gmonahan

Excellent list! But I didn't see this one: 74321 29880-2 Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson - An Afternoon at Birdland. It was released in the Jazz Classics series in 1995. The original album came out on Victor's "X" label as LXA-1040. I'd never heard of it before I found it in a used cd store in Paris a few years ago. Cool album.

The key is to take out the cds and store the box away somewhere. I discovered years ago that I never listened to all my boxes because they were too much of a pain to get out and put back. Once I started shelving them like regular single cds and storing the boxes, I listened to them a lot more. It's a terrible sacrifice for you not to listen to those songbooks, Chuck! That is some *great* music!

It's certainly the best of her Decca material. Larkins has to be just about the most underrated pianist in the history of the music, and he was a perfect accompanist. Definitely prime Ella!

Have a look at this: Bill Chase He was a fine trumpeter.

Does this answer the question? In this four disc set,Mosaic has gathered all of Pres' solo efforts made with Count Basie in a series of classic recordings from the Columbia family of labels. In addition to all the Basie small group and big band sessions with Pres's solos, ... perhaps it does, if it means incomplete sessions because on certain tracks, Lester is heard only in the ensemble, then that'll be a real pity. I'd really want a complete Basie Coulmbia set. Do we need another incomplete set ? I'd don't know this music well enough to know if this approach would lead to incomplete sessions being issued. It certainly has happened on the Chu set where a fair number of sessions are abbreviated where Chu isn't heard enough to merit inclusion in the set under his name. Yeah, I have to confess to feeling just so-so about this set. Definitive has issued two very thinly documented (no surprise there) complete Basie Columbia sets (actually more than two), I have the great 70s Columbia 2-fers *and* the Basie 4-cd Columbia *and* the Christian set, so this one doesn't make my heart beat faster. The unissued tracks are attractive, but I wish Mosaic wouldn't cherry-pick like this. I'm with those who'd love to see a *properly done* complete Basie Columbia set. Now, THAT would be a box!

Will they do this automatically for everyone who ordered the set, or will we need to contact them individually? I don't want to overwhelm their email box if I don't have to!

I got it too and have to confess I'm not as fond of it as I hoped I'd be. He plays a *lot* in the upper-most register of the instrument, and I find that sometimes gets a bit on my nerves. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Count me among those who always loved his playing. I particularly liked the last trios he recorded at the Blue Note on Telarc, but my favorites will always be the "Satch and Josh" recordings with Basie on Pablo. His solo on "Jumpin' at the Woodside" is still a pure joy to hear. To my ears, he swung harder than any other pianist I ever heard. And I also love Monk, who really disliked him. Different styles. Vive la difference!

Everyday Music has pretty well put most Portland used cd stores out of business. Too bad. I liked Django's too. It was a funky store! I find most of my used stuff through the various sellers that operate through Amazon and Half.com now.

Right, I figured that... Along w/the post-war indie labels, I'd like to know more about Alamac! It would be interesting, too, to compare and contrast the post-WW II indies with the post-WW I labels like Gennett, Okeh, Cameo, the original Columbia, and others. I remember that slew of cheap Alamac LPs filling the sales bins of rack stores back in the 70s. I bought a few of them, though frankly, I figured it for a classic fly-by-night, get-em-out-get-the-bread-and-get-out-of-the-country label! Was it legit?

Sorry dude, didn't mean to cause undue consternation. *I* am still trying to recover from the fact that he's 67. I guess I should really try and figure out who that old guy is who stares at me in the mirror each morning!

Give me those great Mainstream records by him and Bob Brookmeyer any day of the week. They are just great FUN to listen to, and the two of them played so well together. And "Oscar Peterson Plus One." He was working that day. Happy Birthday, C.T.

These are a great place to start. Mel's solid musicianship and Paich's ingenious charts are a great match. I was put off by the hipster thing for a long time, but about 30 years ago, a fan turned me on to "Live at the Maisonette", which I really liked. The cat can really sing! Aside from a few 60's albums on which Mel was forced (?) to sing a few inappropriate tunes like "Secret Agent Man", Mel's catalog is quite strong. In his later years, the voice was not quite as supple, but the style is intact. I like all of his Concord records. Recently on YouTube I saw an early 70's TV performance on which Mel sang the Paul Williams song (made famous by the Carpenters) "I Won't Last a Day Without You". I'd never paid much attention to the song, but I gotta say Mel nailed it! He hits and holds a note at the end that took my breath away. BIG fan here! He sang "I Won't Last a Day without You" on the excellent, if short, album he did with Buddy Rich ("Together Again--For the First Time") That one was reissued by Jazz Heritage a few years ago. Like "Torme" that I mentioned earlier in this thread, it was originally put out by Gryphon, which was an RCA label, I think. Torme and Rich were evidently close friends. The version of "Blues in the Night" on that album is cool. I'm with you, Jack...as usual!

I try not to hold a great talent's personality against him. I might not own a lot of music if I did! I've always really liked Mel's voice. He took good care of it throughout his life. Some records that haven't been mentioned: "Live at the Maisonnette" on Atlantic and a bunch of records for Concord including "Velvet and Brass" with Rob McConnell, and "Reunion" with Marty Paich. I'm less fond of the Shearing collaborations than of other material he did for the label, but those are still fine. I also like "Torme" a record originally recorded for Gryphon, if memory serves, with some nice work from Phil Woods.

Cool bike!

Could you supply any details on this Jazzbo? I guess I'd just assumed this was nothing but a compilation of stuff that had already appeared in the previous volumes of the series.

Personally, I'd rate the Cole Porter and Duke Ellington song books as at least as good as the Gershwin set, which was very fine. One of the nicer aspects of Ella's treatments of these songs is that she always sang the verse. It's one of the features that so excited the composers who were still living when she recorded them.

You'll love it. It's a phenomenal set! Oh yeah. I consider it one of the anchors of my collection. Ira Gershwin was so excited that Ella was going to sing his songs that he re-wrote a few for her, and Berlin bothered Grantz so much they didn't even tell him they were going to do his until after it was done. I think many (even a Sinatra-phile like me) would consider Ella's versions to be definitive. Enjoy!!!

Give 'em a call and find out!

Yeah, well, Miles could be pretty rough in Blindfold tests. It's true that the timings on that particular album are fairly short, but the music is cool.

Also this Some of the Amazon reviewers are down on the set, and for someone with a lot of Bennett, it wouldn't be much of a deal, but for those wanting to start big, it's a good deal, especially used!

Did anybody catch the Clint Eastwood American Masters special on Tony? Some great performances in that! It got me turned on to his music, and I found the relatively recently issued 13-cd box for a good price on Amazon. Anybody want to offer a list of their favorite Bennett? I find I really like "I Wanna Be Around...," his follow-up to the more famous San Francisco album.

If you'd seen any sizeable number of pics of the French early to mid-60s youth (e.g. the then-current French rock'n'roll/beat bands and their fans) you wouldn't say that ... Anyway, the cover pics of the JiP series are fantastic throughout and in many cases capture the atmosphere of the times (and the music) perfectly well, though sometimes they ought to have used pictures taken more at the time the music was recorded and not that long before or after. And I'd sure like to have that cinema wall publicity seen on Jazz and Cinema Vol. 5!! :D That would be something ... It is SUCH a cool series. I'm addicted to it and I really love the period photos. I read somewhere that Universal swore they were finished after they issued the last batch, but I continue to hope it will continue! They are issuing an 8-cd box set of Chet Baker in Paris, but that's not part of the Jazz in Paris series (and it will include the Baker volume in the series).

Thanks for the enlightenment. I think I'll pick through the albums instead. Actually, I have to say that this was one of the best Mosaic boxes I've gotten, and I have a lot of 'em. Maybe it's because I wasn't that familiar with the Jazz Crusaders when I got it, so I got to enjoy the surprise factor, but I really dig their music. It led me to get the live sets too, but I have to admit I kinda like the studio stuff better. Go figure.

I got the Onzy and the Cohn/Newman/Green selects. Love the latter, but I have to confess that the Onzy mostly leaves me cold, and I love big band stuff from that period. Individual tastes I guess. Looking forward to the Hampton, the Quincy Jones (hey, I liked that band!), and especially, the Herman Phillips!!