JSP hits new low

[John L]

In past years, I had a lot of respect for the JSP label. They invested in high quality remastering, including that of John R.T. Davies, and in making classic early jazz recordings available in the best sound at a fair price during a time when few other labels had such an interest.

As you may have noticed, the market has become flooded by JSP sets recently, although most of these sets differ little from the products of labels like Proper and Definitive that exploit the liberal copyright laws on the continent. The remastering on many sets is no longer first generation. Still, they are making great music in good sound quality available at a very low price.

But yesterday I saw the new 5-disc Bunny Berigan set, and really couldn't believe my eyes.

As most of you know, Mosaic records recently made a very special investment in Bunny Berigan, tracking down many "lost" tracks of Berigan as a sideman, performing a suberb job of remastering, and issuing a 7-disc set that provides the most comprehensive portrail of Berigan ever assembled.

Now a five disc JSP set hits the market that is nothing but a reissue of the Mosaic set with a number of alternate takes eliminated. They not only stole the music, but the track selection as well. This looks to be just blatant theft. You would think that they would be a little more subtle.

Anyway, I think that I am going to stop buying JSP sets for a while.

Does anybody know what happened? Did the management change?

[J.A.W.]

Here's a post by "Montgomery Cleft" in a thread on "The Devil's Music", a blues forum; scroll down for the paragraph where he discusses JSP. It might shed some light on the issue. Edited April 17, 2004 by J.A.W.

[jazzbo]

So what's the story on the Calloway discs? Were these done FOR JSP? Reissues of earlier volumes?

I agree that it appears a new low blow re: the Berigan set.

[Brad]

I saw a very low priced JSP Charlie Christian set recently. Is that one worth picking up or if I have the recent box that came out, should I skip the JSP box?

[jazzbo]

The JSP Christian set is all live material.

Would be funny if they boosted all that stuff from the sets put out by those other pirates, Definitive Records.

[Pete C]

The Christian airchecks & jams set is excellent, and the Minton's & Monroe's material with Dizzy, Monk etc. is in the best sound I've ever heard it.

[montg]

What I find perplexing is that sets like this are so readily available in the US. They're openly sold here--is thel aw being broken everytime they're bought and sold in the US?

[Chuck Nessa]

The law is broken by the importers. You can't expect all retailers to check the "legality" of every item they buy, but they may be culpable. Some retailers and importers have been responsive to letters from lawyers and it seems Jazz Factory has stopped pressing the Mingus record (at least it no longer shows up on the Blue Moon site). The problem is the cost of getting a law firm to do this is greater than the "potential" money saved. The creeps count on this.

On the other hand, I understand it is hard to resist some of these packages. JSP's package of Son House, Furry Lewis, Bukka White, Ishman Bracey and Tommy Johnson keeps calling to me. SHIT!

[JSngry]

And do you?

[Chuck Nessa]

Yup.

Hey, I'm a guy who's lost 50 pounds since March. Now if I can stop smoking.

[Stefan Wood]

Chuck, you stop smoking and that weight goes right up again!

Back to JSP, I have a Louis Jordan set that is teriffic. Mastering is great, but now I wonder if any of it came from the Bear Family set.

[J.A.W.]

Back to JSP, I have a Louis Jordan set that is teriffic. Mastering is great, but now I wonder if any of it came from the Bear Family set.

Rumor has it that they "borrowed" it from Bear Family.

[John L]

What I find perplexing is that sets like this are so readily available in the US. They're openly sold here--is thel aw being broken everytime they're bought and sold in the US?

Yes, you would think that it would make sense for record companies to pool resources and at least go after the larger music chains.

Here in DC, for example, Tower records always carries a complete line of the JSP sets.

Since the prime Maria Callas catalogue is now coming into the public domain in Europe, I know that EMI is very interested in taking action to at least protect the US market.

[Pete C]

Yes, you would think that it would make sense for record companies to pool resources and at least go after the larger music chains.

It's hurting companies like Mosaic perhaps, but my guess is as far as the majors are concerned, jazz & blues sales are so insignificant to them in the scheme of things that they probably don't think it's worth the effort. They'd rather go after adolescents for downloading Britney.

[BruceH]

What seems amazing to me about JSP is how they used to do "authentic" high-quality sets (the Django, etc.) and then all of a sudden started flooding the market with quickie rip-offs. Quite a change, and sad.

[Philip]

JSP has changed hands several times in recent years. The John RT Davies/Ted Kendall transfers were first available a decade and more ago at full price.

[ghost of miles]

A friend of mine was telling me this morning about a forthcoming Hoagy Carmichael JSP box, and I mentioned the Berigan set and our suspicions to him... He says he's heard that the owner of JSP is so angry about being ripped off himself (by Jazz Factory, Definitive, etc.) that he's just basically said, "Screw it." Sad if true.

[tatifan]

The FIRST Django set is great, and contains legit transfer work, and material not reissued to death. So, on that basis I picked up the 2nd volume when it came out, and discovered EVERY track was in the Mosaic set of a few months before. Not only that, but to me the sound was a clone, which to me equals ripoff since Mosaic was first, and I didn't see any credit to either EMI or Mosaic.

Well, at least they don't ripoff someone else's work, and try and screw it up a little so it sounds "different" to cover up the source of the ripoff (i.e. Definitive).

[Joe]

Disappointing, if not terribly shocking, news about JSP.

[EKE BBB]

Any information on their upcoming 4 CD set "The Paramount Masters 1924-1932"?