golfcrazy1984

If you like big band music and/or J.J. Johnson, get this NOW! The arrangements are great, the band(s) are FANTASTIC (comprised of first call NY musicians) and the remastered sound quality is STUNNING. Of the Mosaic singles, I like this and the 2 Duke Ellington ones the most. I might just order another one so I have a backup

What am I missing here? That's been a trusted source for forgetting a bad day. Or celebrating a good one.

Love the Basie Clef/Verve set! Especially the small group sides I have been listening to a little of the Ahmad Jamal set and a little of the Roy Eldridge set. I feel lucky to have this music! The Jamal is so classic, and of course the drive of Little Jazz, I am feeling inspired!

I've read other interviews and writings by Duke about his liking of Rock and Roll, but this is the most positive I've seen. Cool read!

Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Complete Solid State Recordings. Disk 2 "The Little Pixie". Great music, and it's damn hard to play!!!

Mel Powell single? When was that scrapped? I would get that in an instant!

It's gotta be Trane, based on the ideas, articulation, tone and time feel. I've heard this once before, but this is SO COOL! Beautiful playing. It sounds like a drummer might be in the same room with him, trading fours! Kinda sounds like Philly Joe..... Thanks for posting!

I prefer dark too, but I'll probably try it out when I go to Starbucks. Which isn't often, as the one closest to my house closed...

This is exciting news. That means an extra CD to an already very promissing set. :) Thanks for the heads up Hans!!!! I hope they don't raise the price of the set....LOL. I will gladly wait a few months for extra music!!! This will tie you over till Hawkins arrives. In Hawkins' interview by Paul Bacon and Bill Grauer for the Riverside record 'Coleman Hawkins a documentary' as printed in vol. 1 of the Jean-Francois Villetard Hawkins disco he says about Chu: Q: Who do you think at this time was a really good man on that? Hmmm... Chu. Chu was about the best. Yes Chu Berry was the best man around. I really am looking forward to this set. I wanted it since it came out, but had to bypass it in order to get a few OOP sets and other in print sets. The time has finally come

I read that one of Ellington's players in the 1940s left the band and slept for a year! I know it's an exaggeration, but still. I am tired after a week on the road, I can't imagine 3 years!

Complete Jimmie Lunceford Sessions Disk 4, I am really digging the musicianship and sound quailty that Andreas Meyer got on this set. I am really wondering what is going on with the Coleman Hawkins box set??!?! But I just got the shipping notice that the Chu Berry set will be mine soon!!! I can't wait.

I know that Benny Carter at a point late in his life stopped performing (playing his saxophone) for the public. He probably still did interviews, conducted, arranged for recording sessions. But I do know he put down his horn for good. Also, not a jazz musician, but Marcel Mule (saxophone prof. at the Paris Cons.) stopped playing the saxophone after his retirement from the Conservatory. He said that was the end of a chapter in his life, and from people that knew him, he was happy about it. I know if I go on a vacation after a few days, I sure miss my horn!!! I can see that if a player spent 30 years on the road, that they would want to retire from the road. But as far as putting the horn down, that would be hard to understand. Then again, I will never get to the playing level of the giants of jazz, and I know that as we age, our musical skill diminishes. Whether it be technical aspects of playing or creativity....there is a peak and I am sure that knowing that the playing isn't what it used to be would be discouraging. I know, for example, that Snooky Young played up till he passed away, but his playing diminished due to hearing loss and age. Just my two cents...

And just think if it came out when expected (mid-Nov.) I would already be wondering when the next set would be coming out I guess anticipation is half the fun But seriously, what's with the wait?!? I know that they found additional recordings, and maybe there are some problems there, but SERIOUSLY. I do sincerely hope it's not money problems though Thanks for the update Hans. In other news, my chronically backordered Chu Berry is shipping! I just got the notice this afternoon!!!! I know I am late to that party, but I am really looking forward to that set. I guess that'll have to tide me over. And I've never gotten around to ordering the Bing Crosby set....but that's for another post...

I have the set, and I LOVE Sarah Vaughan, but the set sits unplayed mostly. The Sarah+2 is remarkable!!! Also, the sound quality and booklet are SUPERB. There is a lot of Sarah and strings singing pretty syrupy songs.... The disk with Basie and Sassy is very good and an big improvement over the 1990s release, sound wise. Also the disk with Quincy Jones arrangements is great as well. With that said, I don't regret buying it. Listening to the Thad Jones Mosaic, Disk 2, "Going off Stage". Thad is great (arrangements and horn playing), the bands are tight, and what else can you say????

Just bought the XRCD versions of Lee Morgan's Tomcat and Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin', should be good! I've got the Hank Mobley and the improvement over the RVG version is remarkable. Much more analog and natural sounding. I am REALLY looking forward to listening!!!

Congrats!!! That's a hell of a set, and you'll be playing that for years!

It's hitting the Minneapolis jazz scene pretty hard. I just saw her a month ago when we were down at Jazz Central (NE Minneapolis jazz club) and she was her usual bubbly self. She was one of the best businesswomen in the Twin Cities, always hustling on the phone. Great singer and person. There will probably be a memorial in the near future, for all of the Minneapolis Organissimo fans.

WELCOME Delightfulee!!! I too followed the forum for a long time before joining. You'll find this a good place, lot's of passionate music fans and knowledgeable musicians here. I am listening to Duke Ellington Complete Capitol Recordings Disk 3. I think it's interesting to hear the band without Johnny Hodges (who accounted for a lot of the beauty and soulfulness of the band), Russell Procope gets in a great solo in Lady Be Good, it's astonishing actually. Duke's piano playing is very strong here. As is the trumpet section, it's stacked! All in all, a difficult time for Duke and his men, but the music is still quality Ellingtonia.

Holy #$&%&^ !!!!! Always liked that band. Jake Hanna and the bass player (haven't seen him before) really locked in. GREAT arrangement.

Artie Shaw Disk 7. Very tight band, good arrangements, and REALLY fine sound here. I think I've fully warmed up to Andreas Meyer's transfers/remastering. Really looking forward to the Coleman Hawkins set.

I took a jazz history course with Chuck Israels at Brooklyn College in 1974, and Chuck went on about how brilliant a soloist Thad was. He was talking in terms of melodic/thematic improvisers, who he felt were superior to artists who simply blew on changes, and I think the context was Monk recordings, where he said Thad and Newk were perfect for Monk's music, and he denigrated Charlie Rouse by comparison, IIRC. One of my favorite Mosaic boxes, actually. There really is some wonderful, tight, smart playing on that Thad Jones set, I love it ... but I am just on Dizzy disk one and he is in a class of his own! Dizzy is certainly in a class by his own. A true trailblazer and original. I haven't heard much about the Dizzy Mosaic set on here, but I like it, and Dizzy of course, steals the show.

Well....as long as it comes out. It went from late November, then to mid-December, then to January.... Hopefully everything is ok.

Thad Jones Complete Blue Note/UA Recordings, disk 2. The booklet mentions that Thad was like Bartok on trumpet, and I kinda agree. Truly a GENIUS, that didn't get his due credit in the 50s and 60s with Basie. Perhaps from insiders and jazz fans in the know, but the public and history books don't mention him that much. There isn't even a chapter on him in Stanley Dance's book....CrAzY! LOVE Thad's playing and composing. Billy Mitchell is a monster and the rhythm sections, well...Things Ain't The Way They Used To Be.... Maybe I gotta check some new music out....

Onzy Matthews Select Disk 1. It came up on my iPhone as I was listening to the iPod in shuffle mode, and decided to listen to the whole album! Cool arrangements and an AMAZING list of West Coast players. Great sound quality too.

ahhhh crap. I don't have it. I like the players on it, but has anyone heard it? Been diggin' it?