Least Favorite Mosaic

[BruceH]

I also thought it sold out pretty fast - maybe indeed some people bought it for Mulligan and didn't except it to be what it is...

Hmm, I guess the expectations gap runs both ways then. Personally I see this band as more a logical extension of the Birth of the Cool band and less a "big band."

Whatever it is, I totally love it. (In fact I took to playing it so much that I took the individual CD jewel-boxes out of the big box, and they've stayed there.)

Edited November 27, 2008 by BruceH

[Chuck Nessa]

Not really the photos and notes. I miss having all the stuff I haven't got and my Apollo LP isn't too good anyway.

MG

Delmark has a dandy cd of the Jacquet Apollos - 23 tracks.

[tranemonk]

hmm.... some of my mistakes....

dinah washington set, chico hamilton come quickly to mind

[king ubu]

Wow, I love the Mulligan! Some of the best big band writing in the modern idiom that I've heard! Up there with the Clarke-Boland and Jones-Lewis bands!

I also thought it sold out pretty fast - maybe indeed some people bought it for Mulligan and didn't except it to be what it is...

Well the George Russell composition is good and that's about it.......and I think they repeated that twice. I am not an avid Mosaic buyer probably because I don't like overlaps and filler material. But the 3 Mosaic Selects I have(Pullen, Tolliver & Herman) are real fine and don't have alot of the excesses that the regular mosaic's seem to have.

If you are not an "avid Mosaic buyer" and apparently haven't had many Mosaics, why say that the regular Mosaics seem to have "filler material" and "a lot of excesses"? You're using pretty strong words for something you don't even seem to be sure about.

Well I go by alot of what people on this board say about Mosaic sets.......there are also sound samples on their site and if I don't hear any thing that impresses me I pass.....although I do have collectors tendencies I still buy primarily for the musical enjoyment......I don't COLLECT mosaic sets just for the sake of having them.....and I don't like the way that they do alot of their sets. #1. I have certain guidelines in mind when considering buying reissue type sets. EXAMPLE: I think the Gerald Wilson set is a classic example of what I'm talking about and alot of the comments on this board will attest to what I'm talking about concerning this set. #2. Filler material refers to excessive out-takes, bonus cuts that are below standard but are included for COMPLETENESS sake. EXAMPLE: the Herbie Nichols set......I don't need 2 to 3 takes of each song.

I don't seem to understand the point you make with regard to the Gerald Wilson. It contains 10 albums on 5 discs, one of those albums is rather weak, and another one or two may be disputed in their value (both opinions have been voiced on this board).

As for your second point, to some extent I agree, but then in the end with me, curiosity most often wins and I do want to hear those outtakes and unissued sessions, even if they weren't deemed succesful back in their day. Reissues (in general, of course, but even more so with a label such as Mosaic) are a historical thing.... and in today's perspective, often recordings (in the sense of documents) are of interest even if back in their day they weren't deemed worthy of release. Otherwise, I'd go for the Japanese approach of straight albums, no bonus tracks, no nothings (as adopted by Universal almost completely by now - to my regret).

And allow me to add: pointing out the Nichols is a rather weak example, Nichols' recorded output being so meagre, those really into his work will absolutely want to hear two (or in a few cases three) takes of his compositions. I'm sure there would be other sets (big band sets with too many vocal features and too many alternates of those, for instance) that would rather fit that point. But then again, your mileage may vary -

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Not really the photos and notes. I miss having all the stuff I haven't got and my Apollo LP isn't too good anyway.

MG

Delmark has a dandy cd of the Jacquet Apollos - 23 tracks.

Ah, I keep forgetting about that. That's all the Apollos, isn't it?

MG

[BruceH]

EXAMPLE: the Herbie Nichols set......I don't need 2 to 3 takes of each song.

I do.

[Quasimado]

For me, the only Mosaic box I bought that I dislike is the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set. I enjoy the Warne Marsh stuff, but Konitz to me is the audio equivalant of watching paint dry. The Tristano solo stuff was interesting to hear once, but I just can't get into it. This set gets no play anymore.

It's remarkable to me that someone can supposedly hear Warne Marsh but not appreciate Konitz and Tristano in any depth. Usually it's Marsh who is unappreciated ...

Q

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

For me, the only Mosaic box I bought that I dislike is the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set. I enjoy the Warne Marsh stuff, but Konitz to me is the audio equivalant of watching paint dry. The Tristano solo stuff was interesting to hear once, but I just can't get into it. This set gets no play anymore.

It's remarkable to me that someone can supposedly hear Warne Marsh but not appreciate Konitz and Tristano in any depth. Usually it's Marsh who is unappreciated ...

Q

The little Warne March I've heard had a very nice warm sound, whereas what Konitz and Tristano I've heard had a cold sound. That might be the explanation; not what they played, but the sound they made.

MG

[Face of the Bass]

So many to choose from. I've blind-bought quite a few Mosaics, and the ones I have done that for I pretty much always end up selling later on. There's a disappointing same-ness to a lot of their hard bop boxes, thinking here specifically of the Turrentine, Parlan, and Mobley sets. I didn't think the Stitt box held up very well, either.

I most often like the boxes that, at least to my ears, present a truly unique musical perspective or vision. So I love the Braxton box, love the Tal Farlow set, love the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set, and really dig the Ellington set as well. For me I'd say that Mosaic has a hit/miss ration of something like 25/75, whereby a quarter of their boxes will really stand "the test of time" (whatever that means), while the rest are mostly for completists who find themselves jonesing for a particular sound at a particular time.