HoytClagwell

I hate to disagree, but I've bought quite a few Mosaic's on eBay, and I've never paid anywhere even close to $50 a disc, record or CD. Some do go that high, hence the "eBay Madness" thread, but it's just that, the madness of auctions, and not the actual value. Sometimes I've gotten steals and other times I've had buyers remorse (Commodore's, I'm looking in your direction...) but I've found every set comes up more often than you'd think, and as long as you're willing to let it go, eventually you'll get it for a fair price. I would say around $60 to $75 would be fair for the Herbie Nichols set.

For me, Braxton is very much a mixed bag. I love some of the Black Saint records, but I've listened to other recordings (Leo comes to mind) that just seem like a bad put on to me. I try to always keep open ears, but a lot of it, I just can't listen to it all the way through. And the diagrams as composition titles always left a bad taste in my mouth. But, again, the Braxton I've enjoyed, I've really enjoyed. He's not on the list, but I'd throw Oscar Peterson out there as one that I could never really get into. I get why people like him, and he was obviously a hell of a player, I just don't enjoy his recordings for some reason.

Well, after I thought about it, I said a three disc set would be needless replication, so I agree we don't need another smallish set. The complete recordings from all the Columbia labels would be rather large, though, and I know it's not going to happen. It's just on the wish list, not something I expect to see. Eventually I'll collect all the Classics discs, but they're surprisingly hard to track down for reasonable prices.

Oh no, the Study in Frustration set is by far the best that's been out there, but I think it has two problems. It's incomplete and now out of print. I suppose a Mosaic Select on only three discs would sort of be needless replication. The Chronological Classics were great too, but also sadly out of print. So what's left are imports where I've had bad experiences in the past with sound quality and shoddy packaging. (Proper, History, etc.) What I guess I really want is The Complete Columbia, Vocalion and Brunswick Recordings, sort of like what Mosaic did with the Bix and Tram set.

Maybe you have a point. I always think of Mosaic sets as sort of bring something back from the dead, but I guess they have done their share of repackaging stuff that's already (mostly) available. I sort of have similar hopes for Fletcher Henderson's Columbia recordings to get at least a Select. I know they're already out there in different forms, but it would be nice to have a one stop collection with the best sound possible and good liner notes. I won't be holding my breath for that one, though...

I would go out on a limb and say there is probably close to zero chance that they'll make a set based on fan suggestion. If we've thought "Hey wouldn't it be great if ...'s recordings for ... Records were re-released," it's a pretty safe bet someone at Mosaic has had the same thought. I'm sure they've poured through every catalog they have access to, considering all the possibilities for future sets. I think it's extremely unlikely that one of us would make a suggestion that starts the proverbial wheels turning. Any resemblance between suggested and actual sets is probably just coincidental. You never know, though... With the MJQ suggestion, isn't most of their Atlantic material still in print?

Just looking at the reviews on Mosaic's site (which are normally so uncritical that they're completely useless) it seems like the Columbia set has quite a few detractors. I love small group swing, so I ordered it anyway. Based on everything I've heard about it, I don't expect it'll find it's way to my proverbial desert island list, but I'm hoping for solid and enjoyable.

The ironically named "brilliant box" jewel cases Mosaic uses are atrocious. The problem I have with them isn't the way the hinge swings, it's the way lip secures, actually snaps over, the CD too tight. With a normal jewel case, the Cd doesn't physically snap over anything to hold it in place, it slides onto it. With these cases, once it gets snapped in there there is no easy way to get it out until they get broken in a little. I've learned to wiggle them out safely now, but it's more trouble than it should be, and a couple of my discs have little stress marks from removing them.