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Universal Music Italia box sets


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Here's what it says on the Coltrane box:

(P) 2011 © 1991 Fantasy Inc. Prestige Records, Tenth & Parker, Berkley, CA 94710, All Rights Reserved.
Made in the EU. LC 15025, Universal - Universal Music Group International.

That'd mean the box was produced by Fantasy originally, and that it has been released in Europe by the international branch of Universal, which is based in London. From what I've seen, this would be a Europe-only release, hence an import in the US and Japan.

From what a friend's told me, boxes like the Jarrett, with a © line referring especifically to Italy, would mean a product for the local market which can also be exported to others. In practical terms, this would normally imply fewer units manufactured.

I guess it's essentially just a european scaled-down reissue of the old box ... probably european-only due to PD.

And yeah, I guess indeed the new "Chronicle" might be the same.

Given that these guys own the masters they're releasing, I don't think it has anything to do with PD, Ubu.

F

Actually it might. Since these packages are being manufactured and marketed in the EU, they might avoid contractual obligations from the US. Just wondering.

My guess is that you are right, and that it would have always been the case for euro-releases. I really don't see Universal et al. handing over money they don't have to.

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That's exactly what I meant re: PD. I don't see a profit-based corporation paying for something they don't have to. Not in this world, not in this time.

And that would explain why it's a European reissue (instead of them just re-pressing the old Fantasy box, like they did with a few others, Wes M., Bill E. Riversides, I think? those where high-price editions) that has to be imported elsewhere (and actually shouldn't be sold in the US at all, I guess - but there it goes again ...).

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I guess it's essentially just a european scaled-down reissue of the old box ... probably european-only due to PD.

And yeah, I guess indeed the new "Chronicle" might be the same.

This sort of reminds me of European vinyl box sets (pressed in Germany) of Bill Evans and T. Monk that I bought at a Munich store of Zweitausendeins around 1983. They were solely European Riverside compilations - obviously special licensing issues applied. Damn low price as well !

Edited by sidewinder
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I just asked my friend - will report back when he replies.

He bought the set from jpc.de (upon my recommendation), where they have a Concord blurb (the reduced price has been like that for months, but they say they don't have it in stock ... still worth a try I'd say):

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/jazz/detail/-/art/John-Coltrane-1926-1967-The-Prestige-Recordings/hnum/1988951

Does this box offers something more to somebody having the three recent Concord boxes (Fearless Leader, Interplay, Side)? Thanks!

NB: go to jpc via the Demis Roussos shop and you get 5% discount to all purchases: http://www.demisroussos.info/shop/shop.htm

Edited by Alexandros
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I just asked my friend - will report back when he replies.

He bought the set from jpc.de (upon my recommendation), where they have a Concord blurb (the reduced price has been like that for months, but they say they don't have it in stock ... still worth a try I'd say):

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/jazz/detail/-/art/John-Coltrane-1926-1967-The-Prestige-Recordings/hnum/1988951

Does this box offers something more to somebody having the three recent Concord boxes (Fearless Leader, Interplay, Side)? Thanks!

No, those three combined have the same contents as this box, and they are better presentations of the material.

Edited by felser
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Yep, I agree ... though as I mentioned I'm still tempted by the "all in one" package in order to have it all in chronological order (does the 16 disc set also omit the handful of cuts sans Coltrane from "The Cats", the Draper album, the one w/Lady Q? anyone knows, I'd need to bether my friend again, but he's usually away from his CDs over the weekend, so ...)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got the 2013 reissue of "Chronicle" (not sure if it really came out last year, don't think so, but that's what it says).

As expected, it has the full boklet - obviously CD-sized only, but still ... as usual with these Fantasy boxes, some credits, then a list of all (?) musicians, followed by four pages each of tracklisting and line-ups, dates etc (incl. a note by OK, the producer), followed by a double-page song index. Then we get Dan Morgenstern's essay and his session notes, too. I'd say 60 pages in all, some b/w photos in okay-ish quality (not great, but well, what do you expect, it's cheap after all).

from the box's bottom (it has a bottom in which you put the eight discs and the booklet and then a top to close it, pretty sturdy cardboard and tight enough that the bottom part holding the contents shouldn't fall out, I hope):

(P) 1987 © 2013 Concord Music Group, Inc. 100 N. Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Made in the EU. LC 15025. 0888072342309

Whatever ... I'm glad to have it, although most of the sessions herein I've bought three times by now ...

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I considered the Bird, but yesterday I went for the 3 CD tin can Master Take set. It is supposed to sound very good, and it would be nice to have at least some Charlie Parker surpassing the earlier stuff in sound quality.

I'm still considering the Clifford Brown Emarcy, and Billie Holiday and Bill Evans Verves.

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Not sure at all, but might not the Verve Master Editions - where they exist with Brownie and Billie - be more to your taste? With the Evans, there's so much good stuff in the box that's impossible to finde otherwise, it really is a no-brainer if you don't have the ol' rusty one.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Bumping this up. I've been updating the list in the first post as new (minor) info came in, but I just found a link with a message from Universal Music Italia regarding these boxes in general and, interestingly, the booklets. It seems that the Complete Brownie, Complete Bird, and both Ellingtons have complete booklets, as in their earlier full-priced versions.

F

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The Brownie is, I can confirm that - has been confirmed here as well, I think, but I know from a few others (on another discussion board) who bought it.

Which Ellington do you mean, the "Early Ellington", I presume?

Looks like with their own (i.e. GRP/Verve/Universal) sets they do include full booklets when they're not as huge as the ones of the original Lady Day or Bud Powell or Bill Evans boxes ... it seems the Keith Jarrett box also contains the liner notes and photos of the original two smaller sets.

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From their website

E in alcuni casi sono stati riprodotti i booklet originali delle prime versioni dei box più "storici": è il caso di Charlie Parker (100 pagine), Clifford Brown (80 pagine), Ellington - Carnegie Hall (48 pagine) e del box di prossima uscita con l'integrale delle incisioni ellingtoniane Brunswick e Vocalion del periodo 1926-1931 (60 pagine).

Both Ellingtons, although I have no idea about the previous versions of the Carnegie Hall concerts.

The Complete Bird carries a 100-page booklet that looks like a facsimile (design, typeface) of the original produced by Verve/PolyGram.

F

PS Yes, the Jarrett contains the same texts as the old versions.

Edited by Fer Urbina
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I got the Basie Deccas and the Ellington Brunswicks and Vocalions and they have full booklets. They're not new, though, they reprint the 92 version.

Thanks. I've updated that, the Billie Holiday (no liner notes), and Miles's Chronicle as described by Ubu.

F

Edited by Fer Urbina
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  • 1 month later...

Eric Dolphy - His Prestige/New Jazz Albums (11 CDs)

(0600753381793, Universal Music Italia, 2012)

This set is going for $50.99 at Import CDs and even a little bit lower on eBay from the same seller, and also Movie Mars. Lowest I've seen it yet.

Thanks for the tip. Import CDs also has the Keith Jarrett and Charlie Parker Italian Universal boxes; they probably also have the others in the series.

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  • 4 months later...

should start a dedicated Nino Rota thread sometime but meanwhile, though not 'boxed' there's a recent, terrific three 2-cd Rota series on Decca that 1) I imagine someday they will be and 2) if you don't care to wait--

http://www.amazon.it/Orchestral-Works-Vol-1-Nino-Rota/dp/B00B9YDT18

http://www.amazon.it/Orchestral-Works-Vol-2-Nino-Rota/dp/B00D052BUO

http://www.amazon.it/Nino-Rota-Orchestral-Works-Vol-3/dp/B00FMEKK7C

0002894810284_600.jpg

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