Black Saint/Soul Note Box Sets

[felser]

On 10/31/2016 at 9:57 AM, StarThrower said:

BTW, Amazon is 20 dollars higher on some of these new boxes compared to Importcds.

Pricing always seems to be all over the place on these sets, Amazon and elsewhere.  Well worth shopping carefully.  Import CD's has had sales on them a few times which have been really good.

[street singer]

I've only got two of these sets - the Bill Dixon and Andrew Hill. I'm glad to have them both. I've been meaning to pick up more over the past few years, but it seems like something else always comes up and takes priority. All of this music is new to me, as the music on the Black Saint/Soul Note labels is, for the most part, completely unexplored terrain for me. I would really like to begin digging into some of this stuff, but now that I'm trying to decide which ones to buy...I don't really know where to begin. So, that being said - which of these sets are the absolute MUST HAVES? Also, are there any particular ones to avoid - due to mastering issues, etc? I have my eyes on the Hemphill, Adams and Pullen sets, as I've been exploring their music quite a bit as of late. 

Also, have any of these sets fallen out of print and become hard to come by? From what I can tell, the vast majority of them have remained readily available...which is a good thing if you're the consumer, but...not sure what it says about how well these are selling. They keep releasing them, though - so, they must be selling well enough!

Thanks for any/all input. My apologies if these questions have been addressed previously in the thread!

[felser]

The Andrew Cyrille set comes readily to mind as essential.  I would also recommend the Mingus Dynasty and George Russell and Mal Waldron sets.  Lots of other good ones, and I own a dozen of them.  Beware of used copies of the first David Murray set - the  first edition of it had mastering errors, which others can give the details on.

[StarThrower]

I bought more of these sets than I need, but if had to part with some of them, I'd keep my Steve Lacy sets, Abrams, and Hennry Threadgill. And George Russell for a few of the albums.

[bertrand]

Is there anyone who is buying the Andrew Hill box who would then have a Verona Rag to sell? It is the only one I am missing.

Looking for the real version, of course, not the bullshit CD-R version.

Thanks!

Bertrand.

 

[soulpope]

3 hours ago, bigbandrecord said:

Must haves IMHO are the Pullen, Abrams and George Russell sets.....but I in most cases only buy Big Band/Large Ensemble and Piano oriented material so I'm sure there's probably others that are must haves......the first David Murray set perhaps.

(IMO) must haves should include David Murray 1, Mal Waldron 1, Steve Lacy and Kenny Wheeler ....

[StarThrower]

Any opinions on the second Max Roach set? Several of the albums feature Odean Pope. But I've heard that Christmas album is not too great.

I'm currently listening to the Cyrille set which is superb! Love the bass player, Nick DiGeronimo.

[soulpope]

3 hours ago, StarThrower said:

Any opinions on the second Max Roach set? Several of the albums feature Odean Pope. But I've heard that Christmas album is not too great.

I'm currently listening to the Cyrille set which is superb! Love the bass player, Nick DiGeronimo.

!

[felser]

3 hours ago, soulpope said:

!

I agree with you about DiGeronimo, who I have never heard of otherwise.  I went asking about him as soon as I heard that box.  The second Roach is strong, has the quartet stuff, and the quartet plus strings, which is surprisingly good and raw.  I passed on the first Roach box (solo, duos with Cecil Taylor which I already own on the Taylor box, duos with Braxton, M'Boom,and one quartet with strings, which I picked up separately), but grabbed this one and am thankful for it.  The title track on "It's Christmas Again" is strange but fascinating poetry plus jazz, though the other side is weaker.  But the other albums included all range from pretty good to pretty wonderful, and the price is great.    

[StarThrower]

I just ordered the Roach box after listening to the first album on YouTube. It sounds great! Got it for 21 dollars from a an English vendor. I've always liked Max's stuff throughout the years.

[bertrand]

This thread has gotten too huge for me to go back, but I am sure this was addressed at some point (on which page?):

We are sure these are real CDs, and not CDrs, correct? I know that individual BS/SN titles that pop up are CDrs so I believe these boxes are the only way to go to get legitimate CDs. 

I got the Adams box and it seemed legit. I am about to get a couple more...

Bertrand.

Edited September 4, 2017 by bertrand

[kh1958]

I have 20 of the boxes and they all appear to be real CDs, not CDRs.

[felser]

Yes, they are real CD's.  Amazon sold CD-R's of some of the single titles for some years.

[Patrick]

Any speculation about what might appear next as a box set?

[felser]

12 hours ago, Patrick said:

Any speculation about what might appear next as a box set?

I'd love to see a Billy Bang box, and would gladly plunk down my hard-earned money for it.

[alankin]

3 hours ago, felser said:

I'd love to see a Billy Bang box, and would gladly plunk down my hard-earned money for it.

Me too.

[Patrick]

Funny. It was precisely the idea of a Billy Bang box that caused me to raise the question.

[felser]

3 hours ago, Patrick said:

Funny. It was precisely the idea of a Billy Bang box that caused me to raise the question.

Well, that's three votes.  How do we alert the good people at Black Saint/Soul Note?

[Clunky]

Billy Bang holds a very special place in my heart. He was the first modern jazz musician I heard live. Frank Lowe, Sirone and Dennis Charles completed the band. 

I was totally captivated by the whole thing Bang , Lowe , I can still recall the sense of excitement at hearing something really new that I immediately connected with. 

Live at Carlos 1 was the current release. Although totally different from the band I'd heard the disc played on repeat for months. 

Rainbow Gladiator and Valve No 10 are also highly recommended. The later release is a reasonable representation of the band I'd heard live . A live Bang release would be greatly welcomed.

[JSngry]

10 hours ago, alankin said:

Me too.

same

[Face of the Bass]

A Billy Bang set would be awesome. I haven't kept up with this series in recent years. For those who have, which of these sets stand out as particularly good? 

[felser]

4 hours ago, Face of the Bass said:

A Billy Bang set would be awesome. I haven't kept up with this series in recent years. For those who have, which of these sets stand out as particularly good? 

The Andrew Cyrille is awesome, and I really like the second Max Roach (with the quartets).

[mikeweil]

FWIW, here's what's available at the moment (AFAIK). Listing from JPC, which says the Sun Ra is on backorder.

Steve Lacy

1. Trickles 2. Revenue 3. Troubgles 4. Regeneration 5. Change Of Season 6. Dutch Masters 7. The Condor 8. The Cry (2 CDs) 9. Vespers

10 CDs

Enrico Pieranunzi

Albumtitel: Isis No Man's Land Flux And Change Seaward Ma L'Amore Mio

6 CDs

Roscoe Mitchell

3x4 Eye Roscoe Mitchell And The Sound And Space Ensembles The Flow Of Things Live At The Knitting Factory Duets And Solos This Dance Is For Steve McCall The Italian Concert Shadowgraph, 5 (Sextet) Spihumonesty

9 CDs

Gianluigi Trovesi

From G. to G. Les Hommes Armes The Village Fair Around Small Fairy Tales Electric Five Missa Bathet Cinque Piccole Storie Nvola

9 CDs

Ed Blackwell (1929-1992)

8 CDs

Max Roach (1924-2007)

1:Birth And Rebirth CD 2:Collage CD 3:Survivors CD 4:Historic Concerts Set I CD 5:Historic Concerts Set II CD 6:Bright Moments

6 CDs

Max Roach Vol.2    

Pictures In A Frame In The Light Live At Vielharmonie Munich Scott Free Easy Winners It's Christmas Again

6 CDs

Ran Blake

Improvisations Duke Dreams Suffield Gothic Short Life Of Barbara Monk Epistrophy Unmarked Van Indian Winter

7 CDs

Chico Hamilton

5 CDs

Andrew Hill

4 CDs

Jimmy Lyons

5 CDs

Mingus Big Band

Reincarnation Mingus' Sounds Of Love Live At The Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris Vol.1 Live At The Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris Vol.2

4 CDs

Archie Shepp  

4 CDs

Sun Ra

1. Reflections In Blue 2. Hours After 3. Mayan Temples 4. A Tribute To Stuff Smith

4 CDs

Kenny Wheeler

5 CDs

Andrew Cyrille

Metamusicians' stomp Nuba Something in return Special people The navigator X Man Good To Go, With A Tribute

7 CDs

Giorgio Gaslini

Murales New Orleans Suite Free Actions Graffiti Sharing Live At The Public Theater In New York Ecstasy Four Pieces Indian Suite Monodrama Skies Of China

11 CDs

Don Pullen

Capricorn Rising Healing Force Warriors Milano Strut The Magic Triangle Evidence Of Things Unseen The Sixth Sense

7 CDs

George Adams (1940-1992

5 CDs

Lester Bowie

3 CDs

Dave Douglas

6 CDs

Art Farmer (1928-1999)

6 CDs

World Saxophone Quartet

Steppin' With The World Saxophone Quartet, W.S.Q., Revue, Live In Zurich, Live At Brooklyn Academy Of Music, Moving Right Along

6 CDs

Julius Hemphill

5 CDs

Oliver Lake (geb. 1942)

7 CDs

George Lewis

1. Shadowgraph, 5 (Sextet) 2. Jila-Save! Mon. - The Imaginary Suite 3. Homage To Charles Parker 4. Change Of Season 5. Dutch Masters

5 CDs

Cecil Taylor

5 CDs

Mal Waldron

4 CDs

David Murray Octets

5 CDs

David Murray Volume 2

7 CDs

David Murray Volume 3

Interboogieology Live At Sweet Basil Vol.1 Children Live At Sweet Basil Vol.2 Southern Bells The Healers

6 CDs

 

Edited February 2, 2018 by mikeweil

[Misterioso]

I think all box sets are still available from their own website: http://www.camjazz.com/boxsets.html/.

[T.D.]

Any opinions on the Mal Waldron Volume 2 (11 CD) box?

I loved Volume 1, am considering Vol. 2 but am always wary of such large boxes. Four of the discs are essential (6 Monk's Compositions, the solo album and the 2 Lacy duets), and I'm sure I'd enjoy the trio album ("Colline"). The 2 discs with Chico Freeman and Enrico Rava respectively seem at least interesting, but I'd probably never listen to the 2 vocal albums (Kim Parker, Judi Silvano), and the 2 discs with David Friesen are complete question marks.