DrJ

Yeah, it's probably NOT the Mosaic, but I'm feeling lucky! If it was even $50 probably not worth the risk, but for the cost of a list price CD, worth a chance to me. As long as it's Jazztet in some way shape or form, it's cool. Also: isn't this one of those Mosaics that Universal is doing some production on as well (maybe for the European market primarily)? So I'm thinking if this IS the Jazztet box, it's that version.

Well hell, I took the risk and ordered. It's only 20 bucks (with shipping) and if it's just a single disc compilation of Jazztet stuff or something else relatively bogus, which it probably is (serve me right for trying to take advantage of a mispricing) it'll tide me over until I can afford the box from Mosaic (and will become road trip fodder for the car after that).

Yep, it was from that CD which has rocketed to the top of my "must purchase" list based on the tune I heard ("Love Song from 'Apache'") as well as your comments Late!

Already gots it. -_-

COMPLETE KEYNOTE vinyl set, 21 LPs, $180 on Ebay. Not a "steal" but a really good price, considering it's advertised as Mint/never played condition!

I just picked this set up for $180 on Ebay, mint condition (single owner, never played!). Only three bids were placed, lucked out (I had a max bid of $221). It's so wierd how Ebay works, there's another copy up for auction simultaneously, with another bit of time left that is supposedly only in "very good," more played condition that is already over $225 U.S. I don't get it, but I'm glad things went my way!

I like many mentioned here - OVERBROOK, FEELIN' IT TOGETHER especially. I also like that live date released by GRP in a short-lived Chess reissue series a few years back, AT THE JAZZ WORKSHOP (which combined original album COOKIN' THE BLUES with some previously unissued cuts. Some of the edgiest Moody I've heard, razor sharp.

There was a nice, fairly detailed piece about Hawkins on Scott Simon's Saturday AM show on NPR this week. Not only did I enjoy the piece, but they played a later ballad performance from one of his Impulse! recordings that I am now going to track down, beautiful.

Just catching up with this thread again. My problem isn't that there isn't variety enough to justify the Jarrett Trio's documentation (every one of the titles I have sounds different) but simply just that with all the other stuff out there to buy I can't keep up! Luckily with Jarrett being a good seller and ECM's policies these ought to be in print for a long time.

While I can't comment on the whole issue of LP versus RVG CD for this particular title, I can say that I do not understand anyone saying the RVGs have treble boosted. Compared with, say, most McMasters, they are way less splashy on the top end, sounding far more natural. In fact some have mentioned Rudy using compression (which I'm not convinced of), and if that's true it should in fact take out some of the high end and push everything toward the midrange. All I can say for sure is what my ears tell me - the RVGs (US at least) tend to sound far more natural than McMaster jobs on the high end (although I will say his more recent ones sound a lot better than his older CD remasterings). To my ears, the distortion issue with the RVGs is merely a byproduct of having really high resolution, well-done transfers. You hear greater sonic detail but you have to take with that some of the warts in the now aging master tapes that come with it, AND you also hear that Rudy tended to record everything "hot" (purposely) and so of COURSE there is going to be a little distortion once you have a modern transfer that's getting closer to vinyl in terms of resolution. It's akin to having a really good DVD/high res TV set-up and watching movies, you get incredible detail but of course you're also going to see the film grain. I'll take a little bit of distortion (or film grain) anytime to gain that level of detail.

Another board member brought this thread to my attention this AM, sorry that I hadn't seen it before. 1) One important point first: ABSOLUTELY go back to the doctor and do not leave until a) they give you reasonable time to ask questions and answer them and share their thinking and b) you get a clear idea of what the follow-up plan (including time frame) is going to be. With progressing symptoms, it's very important. I'm hugely, hugely dismayed to read the overall terrible impressions of physicians, no doubt many of them "well-earned" by the doctors in question. It's an embarrassment to the whole profession that there are still physicians out there who seem to go out of their way to make people feel like they are stupid for asking questions and who are incapable of communicating and sharing information. I hope everyone realizes that medicine is still more art than science. There are many cases where the diagnosis is not clear initially, and the workup so far actually seems reasonable in terms of the technical tests. The part of this case that's inexcusable though is the horrible way you and your family are being treated as people. In a case like this, where the diagnosis is not clear cut at first and there is going to be a need for follow-up and cooperation over time, it's just horrible, horrible medical practice to communicate that poorly, as well as rude and obnoxious. Man, honestly I haven't felt this low on a Monday morning in a long, long time. To see the actions of these assholes lead to people making sweeping and terrible generalizations about "the medical community" is so demoralizing. So, definitely, find another group of doctors to work with if at all possible. And as an aside to everyone: please don't let the actions of some of my moronic colleagues lead you to believe that nobody in medicine cares. A lot of us do, deeply. 2) I'm a generalist and so work up this type of symptom all the time and the differential diagnosis is vast. There's no way anyone can make a diagnosis without access to all the tests, doing a full physical exam, taking a careful history, etc. So I won't try and do that. But I would like to make a few general medical observations: - I'm not sure what on earth the test the chiropractor did was but it's not a standard physical diagnostic test. In fact I hate to say it but it sounds very dangerous - you NEVER want to provoke what could be the symptoms of circulatory blockage on an exam, if it truly for example is a problem with a carotid artery that could actually CAUSE a full fledged stroke. I'd stay clear. Some chiropractors are reasonable and stay within the bounds of the discipline, others are truly awful (just like MDs can be great or terrible). - Neck vessel ultrasounds ALWAYS include the internal carotids, in fact nobody really pays much attention to the externals because they really aren't usually associated with much significant pathology. However, the ultrasound is looking for fixed blockage, like plaque build up from high cholesterol. So a "normal" study doesn't rule out some other things. For example, if there is indeed a problem with compression from the outside of the vessel related to different head positions, then it might not show up at all on a static ultrasound. That can be diagnosed other ways, but hopefully a LOT more carefully than the chiropractor did it. It would however be extremely rare for someone in your wife's age range to have a carotid artery compression problem just show up all of a sudden, it just doesn't make sense. If you torque someone's neck hard enough, which puts traction on the cervical nerve roots, you can elicit just about any neurologic symptom, but that's not really the issue. BTW BOTH the internal carotid artery AND vertebral artery supply the brain, just supply different parts (vertebral goes to the "posterior circulation" and the carotid branches elsewhere). A vertebral artery problem COULD cause her symptoms but again I can't for the life of me figure out why it would just come on all of a sudden at rest. It just doesn't fit well, but they can ultrasound the vertebral arteries, too. - IF they can in fact rule out post-partum stroke, that would be the most likely circulatory thing in someone of her demographic and everything else becomes quite uncommon (vasculitis or inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain, for example). However, with her current symptoms I'm still not sure at all they have ruled ALL circulatory issues out - that's why the follow-up and re-evaluation you're arranging is so important. - About scanning - The "spot" on the MRI is all too common - this is why I continually have to explain to paitents that just ordering every test known to man for every symptom is a dangerous, dangerous game. Many like MRI end up showing what we call "incidentalomas" - little spots that don't have any medical consequence but freak people out and, worse, get us all down the wrong diagnostic path. I'm not saying that's the case here, might turn out to be important, but not at all unusual to have a "not fully normal" MRI that still has absolutely no important clinical ramifications. - Anyway, I believe neurologists were focusing on neurologic things like MS, which can occur in any age range and present very suddenly and abruptly and yet have relatively normal diagnostic testing because the circulatory problems are more rare and usually would have shown up on her initial testing. Still a re-scan can sometimes show the abnormality clearly even when the first didn't, so again follow-up is critical. - There are a lot of things that I can't fit in with others - for example, the bloodshot eye, that just doesn't really fit with anything unless her blood pressure was sky high and she had a subconjunctival hemorrhage AND a stroke at the same time. But that would be so rare. I wonder, has any type of rash developed on the face area that is numb? Shingles is "a great imitator" and before the rash pops up often all you get is numbness in the nerve root distribution affected. The eye region of the face is commonly a site for shingles and that COULD give you a red eye as the conjunctiva (lining of the eye) is often affected. It could also POSSIBLY radiate down the arm although again that doesn't fit well as it's a different nerve root distribution...so I'm quite stumped and again I am glad you are going back to some other doctors, definitely they need to lay on hands etc. - I don't think vitamin deficiencies etc are the way to look - those things cause insidious, gradual onset symptoms, not sudden things like your wife's. Others are asking questions about aneurysm, seizures, and those are the things I'd think of first (in addition to those listed above) given the symptoms and sudden onset. Aneurysm should have showed up on the MRI, though. Seizures can also be a "great imitator" and hard to diagnose, but EEGs and other things can help. - I am so, so sorry all this is happening. My thoughts are with you and yours as you work through all this.

Well I don't think the Miles sets really are the same issue - there Columbia/Legacy is issuing the CDs already so Mosaic is filling a different niche. To me this implies strongly that they can only make a reasonable business case for producing EITHER an LP or CD version of any particular box (not both), and they go with CDs in most cases because that's what MOST listeners are going to go for (despite the reasonable strength of the vinyl market). With Miles, they don't have to worry about a CD version and they do the LPs. Just a guess but it seems pretty logical.

I like Eddie's stuff on Milestone and the one on SharpNine he did too, overall solid. DARK SHADOWS especially is a real gem pretty much from start to finish. But does anyone else feel that sometimes the other dates are marred here and there by tempos that drag? There are times where the music cries out for a kick in the ass on what should be at least medium up tempos. It's one thing to take your time, but...

I think SONGS OF LOVE AND REGRET with Waldron is one of the more interesting duet CDs in my collection. Two real unique voices. I like THREE FOR SHEPP too but not quite in that same league. Anyway, I need more Brown.

Actually, very true Chuck! The few 78s I do have sound pretty remarkable indeed, surface noise aside. Lest it be misinterpreted, I'm not dissing Mosaic for CDs or anything, totally understand the reason for the conversion and I don't plan on replacing all my CD sets with LPs or anything. Knowing what an advocate Cuscuna has always seemed to have been for the die hard fan, and all he's done to get material out to same, I have to think he knew what he was doing (business wise) when he phased out vinyl at Mosaic. I'm sure that it could come back at some point if a business case could be made, but if it comes down to a choice between fewer sets being issued by Mosaic on vinyl versus more sets released on CD, I'll take the latter any day - since with newer Mosaic CDs the distinction compared with vinyl is much more subtle (getting to be pretty darn close). I was mainly talking about the earlier Mosaics, where there was a choice. Anyway, Chuck, while what you say about 78s is true, with the Commodore sets weighing in at 66 LPs (big enough pain as it is), no denying the major inconvenience for a relative newbie like me in trying to track down all those 78s!

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a vinyl fanatic, in fact when I can find CDs that sound as good or better I'm happy just for the convenience factor alone. But this discussion idea was stimulated by A/B comparing the sound on vinyl versions of some older Mosaics that I was fortunate to score in an auction recently at a very fair price versus CD reissues. The vinyl are all older sets of the early BN material - MORTON/HAMILTON SWINGTETS, QUEBEC/HARDEE, BECHET, HODES, DEPARIS/JOHNSON/HALL/DICKENSON, etc. I compared them mostly against the Japanese BLUE NOTE CLASSICS reissue series from the late 90's, many of which were quite hard to find and I was thrilled when I found them (and they were costly too, unfortunately). In a few cases there were also late 90's American reissues of stuff - e.g. Edmond Hall's PROFOUNDLY BLUE, part of that 1998 60th anniversary series - and a few 1994 dates like REMINISCING. Well folks, basically there is no comparison. On my tube system, which has a great phono stage, the vinyl smokes the Japanese CDs - which sound ever so tinny and dead by comparison (and also seem to have pitch problems, sounding a bit "sped up"). Not terrible mind you but the music really lives with the LPs. The vinyl also smokes all the early 1990s US stuff by a mile (by far the worst of the bunch - these sound so tinny it's painful). Even my CD-R burns of this stuff, done with an inexpensive Sony burner, are greatly superior to the "legit" CD reissues from these series. The 1998 60th Anniversary U.S. discs on the other hand are quite well done. There is probably even a bit MORE detail on these compared with vinyl - piano and guitar benefit most - but the trade off is a loss of warmth, particularly in the horns, greater high-end harshness on the same, and some loss of impact. So overall, vinyl still wins for me. I bring this up because these are my first Mosaics on vinyl. But now I'm kind of wondering if this hasn't been the best way to go all along. My guess is that it's simply a digital conversion issue - no matter how good the process, leaving the analogue domain seems to result in a major sonic compromise, and perhaps it's accentuated for material that is already not in the greatest sound. I find it remarkable that the vinyl sets are from the mid-80's mostly and yet here we are 20 years later and the technology for CD transfers still can't match 'em! Any comments on this? In particular, can anyone speak to the LP vs CD sound quality comparison for Mosaics of later (mid-50's and beyond) jazz? More of a coin toss?

This sounds intriguing, I have just begun exploring Humes through the stuff on the Lester Young Aladdin recordings 2-fer and even moreso her leader sessions in the BLUES, BOOGIE, and BOP: THE MERCURY 1940s RECORDINGS box. Very tasty vocal stuff. If I can get 5 minutes to pick it up sometime soon I will. BTW, do we get to hear Webster and Pepper SOLO on those tracks or is one or both mainly just doing section work?

Once you hear a few of the Prestige dates, start looking for a good deal on a used copy of the COMPLETE PRESTIGE boxed set...mark my words, you're going to want to hear ALL of it once you hear a little! The box is really not a bad deal, you can generally find it used for $80 or so if you look hard enough, and that's far less than you'd pay for each of the individual CDs (there's 15 or 16 of them that you'd have to get). Plus I think the remastering in the box is VERY well done and there's a great booklet. I bring up this body of work because you mentioned a little hesitance about going too far "out"...over time you'll follow Dolphy wherever he went is my guess, as your ears become acclimated, but during the Prestige years there is more overt grounding in the hard bop of the era.

This is one of those perfect, "everything was completely realized" albums. Many of Mobley's other dates I find just as outstanding in a different way - more highs and lows, going a little further outside the comfort zone, etc - but SOUL STATION is just a little self-contained bit of perfection. They all lock in to that early 60s hard bop groove and never let go, not even for a minute. Speaking of which, I'd be surprised if we don't someday see a Mosaic Select of the Mobley/Kelly 60's sessions given that ANOTHER WORKOUT has been off the market and doesn't seem a likely candidate for the RVG series (maybe a Conn I guess).

If these are the same transfers used for the big enchilada, the CENTENNIAL box, then I'd say "go for it" for sure. Be aware that I am in the "use little or no noise reduction and let the music breathe" camp when it comes to CD reissues of pre-tape era material like this. Some people groused about a lot of surface noise on some of the transfers from the Centennial box but I've never heard this stuff sound as full of life and present as it does now. I personally don't think the surface noise is bad at all anyway, although it's true there's more than on stuff that's been heavily processed (and as a result sounds completely morose). If even a little bit of surface noise drives you crazy, though, you may in fact want to look elsewhere.

Mosaic COMPLETE BENNY MORTON AND JIMMY HAMILTON BLUE NOTE SWINGTETS. I just lucked into this one at an auction recently. It sounds fantastic, far better than the Japanese reissue of this stuff on a CD from 1999 called SWING HI, SWING LO. No comparison. Even my CD-R burn SMOKES that one. Ah, the joys of pristine vinyl, a tube amp with a great phono stage, and a burner...

I would LOVE to see a Mosaic RCA Waller set...but given that all that stuff WAS on CD fairly recently in the U.S. (I tracked down all of them well after they were officially OOP, some new and many used so they are not hard to find) I would be very surprised if Mosaic took this on. Usually they tend to only do that if the CDs were import (from the U.S. perspective) and/or gray market type of productions. FWIW I also don't find the sound too bad on that American series, except maybe one or two of the earliest entries from that time when reissue programs in the U.S. were laying on NoNOISE and other processing heavily. But hell, I could be wrong, and I'd be delighted if they did it. If we're going to dream in this direction, then we might as well also add on a COMPLETE JELLY ROLL MORTON on RCA box too, the prior U.S. box was NOT in very good sound and the JSP set, while it sounds a lot better, has amateurish documentation at best.

Clearly still some functionality bugs to work out, but it sure looks nice...

There was another thread where a similar discussion occurred a while back, you may want to do a search to dredge it up. Short answer - CONFERENCE is a timeless masterpiece, the "one" to have. Of later Holland, certainly I haven't heard it all - all the stuff from the 80's/early 90's I've yet to check out - but for his more recent bag, I really feel POINTS OF VIEW is stellar, not quite up there with CONFERENCE but then again it's very different music. Everyone digs in hard on POINTS - Robin Eubanks puts on a trombone tour de force - and I much preferred the configuration of this group with Steve Wilson to the more recent one with Chris Potter, whose playing does very little for me. Partly for that reason and because it sounded compositionally like a retread, the follow-up to POINTS, PRIME DIRECTIVE, was a major, major disappointment to me and I've basically stopped following the group. I understand from some that the big band material is worthwhile but on listening to snippets in record stores I'm not convinced yet.

Musically, the Rosolino/Clark Bethlehem, for which Lon shows the cover art, is very solid but not either man's best day. This is one of those pairings that to me should have yielded far more dividends than it actually did.