Teagarden KING OF THE BLUES TROMBONE

[DrJ]

I have a line on the 3 LP Teagarden comp KING OF THE BLUES TROMBONE (Epic). Tea's discography is, to a relative newcomer like me, confusing to say the least.

Can anyone comment on how much (or little) overlap there is between this LP set and the Tea/Bix/Tram OKeh and Brunswick Mosaic set, which I plan to get eventually? I believe Sony owns all these labels' holdings (Epic, OKeh, Brunswick) and don't want to get the LP set if most of the material is in the Mosaic. Trying to piece it together at All Music and Mosaic, it appears there is at least some overlap.

[J.A.W.]

I have a line on the 3 LP Teagarden comp KING OF THE BLUES TROMBONE (Epic). Tea's discography is, to a relative newcomer like me, confusing to say the least.

Can anyone comment on how much (or little) overlap there is between this LP set and the Tea/Bix/Tram OKeh and Brunswick Mosaic set, which I plan to get eventually? I believe Sony owns all these labels' holdings (Epic, OKeh, Brunswick) and don't want to get the LP set if most of the material is in the Mosaic. Trying to piece it together at All Music and Mosaic, it appears there is at least some overlap.

As far as I know the Teagarden LP-set is included in the Mosaic (the usual disclaimers apply, though ). Here's the producer's note of the Mosaic set:

"This Mosaic release brings together all the masters from the OKeh and Brunswick label plus any other masters from the Columbia family of labels that have sessions led by Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer and Jack Teagarden. However, we’ve decided to stray from the vision a bit and include those Columbia masters of Bix and Tram where they are in the role of sideman as well. These include the Arkansas Travelers (A), Broadway Bell Hops (I), Willard Robison/Chicago Loopers (L), Bee Palmer (Y) and Bing Crosby (NN) (OO) sessions. We have decided not to include the Joe Venuti Blue Four session (with Tram) of October 18, 1929 (“Runnin’ Ragged” and “Apple Blossoms”), which will be available as part of a Venuti-Lang package on Mosaic. Brunswick masters that were recorded prior to November 17, 1931 are not included since they are currently under license with Universal / Polygram."

Edited November 28, 2004 by J.A.W.

[DrJ]

Thanks JAW, I saw that on the Mosaic site. However I know for sure that the Teagarden 3 LP set is not FULLY subsumed within the Mosaic, because it covers music up through 1940 while the Mosaic only goes up to 1934. So there are at least some tracks on the Epic 3 LP set not in the Mosaic, I am just trying to figure out how much non-overlap there is. It's really confusing because the Web sites I've found that have info on the Epic 3 LP set don't have complete info, so I'm having to guess based on comparing track lengths and titles with the Mosaic discography, which is a dangerous game.

[J.A.W.]

Thanks JAW, I saw that on the Mosaic site. However I know for sure that the Teagarden 3 LP set is not FULLY subsumed within the Mosaic, because it covers music up through 1940 while the Mosaic only goes up to 1934. So there are at least some tracks on the Epic 3 LP set not in the Mosaic (...)

Of course, you're right, I should have remembered that (I had the T-set back in my vinyl days). Sorry.

[DrJ]

No problem Hans, thanks for trying to help! Hopefully someone else will chime in.

[Chuck Nessa]

Muddying the waters with no real information and a faulty memory, I think the Epic set has a number of T's sideman sides not included in Mosaic. As I recall, the Epic box does not usually have "complete dates" and jumps around a bunch. Though it seemed "comprehensive" in the '60s, now it seems a 3 lp sampler.

[DrJ]

Thanks Chuck. Re: the Epic LP set being spotty, that was my impression too although my collection of early Teagarden is so inadequate right now that it would still fill it out some, at least for a while.

As an aside, it's interesting how the whole expansion of amount of material allowed by CDs and the "complete" boxed set boom has totally changed the playing field. Hadn't really thought about it until your post, but 3 LP sets used to seem VAST to me not so very long ago.

[Harold_Z]

The 1940 date is the Bud Freeman Famous Chicagoans date that appears on the Condon Mob Mosaic. Four tracks from that date are included and a number of 1939 tracks by JT and his orcherstra. The Mosaic goes to 1936 with Tram tracks featuring JT. At least the last 10 tracks are not included in the Mosaic. There are also some tracks in the beginning of the set that are not included in the Mosaic. It's funny...you are getting a complete SOMETHING with the Mosaic, but it's within parameters.

Dr. J. - imho It's worth having both sets - duplication is almost impossible to avoid, but some of the tracks are great for sure.

[DrJ]

Thanks Harold, very much appreciate the info. Sounds like it's worth it for sure especially because the price on the LP set is I think quite reasonable (20 bucks).

[J.A.W.]

Thanks Harold, very much appreciate the info. Sounds like it's worth it for sure especially because the price on the LP set is I think quite reasonable (20 bucks).

For that price I'd grab it, despite it being spotty.

[jazzbo]

I recommend grabbing it as well at that price. Sounds better than the cd version from Collectors Classics (or at least different), has some stuff not in the Mosaic I would not want to be without, and is fun to spin!

[Chuck Nessa]

Lon, I'm curious about the titles on the Epic, not on Mosaic, you would not want to be without.

[jazzbo]

The real honest answer is that I'm a Teagarden FANATIC and I want to have everything so that everything on this set that isn't on the Mosaic I want. I have a lot of other early material that is not on this set. . . because I love early stuff more and more as time goes by and I love early Tea.

For one I enjoy the Jimmy McHugh and Whoopie Makers and Jack Pettis and Goody and his Gooders etc. sides that open the Epic set. I have a lot of other Teagarden from the twenties and early thirties that I really like. . . just really fun stuff. I think I have him complete up to the forties. . . or I hope I don't because I'd love to find more!

[AllenLowe]

to digress slightly - does anyone know how the sound on the Collector's Choice CD differs fron the LPs (which are rather poorly mastered)?

[jazzbo]

It will probably depend on your system and aural tastes. . . I prefer to listen to the lps though Collector's Choice did a good job . . . . Still the cds could sound a little meatier.