Worst Mosaic Decision?

[sidewinder]

The only one I am not so keen on is the Illinois Jacquet.

I really like this one ! Got one of the very last vinyls just as it was going out of print (thanks to the kind suggestion of someone on the BNBB ).

[ASNL77]

I'll give it another spin this week, Bob. Just to make sure!

[kulu se mama]

About a month ago, I sent back my Prima/Monone, Herman Capitol, and Mildred Bailey sets back to Mosaic, along with $30, and got back in exchange Farlow, Farmer/Golson, and Johnny Smith sets.

i may be wroing, but i think all mosaic sets are 100% guaranteed.

i think it even states, "if you are ever dissatisfied, simply return it for a full refund."

i am sure mosaic can re-sell any set that they receive in return.

on the other end of this topic - i purchased the phil woods set just so it would not pass me by.

i had very little interest in it, but it has become one of my favorite mosaics.

the illinois jacquet might be the one that i listien to the least.

i find the sound quality to be below par.

[Guy Berger]

I guess I somewhat regret purchasing the Chico Hamilton set, particularly when the best stuff on the set has been reissued by Lonehill Jazz. I probably could have spent the money elsewhere. But it's not really that big of a deal.

Guy

[jazzbo]

Lonehill! Pfui.

I keep reading about people snozzling through the Hamilton set and I just don't get it, I find those sides fascinating and attention provoking! Ah well, I know I'm weird.

[garthsj]

I guess I somewhat regret purchasing the Chico Hamilton set, particularly when the best stuff on the set has been reissued by Lonehill Jazz. I probably could have spent the money elsewhere. But it's not really that big of a deal.

Guy

Based upon the current rate at which they are releasing material, I think that just about every Mosaic set is going to end up on Lone Hill sometime in the next few years!

My only regret regarding Mosaic sets is having sold my Nat King Cole set for $400.00 three years ago ... I could probably get almost twice as much today.

(I have started a separate thread to discuss Lone Hill reissues)

[Roger Hiles]

My biggest regret about Mosaic is that I didn't discover them (i.e. "get addicted") until after a number of sets I would have liked went OOP, such as the Shorty Rogers, Buddy DeFranco, and Johnny Hodges. I know the thriving music industry of Andorra relaeses a lot (or will eventually release a lot) of Mosaic's work, but it's just not the same-- even for the material that's in public domain in Europe.

[ghost of miles]

I keep reading about people snozzling through the Hamilton set and I just don't get it, I find those sides fascinating and attention provoking! Ah well, I know I'm weird.

Know that there are fellow weirdos among you.

[jazzbo]

There is some comfort in that.

[Bol]

They just swapped them with you??? How long ago had you purchased the other stuff????

I assume they were unopened, right?

No, though they were all pretty spanking new. They assured me that they can resell the stuff. I would have otherwise felt a bit guilty despite their guarantee. The return did entail my spending a bit of money on shipping both ways. But now I have 3 sets I really like.

I hope I am not starting some mass shipping back campaign.

[king ubu]

I keep reading about people snozzling through the Hamilton set and I just don't get it, I find those sides fascinating and attention provoking! Ah well, I know I'm weird.

Know that there are fellow weirdos among you.

one more weirdo here!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

how can u publicly criticize chico like that, for shame

[Clunky]

I keep reading about people snozzling through the Hamilton set and I just don't get it, I find those sides fascinating and attention provoking! Ah well, I know I'm weird.

Know that there are fellow weirdos among you.

one more weirdo here!

likewise, very glad I got this at the last gasp.

[king ubu]

I guess I somewhat regret purchasing the Chico Hamilton set, particularly when the best stuff on the set has been reissued by Lonehill Jazz. I probably could have spent the money elsewhere. But it's not really that big of a deal.

Guy

Depends what's "the best stuff"... true, it's sad that the "Original Ellington" album was found only after the Mosaic was completed, but still, I consider the Ellington album and the live session (on disc 1 and/or 2) of the original quintet among the best of the box... Lonehill only has the original quintet's two studio albums out, as far as I know.

[Uncle Skid]

My worst decision was buying the Anita O'Day set. I really enjoy (most) of it, but I didn't really need 9 CDs of Anita at this point -- opportunity costs and all. Picking up a few of the still in print Verve titles would probably been enough.

The Tristano/Konitz/Marsh and the Moncur Select are two of my favorites.

[Dave James]

I think I've also been victimized by "I should have this set even though I'm not sure I really want it" syndrome. Not that I have any intention of offloading any of these, but they don't make it to my CD player all that often:

Prima/Manone - no specific critique other than it's older music (sorry Lon) than I tend to like.

Illinois Jacquet - too much bar walkin', honkin' R&B for me.

Mildred Bailey - 10 CD's of that little girl voice, in spite of some terrific playing, is overkill.

Joe Venuti/Eddie Lang - see Prima Manone

Stan Kenton - both sets. I just don't "get" Kenton.

Kenton Presents - In spite of the great lineups, I find a good deal of it just plain boring.

Roy Eldridge - Bring on the flames. One I eagerly anticipated that has not yet measured up.

1957 Jimmy Smith - Even though I have a boatload of Smith in my collection, I've just never warmed up to his music.

Bunny Berrigan - If you were stuck in an elevator for any length of time with any of the vocalists on this one, you'd be a raving maniac by the time they pulled you out and cleaned off the drool.

Also, for what it's worth, count me among the loony-toons who think highly of the Chico Hamilton.

Up over and out.

[take5]

Mosaics I've bought and sold:

New Orleans

Teddy Wilson

Duke Ellingtons (both)

George Shearing

Capitol Jazz

Anita O'Day

Charles Brown

Bud Shank

Woody Herman Columbia

Krupa / James

Holman / Rossalino / Cooper

Lee / Christy

Getz w/ Raney

Armstrong Decca

1957 Jimmy Smith

Kid Ory

Four Freshmen

Yes, I went through a "must get all Mosaics" phase. No regrets- got to hear a bunch of music, and a lot of the stuff I got rid of is good, just not "good enough" to still have around. Some of them, like the O'Day and the Wilson, had enjoyable music but I just didn't want that much of it.

[Guy Berger]

I guess I somewhat regret purchasing the Chico Hamilton set, particularly when the best stuff on the set has been reissued by Lonehill Jazz. I probably could have spent the money elsewhere. But it's not really that big of a deal.

Guy

Depends what's "the best stuff"... true, it's sad that the "Original Ellington" album was found only after the Mosaic was completed, but still, I consider the Ellington album and the live session (on disc 1 and/or 2) of the original quintet among the best of the box... Lonehill only has the original quintet's two studio albums out, as far as I know.

Oh, I thought the live stuff was on the Lonehill set as well. In that case my original argument is further undermined.

Guy

[Bol]

Bunny Berrigan - If you were stuck in an elevator for any length of time with any of the vocalists on this one, you'd be a raving maniac by the time they pulled you out and cleaned off the drool.

I agree that many vocal tracks are hokey. And like many people, I'm not that into older music. But oh those trumpet solos!! Bunny is special. Too bad he did not record much in small groups.

[tranemonk]

Wow.... a diss on the Eldridge set.... hhm.... I was also tepid on that one... What turned you off???

I think I've also been victimized by "I should have this set even though I'm not sure I really want it" syndrome. Not that I have any intention of offloading any of these, but they don't make it to my CD player all that often:

Prima/Manone - no specific critique other than it's older music (sorry Lon) than I tend to like.

Illinois Jacquet - too much bar walkin', honkin' R&B for me.

Mildred Bailey - 10 CD's of that little girl voice, in spite of some terrific playing, is overkill.

Joe Venuti/Eddie Lang - see Prima Manone

Stan Kenton - both sets. I just don't "get" Kenton.

Kenton Presents - In spite of the great lineups, I find a good deal of it just plain boring.

Roy Eldridge - Bring on the flames. One I eagerly anticipated that has not yet measured up.

1957 Jimmy Smith - Even though I have a boatload of Smith in my collection, I've just never warmed up to his music.

Bunny Berrigan - If you were stuck in an elevator for any length of time with any of the vocalists on this one, you'd be a raving maniac by the time they pulled you out and cleaned off the drool.

Also, for what it's worth, count me among the loony-toons who think highly of the Chico Hamilton.

Up over and out.

[Dave James]

Tranemonk,

I wish I could tell put my finger on exactly what it is about the Eldridge set that doesn't get it done. There's no questioning that at one time he was as fine a trumpter as you're likely to hear, but I think when these tunes were recorded, he may have been a bit past his prime. At least it seems to me that on some of the sessions, he's having intonation issues.

I don't know, maybe I was just expecting too much given some of the reviews this set garnered from board members whose opinions I value, or maybe it's just the style of music. Even though I like a good ballad as much as the next guy, there seems to be a plethora of thusly tempoed tunes here, both with and without strings...more than you might normally expect to see on a set like this. And, needless to say, I really struggle with the Trad stuff. On the upside, I do like the Benny Carter material.

Don't get me wrong, of the half a dozen or so sets I mentioned on my "mistake" list, this is the one I struggled with the most in terms of whether I should include it.

Up over and out.

Edited June 12, 2006 by Dave James

[take5]

My last OOP Mosaic win was the Andrew Hill (not the select, the big one). I was realliy looking forward to it, having never heard his music before, but it seemed like those who liked his music liked a lot of other stuff I did, but I confess I just don't get it... it seems like most of the time he's not really going anywhere.

I'll give the more famous sessions a shot but this one will probably be going.

I'm also not enthralled with maybe half, or more, of the material on the Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set, and I don't think I need 7 CDs of Johny Hodges, since a lot of that stuff is too same-y.

I also realise I rarely, if ever, listen to most of the selects. Love the Carmell Jones and Dizzy Reece, dig most of the Weston, had to sell the Paul Chambers because I can't stand bowed bass solos, don't like disc 3 of the John Patton (and not that big a fan of organ music, though I like it when its funky in small doses), only really listen to Katanga from the Curtis Amy, and Moncur's music is too "hard" for me.

[Ken Dryden]

Part of the problem you may have with Chambers' bowed bass solos is that he really wasn't in the league of Milt Hinton, Michael Moore and others who have far better technique playing arco bass. Then again...maybe you just don't like bowed bass solos!

[take5]

Part of the problem you may have with Chambers' bowed bass solos is that he really wasn't in the league of Milt Hinton, Michael Moore and others who have far better technique playing arco bass. Then again...maybe you just don't like bowed bass solos!

I dunno, I'm not familiar with those guys so I'm not going to completely dismiss the very notion of bowed bass. It's possible it's just him.

Then again, I'm not too crazy about any bass solos... except very very short ones.

[Dave James]

As I've said before, the bass should be heard but not heard. If one must solo, make it quick and make it pizzicato. Agree with Ken as to Chambers' arco ability. It always sounded to me like someone getting mugged in an alley. I love the recordings of The Red Garland trio on Prestige, but I still run for cover when Chambers cranks up a bowed solo.

Up over and out.

Edited June 12, 2006 by Dave James