A Musing on Mosaic Box Sets

[paul secor]

"A Mosaic box set is a unique, encompassing experience. It is long weekend afternoons of listening and reading and staring at old photographs in the large booklet that supports every full-scale Mosaic collection. It is picking the discs out of their cases one at a time and painstakingly cross-referencing the personnel for each session, sorting through the alternate takes, tracing a thread of history through details of discography. It is an immersion, not only of many hours of music, but also in that music's story. And it brings an artist back to life out of the mists of time."

From Thomas Conrad's review of the 'Complete Verve Roy Eldridge Studio Sessions, Stereophile - September, 2004.

I wanted to share this. It captures the way I like to experience a Mosaic box set. Unfortunately, I rarely have the time to allow this experience to occur.

Any thoughts from others?

[vibes]

That's a point of view. Listening to any box set like that would drive me crazy, personally. I don't have the attention span to spend that much time on one artist (or even one thing). And as for the booklets and the pictures, well, I haven't read most of the box set booklets I have. I just try to enjoy the music without turning it into an academic experience.

[Jazz Kat]

The pictures and books are great! Cd's are 98.9% of what I read. I'm getting jazzed about these Mosaics, I wonder what one will be my first.

[Aggie87]

Cd's are 98.9% of what I read.

I admire your enthusiasm for the music, which I think most of us here share. But if this is all you're reading, you are seriously missing out. There's a wonderful world of fiction/non-fiction/poetry/classic lit/contemporary out there, just waiting to blow your mind. Hell, start with some graphic novels or something if books don't jazz you too much.

[wolff]

I have received 3 Mosaics recently: Clifford Brown, Art Pepper and Buck Clayton Jam Sessions.

I make the time to do what the reviewer mentions.

I consider it a much better experience than single albums.

I do not feel reading the booklets, for the different types of info available, is an academic experience.

It was very pleasurable reading the Clayton booklet while listening to the music. Following along the solos list(with short explanations), reading why Woody Herman was there, etc., all added to my experince.

Edited April 17, 2005 by wolff

[Late]

There's a wonderful world of fiction/non-fiction/poetry/classic lit/contemporary out there, just waiting to blow your mind.

Tangent: Yesterday, I was at a café with my wife. We were leisurely drinking coffee, writing some letters, and reading the paper while it rained and rained outside.

In walks this very mod-looking, Betty Paige type college girl, replete with the proper tattoos — nothing too unusual for a college town (especially here). I noticed on her shoulder bag a button. It read: READING IS SEXY.

First time I'd ever seen anything like that. Made me (quietly) laugh.

(OK, back to Mosaics ... )

[Aggie87]

I apologize for my earlier thread-crap, since it didn't really relate to Mosaics, but I still stand behind it.

I try to read with my kids every night, stimulate their thinking, imagination, and creativity. I know music can do this as well - it does for me. But I also think that kids should be challenged by reading - the benefits are worth far more than the effort it takes to sit down and spend some quiet time with a book (or in ol' BNBB/Hardbop terms, a "tome" ).

In some ways this might help improve the poor attention span that seems to exist in younger folks today (which also may be partially causing the dumbing-down of popular music as well?).

Done with thread-crap #2...

[desertblues]

I agree with the Stereophile reviewer, but like Paul don't find as much time for this as I'd like to (and I'm retired!)... B-)

[jazzbo]

Oh how I remember how thrilled I used to be to have a Mosaic booklet in my hands and spin disc after disc of a set. . . .

I'm so jaded now!

No, I have more demands on my time and less interest in just sitting and pouring through discogrpaphic information and someone else's impressions of the music. I just breeze through liners now and I listen to the music. . . . I love to get a Mosaic set and spend a week spinning the discs. . . . It's still a big deal!

[A Lark Ascending]

In walks this very mod-looking, Betty Paige type college girl, replete with the proper tattoos — nothing too unusual for a college town (especially here). I noticed on her shoulder bag a button. It read: READING IS SEXY.

First time I'd ever seen anything like that. Made me (quietly) laugh.

Are you sure she wasn't indicating a lust for a town to the west of London?

On second thoughts, I lived there for three years. This is most unlikely.

[sidewinder]

Very !

[Ron S]

In walks this very mod-looking, Betty Paige type college girl, replete with the proper tattoos — nothing too unusual for a college town (especially here). I noticed on her shoulder bag a button. It read: READING IS SEXY.

First time I'd ever seen anything like that. Made me (quietly) laugh.

Are you sure she wasn't indicating a lust for a town to the west of London?

On second thoughts, I lived there for three years. This is most unlikely.

It could have been lust for the town in eastern Pennsylvania, which is probably named after the town to the west of London. Naaah, that's equally as unlikely.

[sidewinder]

Only one half-way decent thing ever came out of Reading - Kate Winslett..

[A Lark Ascending]

Only one half-way decent thing ever came out of Reading - Kate Winslett.. 

I came out of Reading in 1976. I might not be Kate Winslett but I think I'm half-decent!

Some very nice biscuits came out of Reading.

The M4 and the main east-west railway line comes out of Reading.

Sutton's seeds came out of Reading.

An awful lot of wasted rockers came out of Reading each August in the 70s.

However, only Kate Winslett would fit that badge description.

Edited April 19, 2005 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

I came out of Reading in 1976. I might not be Kate Winslett but I think I'm half-decent!

Woops - sorry !

Talking of wasted rockers - doesn't that ex-lead singer of Uriah Heap live near there (I have a feeling it is in Sonning). Sonning BTW does have some excellent pubs !

[jazzydaddy]

I love all of my Mosaic sets. Unfortunately I rarely have the time

to leisurely sit down in my living room and enjoy reading through the

booklets as I listen to the music.

I do most of my Mosaic set listening while driving around in my car;

Fortunately I have a 6 disc CD changer in the car

Generally when I do have a chance to sit alone in my living room

(wife is out shopping and kids are at work or other activities) I prefer

to listen to one of my vinyl LPs while I take the opportunity to transfer

it to CD-r. It's a great way to rediscover one's LP collection. As an added advantage

I walk away with a disc I can then bring along with me in the car.

I still get a big kick out of being able to listen to my LPs (albeit on CD-r)

in the car

Don

[Fran]

Only one half-way decent thing ever came out of Reading - Kate Winslett..

What's the other half of Kate Winslett like?

[Brad]

I rarely have the time to do what the reviewer does but I don't take them in the car mostly because while I'm listening I want to be able to refer to the book. So while this may be listening in short burts, when it comes to Mosaics, that's what I like to do.

On another point, I used to look down at people who said they preferred to have the individual albums rather than the whole set. However, over time, I've come to see the wisdom of that and while I still buy 'em and enjoy 'em, I can see what people mean.

[Jazz Kat]

Cd's are 98.9% of what I read.

I admire your enthusiasm for the music, which I think most of us here share. But if this is all you're reading, you are seriously missing out. There's a wonderful world of fiction/non-fiction/poetry/classic lit/contemporary out there, just waiting to blow your mind. Hell, start with some graphic novels or something if books don't jazz you too much.

I tried.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

On another point, I used to look down at people who said they preferred to have the individual albums rather than the whole set.  However, over time, I've come to see the wisdom of that and while I still buy 'em and enjoy 'em, I can see what people mean.

I have to admit that, after 'breaking down' the Chambers/Kelly box into the individual discs (Kelly Great, Kelly at Midnight, etc) bundled up w/artwork and all, I've been playing (and enjoying) 'em a good bit more.

Question for Vee-Jayophiles: which is the original cover?

Edited April 22, 2005 by Son-of-a-Weizen

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

..