gmonahan

One of the oddest things I found in this range of labels was the "Definitive" issue of the Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall set that Legacy had reissued. I have them both, and I have to say that the sound on the Definitive seems a whale of a lot better to me. There is less surface noise, but it doesn't seem to these ears as if the music suffers. It's weird because I had assumed that this was a typical Andorran rip-off, but it seems to have been remastered, and frankly, remastered *better* than the far more expensive, more hyped (and better documented) Legacy release. Did anybody else find this to be so?

I'd generally agree with this. I have a few Proper boxes--the Fats Navarro, the Sarah Vaughan, and the recent Jack Teagarden (I *had* to have his Decca version of "Body and Soul"!). I'd be interested in the Tubby Hayes because I have only one ancient Columbia cd by him. Is the material on the Proper box available in a better package elsewhere?

Oh yeah, that one is absolutely essential, as is the Complete Columbia set put out a few years ago. "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" is to die for.

I'm interested to hear about this one. How much of it does *not* duplicate the giant Mingus Debut box? I hesitated to get it because I wasn't sure there was much that I didn't already have on that one. How is the Mingus Debut box, for that matter? I think that is the only major hole in my Mingus collection. I like it. Debut was Mingus's own label (he operated it with Max Roach), so he had complete control over what he recorded there. He did some very interesting things. I'm particularly fond of the records he made with trombone choir. Mingus had a life-long fondness for trombones, and as an old trombonist, I sorta like that. It's a big box, though--12 cds worth! It's also an older box, so the remastering probably isn't as good as a more recent effort would be, but it sounds good to me, and it has one of those marvelous, big-format Fantasy-Prestige booklets.

I'm interested to hear about this one. How much of it does *not* duplicate the giant Mingus Debut box? I hesitated to get it because I wasn't sure there was much that I didn't already have on that one.

The two Nat King Cole Bear Family boxes. I got 'em for myself for Christmas. What an *amazing* variety of music on those two monsters!

I revived this thread to wish the great Frank Wess a happy birthday--85 today. He's one of those artists who never disappoints. I love his tenor, of course, but that flute--man, I do love his flute playing. Happy birthday Mr. Wess!

Oh, I don't know--those sessions really should get remastered. Maybe we should make the Revolution!

Yeah, it's hard going without food, shelter, and clothing. 'Course, I DO it, but it's hard!

My first Mosaic and my first box! That's 'cause it was THE first Mosaic and THE first Mosaic box! A treasured possession, even if Blue Note did reissue the music on a fine cd set a few years ago. Can't ever have enough Monk!

Oh man, you should know by now that when it comes to jazz, resistance IS futile!!

Love those lincoln logs. I had those! (tinkertoys too!) Showing my age, I *think* it was the old 3-LP set that accompanied George T. Simon's book The Big Bands. Or maybe it was the old 3-LP Ellington Era boxes; memory fails. Or the original Goodman Carnegie Hall concert?? Still have all those. I'm a hopeless pack rat. The Big Band set was unusual in including individual LPs from Columbia, Victor, and Decca--rare case of "inter-label" cooperation back then.

How does it (and others) compare to the Lomax book included in the recently issued box? Apples and oranges?

Thanks! I'd asked this question some time back, but I continued to keep an eye out for a reply. I looked up the Lomax book on Amazon, and you can get a used copy pretty cheaply--a lot less than the price difference between the newer and older boxes--just in case you don't yet have it and want it! I'm definitely going to have to get the set.

Count me in. I've been bugging them about doing a big band set forever. I'm waiting to order the small group set, though--I just bought the Bear Family Nat Cole sets for myself for Christmas, and my checking account is yelling at me!

Like that's possible. The pain of digging through all of Crouch's BS to find actual nuggets about Bird we haven't seen is too awful to contemplate. Volume 1? Lord help us....

Neither would I. That's why I have the 10-cd set! (And the Decca set and the Commodore and the Columbias!) And there absolutely IS some great Billie during this period--especially the stuff with Sweets. But there is also some pretty *awful* Billie during this period, which is why I'd hesitate to invest more money in yet another reissue.

How *does* the sound compare? I've got the 10-cd set, and I'm not much interested in upgrading unless there's a pretty good-size difference! Likewise, it's become kind of a cliche to say that Billie's voice could sound pretty ragged on the Verve stuff sometimes, especially compared to her earlier work, but I have to say it's one of those cliches that's kind of true.

Now, THIS is a guy I would have had fun talking to almost as much as I've already enjoyed hearing him on records. A sad loss.

I'd definitely go for an Art Pepper Complete Contemporary box. We've had most of the rest of his catalog in nice boxes for a while.

I think you mean Contemporary. I have virtually all of his available recordings on Contemporary, and they are uniformly top-notch (and have that wonderful Contemporary sound). And don't limit yourself to just the trio stuff, with his wonderful quartet recordings, e.g., 3 "All Night Session!" volumes--with Jim Hall on guitar, "Four!" with Barney Kessel on guitar and Shelly Manne on drums, and "For Real!" with Harold Land on tenor and Scott LaFaro on bass. A non-Contemporary Hawes trio date I really like is "Blues For Bud", which was recorded in Europe in the late 60's and is available on the 1201 Music label (it was originally on Black Lion) here. And one last trio CD not to be overlooked is "Bird Song" on OJC--a couple of terrific sessions from the late 50's not released until 1999. See here. Yes, absolutely, it was Contemporary. Sigh. When I start confusing labels like that, I sometimes think I should hang it up! Thanks for the recommendations on other Hawes. I'll check those out!

It's taking me a fair amount of (wonderful!) time to get through my Concord haul. How on earth did I miss Hampton Hawes??! I've been listening to three cds of his piano playing, including the wonderful Trio, Vol. 1, and he could really move on piano. I'm SO glad I got those cds! Caused me to go in search of more, especially the trio stuff he recorded for Prestige.

Was this material reissued on the mammoth 24-cd Centennial box? Yes, Greg. "RCA 22/15" quote means "RCA Centennial Edition, disc 22, track 15" Sorry--didn't get the code! Thanks for the quick response!

Concert at the Civic Arena. Jazz Piano Workshop. Duke Ellington & Earl Hines: Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, p; Larry Gales, b; Ben Riley, d. TPA3356 RCA LPM-3499 RCA:22/15, L&R:1/15.2 and SDT:19 House Of Lords -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I devoted my radio show to her on Sunday. Played a couple of the Krupa and Kenton things, then concentrated on the great Mosaic Verve set. I thought about playing something from "Indestructable," her last record, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I guess I wanted my listeners (it's a very small college station) to hear her in her prime, and frankly, that last record is pretty painful to listen to. She really was a great singer, and that Mosaic set is a prize.