obviously be around for a while. The Selects also seem like they would be a good way to explore a new artist or more of a familiar musician.

I don't know why. I just seem to get drawn to those big black and white boxes

[David Ayers]

I'd say some of the earlier Mosaics were very important - and are now available in other formats - but that most later Mosaics are icing on the cake of a collection rather than its centre (excluding the Miles, of course, which are not unique to Mosaic). That goes double for the Selects which are sometimes interesting but mostly inessential - just for fun, really, and even less essential when you consider that in some cases the main items on them have already been available on CD for years. Not to diss Mosaic - they fill an invaluable niche - but even on box sets I can think of ten or twenty you owe yourself before a (currently available) Mosaic - various sets by Coltrane, Davis, Rollins, Monk, Armstrong, Mingus, Evans, Dolphy, Ornette, and add in a few ex early Mosaics whether as sets (Nichols) or as singles (Brown, Monk). I wouldn't put any current Mosaic or Select above any of these.

[BruceH]

I'd agree. You can make up a very good collection with Mosaic but there would be huge gaps in it too. With limited resources, I'd concentrate on buiding a collection based on what you like most and what is currently in print.

Word.

And you can find a lot of deals by haunting the used sections of independent music stores. Too many big boxes are unhealthy (I know I'm one to talk, but still....)