Artie Shaw Mosaic box

[J.A.W.]

Here's how I rank the four sets as far as "reaching to listen". . . in order of times I'd reach:

Pres Mosaic

Baslie Live Roulette Mosaic

Pres Verve

Basie Decca Mosaic

The early years of Pres are just amazing, music that always moves me.

Which Basie Decca Mosaic is that? Or do you mean the Basie Verve Mosaic?

[Chuck Nessa]

Whatever the label, I'd go for the Deccas first.

[J.A.W.]

Whatever the label, I'd go for the Deccas first.

Yep, but there's no Basie Decca Mosaic.

For Basie's Deccas I'd recommend the Scottish Hep CDs.

[SwingItTrev]

For Basie's Deccas I'd recommend the Scottish Hep CDs.

Do you prefer these to the GRP set?

I'd also vouch for the Pres Mosaic set. I prefer this earlier music SO much more than the later Pres material, but I guess it comes down to personal taste.

[jazzbo]

Here's how I rank the four sets as far as "reaching to listen". . . in order of times I'd reach:

Pres Mosaic

Baslie Live Roulette Mosaic

Pres Verve

Basie Decca Mosaic

The early years of Pres are just amazing, music that always moves me.

Which Basie Decca Mosaic is that? Or do you mean the Basie Verve Mosaic?

Yes. Thanks. Slip of the fingers.

[J.A.W.]

For Basie's Deccas I'd recommend the Scottish Hep CDs.

Do you prefer these to the GRP set?

Yes. The Hep CDs were mastered by the late John R.T. Davies. The GRP/Decca set was marred by noise reduction and to my ears it sounds dead in comparison.

[king ubu]

Allegro Music has a Hep sale right now... I ordered the Complete Spotlight 2CD set by Artie Shaw an hour ago.

[JETman]

Does anyone know if most or all of the 1944-45 Artie Shaw 3 disc Hep set will be included in the upcoming Mosaic?

[J.A.W.]

Does anyone know if most or all of the 1944-45 Artie Shaw 3 disc Hep set will be included in the upcoming Mosaic?

Mosaic's upcoming sets page: "Though not a complete work of everything Shaw recorded during the years 1938-1945, Mosaic Records has culled all of his instrumental big band and small group sides for the Bluebird and Victor labels in a 7CD Limited Edition Box Set." The Hep 3CD-set has 65 tracks that were recorded in 1944 and 1945, so the answer to your question would be yes, but not the tracks with vocals, just the instrumentals.

Edited June 25, 2009 by J.A.W.

[JETman]

Does anyone know if most or all of the 1944-45 Artie Shaw 3 disc Hep set will be included in the upcoming Mosaic?

Mosaic's upcoming sets page: "Though not a complete work of everything Shaw recorded during the years 1938-1945, Mosaic Records has culled all of his instrumental big band and small group sides for the Bluebird and Victor labels in a 7CD Limited Edition Box Set." The Hep 3CD-set has 65 tracks that were recorded in 1944 and 1945, so the answer to your question would be yes, but not the tracks with vocals, just the instrumentals.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I just wasn't sure from descriptions I've read whether or not the Hep set consisted of studio sessions or radio broadcasts.

[tranemonk]

I caved and bought the Basie Verve Fifties Studio Sessions...

I have to sleep on it though... I might call Mosaic in the AM and switch it to the Lester Young.... :wacko: :unsure:

[colinmce]

I would run with it. The Young is one of the cheapest sets available, so why not buy that whenever.

[Matthew]

I'm listening to Artie Shaw right now, and a lot of the vocal numbers are very good. I'm still trying to reconcile myself to this "No Vocals" policy by Mosaic, and I should warn people right now: If there are five cds worth of alternate takes on this set, be prepared for an epic rant.

[Pete B]

I the pleasure of meeting Scott from Mosaic in June. One of the things he told me is that he has to limit sets from the 78 era to 7 cds for purely economic reasons. Apparently the licensing fees are per song and a set of more than 7 discs becomes prohibitively expensive for them to produce. He said they are making an exception for the Ellington set because they feel they will sell enough of them to make the 10 discs economically feasible.

[Matthew]

I the pleasure of meeting Scott from Mosaic in June. One of the things he told me is that he has to limit sets from the 78 era to 7 cds for purely economic reasons. Apparently the licensing fees are per song and a set of more than 7 discs becomes prohibitively expensive for them to produce. He said they are making an exception for the Ellington set because they feel they will sell enough of them to make the 10 discs economically feasible.

All the more reason to have Mosaic rethink the alternate take idea. I haven't bought the Goodman set yet because there are so many alt. takes on it that I feel like I'm just wasting my money. I would much prefer, and I'm probably in the minority on this, that the sets, especially the Show one, be filled with master takes, and maybe a couple of interesting alt. takes. I can understand the limit, Mosaic deserves their profit, but if disk number is limited, make each disk count.

[carnivore]

I the pleasure of meeting Scott from Mosaic in June. One of the things he told me is that he has to limit sets from the 78 era to 7 cds for purely economic reasons. Apparently the licensing fees are per song and a set of more than 7 discs becomes prohibitively expensive for them to produce. He said they are making an exception for the Ellington set because they feel they will sell enough of them to make the 10 discs economically feasible.

All the more reason to have Mosaic rethink the alternate take idea. I haven't bought the Goodman set yet because there are so many alt. takes on it that I feel like I'm just wasting my money. I would much prefer, and I'm probably in the minority on this, that the sets, especially the Show one, be filled with master takes, and maybe a couple of interesting alt. takes. I can understand the limit, Mosaic deserves their profit, but if disk number is limited, make each disk count.

It may be only of minority interest but apropos the Goodman set - there really is a lot to enjoy - and learn - if one listens to each set of alternate and master takes sequentially. (A remote helps!) Especially in terms of the development of solos and the manner in which the guys take something almost perfect and transforms it into something extraordinary. It is a pity about the Shaw vocal items though - they contain some of the best writing of the period, and Helen Forrest's entry, on a key change, on 'I Didn't Know What Time It Was' is one of the most amazing things I've ever heard.

[J.A.W.]

The Artie Shaw Mosaic can now be pre-ordered.

Shaw box discography

Edited August 5, 2009 by J.A.W.

[Stereojack]

Since thay have chosen to eliminate most of the vocals (except those by Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page, Lena Horne, and Roy Eldridge), why was it felt that Tony Pastor's vocals should be included?

I've got nothing against Tony, mind you, but is he somehow better than Helen Forrest and the various female singers who sang with Shaw 1940-1945?

As has been pointed out, many of the tracks with Helen Forrest also feature fine playing by Shaw and others. I think I can pass on this set, since I've got it all elsewhere, except for a few alternates.

[J.A.W.]

Since thay have chosen to eliminate most of the vocals (except those by Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page, Lena Horne, and Roy Eldridge), why was it felt that Tony Pastor's vocals should be included?

I've got nothing against Tony, mind you, but is he somehow better than Helen Forrest and the various female singers who sang with Shaw 1940-1945?

As has been pointed out, many of the tracks with Helen Forrest also feature fine playing by Shaw and others. I think I can pass on this set, since I've got it all elsewhere, except for a few alternates.

I agree, it's a shame they decided to leave off Helen Forrest's vocals, though I can understand their reasoning. Can anyone recommend a good Forrest/Shaw CD or CD-set?

[Matthew]

Since thay have chosen to eliminate most of the vocals (except those by Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page, Lena Horne, and Roy Eldridge), why was it felt that Tony Pastor's vocals should be included?

I've got nothing against Tony, mind you, but is he somehow better than Helen Forrest and the various female singers who sang with Shaw 1940-1945?

As has been pointed out, many of the tracks with Helen Forrest also feature fine playing by Shaw and others. I think I can pass on this set, since I've got it all elsewhere, except for a few alternates.

I'm just very disappointed with this set, there's no rhyme or reason to the choices. Think I'll pass unless people start to absolutely rave about it. At $117.00 plus S & H, it does not feel like I'm getting any bang for the buck on this one.

[David Ayers]

I the pleasure of meeting Scott from Mosaic in June. One of the things he told me is that he has to limit sets from the 78 era to 7 cds for purely economic reasons. Apparently the licensing fees are per song and a set of more than 7 discs becomes prohibitively expensive for them to produce. He said they are making an exception for the Ellington set because they feel they will sell enough of them to make the 10 discs economically feasible.

Interesting to learn why so many sets come out at 7 CDs. For UK buyers, unless the exchange rate is freakishly favorable (as it was for some months last year) it is 6 CDs which come under the customs radar. The 7 CD sets trigger tax/duty and 'handling' charges. I was considering ordering, one at a time, each of the 7 CD sets I didn't have last year when the exchange rate was really working for us here in the UK. I missed the boat and I might now be waiting some time...

[Chuck Nessa]

You wouldn't believe the requirements (demands) of the "majors" for licenses.

[ghost of miles]

Since thay have chosen to eliminate most of the vocals (except those by Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page, Lena Horne, and Roy Eldridge), why was it felt that Tony Pastor's vocals should be included?

I've got nothing against Tony, mind you, but is he somehow better than Helen Forrest and the various female singers who sang with Shaw 1940-1945?

As has been pointed out, many of the tracks with Helen Forrest also feature fine playing by Shaw and others. I think I can pass on this set, since I've got it all elsewhere, except for a few alternates.

I agree, it's a shame they decided to leave off Helen Forrest's vocals, though I can understand their reasoning. Can anyone recommend a good Forrest/Shaw CD or CD-set?

I'm going to get the Mosaic, but have the same query as J.A.W. re: a good Forrest/Shaw CD. There's a lot of excellent Forrest/Shaw on the live Hindsight box KING OF THE CLARINET (which any fan of pre-WWII Shaw should get anyway), but I'd love to find a decent comp of the studio sides.

[J.A.W.]

Since thay have chosen to eliminate most of the vocals (except those by Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page, Lena Horne, and Roy Eldridge), why was it felt that Tony Pastor's vocals should be included?

I've got nothing against Tony, mind you, but is he somehow better than Helen Forrest and the various female singers who sang with Shaw 1940-1945?

As has been pointed out, many of the tracks with Helen Forrest also feature fine playing by Shaw and others. I think I can pass on this set, since I've got it all elsewhere, except for a few alternates.

I agree, it's a shame they decided to leave off Helen Forrest's vocals, though I can understand their reasoning. Can anyone recommend a good Forrest/Shaw CD or CD-set?

I'm going to get the Mosaic, but have the same query as J.A.W. re: a good Forrest/Shaw CD. There's a lot of excellent Forrest/Shaw on the live Hindsight box KING OF THE CLARINET (which any fan of pre-WWII Shaw should get anyway), but I'd love to find a decent comp of the studio sides.

The Mosaic is on my list for later this year. Meanwhile, I got the 2001 Reader's Digest Artie Shaw/Helen Forrest 2CD-set on Amazon. I hope it'll be worthwhile, with lots of Forrest, and I also hope they didn't mess up the mastering.

[ghost of miles]

I bit on the two Jasmine volumes, which seem to provide a fairly comprehensive collection of the Shaw/Forrest studio sides.