Teddy Wilson Mosaic

[pryan]

The past six months or so I've really gotten into Teddy's stuff, be it with Billie or Lester. The Mosaic set looks right up my alley, but five discs of trio tracks almost seems like it could be too much. But then again, can you ever really get too much perfection?

So, for those who have it, your comments please.

Thanks in advance.

[J.A.W.]

I don't have the set, so no personal comments from me, but maybe this AMG review is helpful.

Edited August 6, 2003 by J.A.W.

[DrJ]

Do not miss it. I initially hesitated based on the concern about all that piano trio music, but couldn't be happier that I took the plunge.

I think you said it yourself - it's hard for me to imagine anyone could have too much of Teddy's sublime playing. It is true that I tend to listen to this box a little at a time because there is a certain sameness in general feel, but that is true of much of my collection. It's also true that by this point Teddy was mostly about honing and polishing the diamond of a style he had created rather than exploring new vistas, but hey, that's OK too when you're starting from such a high level. So grab it, and savor it over time.

Another thought: it's very unlikely that Verve will get around to issuing even the majority (let alone all) of this material in their reissue program, so would be a drag to miss out now.

Sound quality is excellent on most of the box - with a slight decrement to merely good quality for one of the sessions with Jo Jones at the drums (sad it had to be this one, as Wilson and Jones together was truly a thing of beauty) for which the original session tapes couldn't be located and so they had to dub from an LP. Still, that one is readily listenable.

Edited August 6, 2003 by DrJ

[clandy44]

I have it. My unadorned advice: buy it. Period. Full stop.

[John Tapscott]

I love this set. Beautiful, relaxing (in the best sense), swinging piano trio music. Teddy is so musical and tasteful and interesting, even though the trio format is the same throughout. (Am I wrong or does Teddy hit his only clunker of the entire set on the opening phrase of "Stompin' at the Savoy" on the Newport date?) In any case, I disagree with those (like Yanow) who advise listening to this set in small doses. I listen to the 5 CD's of this set straight through and feel like listening to the set all over again!

[John Tapscott]

Pryan: As you can tell my strong recommendation is to buy the set. Here's another recently issued CD I think you'd really like - "Ben and Teddy" (Webster and Wilson) on Sackville. The first 7 or so tracks are by a much later trio of Teddy's (1970), but they are absolutely stunning and very enjoyable examples of swing piano trio. I was so impressed that I just had to buy the Mosaic set.

[pryan]

As usual, thanks for the comments guys.

I read that review by Scott Yanow but, as with all of his reviews (and those of AMG in general), I took it with a rather large chunk of salt.

I guess I'll add this one to the ever-growing list of Mosaics to buy.

[Chuck Nessa]

If you like this, Storyville did 2 trio dates with TW, which they turned into 3 lps/cds. Great late TW. I wish they would recombine the material into 2 discs, but this is great jazz piano.

[Roger Hiles]

I don't know if I've ever listened to the discs continuously one after the other, but it's a fine set. TW was such an elegant player, especially by the 1950s, and this set is a joy. If you like TW, you'll like this.

[kinuta]

It's great. Nothing more to say.

Edited August 9, 2003 by kinuta

[BruceH]

Get it. My one caveat is that it's not quite as sublime as the late 30s/early 40s sides he did with Lester and Billie. But if you're a Wilson fan, you'll want this. If you don't get it and it goes OOP, you'll someday be kicking yourself. (Like me with the Morgan set.) Don't let this happen to you!

[andersf]

Recommended.

I was a bit hesitant, afraid of too much of the same, but that would be a unfair verdict. While I don't think I will ever listen through the whole set at one time, I definitely enjoy its subtle nuances. In a positive sense it repays close listening.

[andersf]

Recommended.

I was a bit hesitant, afraid of too much of the same, but that would be a unfair verdict. While I don't think I will ever listen through the whole set at one time, I definitely enjoy its subtle nuances. In a positive sense it repays close listening.

[Out2Lunch]

This is a definite buy. I own the set in both cd and lp formats.

[J.A.W.]

This is a definite buy. I own the set in both cd and lp formats.

So all you need now is an SACD version...

[Out2Lunch]

Yeah ,I just missed out on the 8-Track version by a couple years

[J.A.W.]

You could always go hunting after 78s...

[Out2Lunch]

Your enthusiasm about this set prompted me to revisit it again and like an old friend, it never lets you down. A great listen everytime!!

[king ubu]

I listened to all the studio sessions over the weekend. Great music. And somehow, sameness doesn't matter, Wilson being such a master and the changing rhythm sections really bringing a dirfferent feel to every session. Thumbs up also for Jo Jones!

By the way: (becasue of the title of the set): what else (in non-trio line-ups, obviously) did Wilson record for Verve? I have the Jazz Giants and Prez & Teddy sessions. Is there something else?

ubu

[andersf]

For the moment I am between apartments, staying this summer in a one room apartment with space (just about) for my Mosaic boxes, and little else; with all the other CDs in storage, I haven't been able to look it up, but I think I remember correctly that Teddy Wilson did at least one session with Benny Carter.

Also, there could be a session with Ben Webster.

[king ubu]

Yep. The Carter one was a trio affair, with Buddy Rich on drums, if I remember correctly, and the ones with Webster (some 3 or 4 trio tracks and some more with strings) were included on the Verve 2CD Music for Loving (the strings dates).

Forgot about these!

The Carter is interesting to compare with the Tatum/Carter/Rich trio.

ubu

Edited August 29, 2003 by king ubu

[mmilovan]

I enjoyed set immediately, and could only agree with those members who said they like it 100%. Once you hear it, strange thing going on - growing wish to hear it again and again. Somebody might call this "dinner music", but it is unfair: playing such things and runs with so much ease on keyboard is technically hard, and Wilson's wise way of phrasing, non-usage of any kind of formulas (so opposite to Oscar Peterson), makes his music fresh as today as in days it was first recorded.

Read Yanow review and don't know why such criticism as his is reserved only for pre-bop performers. Hate it, really.

To be honest, taking music in small doses one can apply such thoughts to all trio formats (to Bill Evans, for example).

We can only hope things will change in future.

Jazz music and its history is much deeper then one can ever imagine.

BTW, for those who don't like boring piano trios - never forget who liked Teddy Wilson the most (one well known pianist named Thelonious Monk, and one trumpet player named Miles Davis - Wilson often played piano during intermission between Miles sets)...

Edited May 5, 2004 by mmilovan

[neveronfriday]

I listened to the whole set again this afternoon. Some call it too much of a good thing, I would say it's barely enough of a good thing.

It remains my favourite Mosaic set.

By far.

Call me old-fashioned ...

Cheers!

[EKE BBB]

deus: I´ve only listened to it in its entirety once, since I received it a couple of months ago...

...but I find it highly rewarding. Yes, very homogeneus. Maybe casual listeners must take it in small doses. But I really dig his elegant and full of swing playing (mmilovan called him "the Bill Evans of the Big Band Era").

[neveronfriday]

But I really dig his elegant and full of swing playing (mmilovan called him "the Bill Evans of the Big Band Era").

Hey, I like that. That's a nice way of putting it.

It is true that Wilson seemed at times to be a bit lazy (the Mosaic Master Jazz Piano box shows that ... Wilson came into the studio, announced that one take for each tune was enough and was done in, as far as I recall, 17 minutes), but that's because he had simply reached a level of playing that allowed him to, well, just play, "pulling" some amazing things "out of the hat" (the Master Jazz box is perhaps not an example of this amazing way of playing).

When I saw him live several nights in a row in Copenhagen, I noticed how relaxed his playing was and how an enthusiastic audience could really draw him out. I recall two spontaneous stride numbers he did on the second night (he started playing again after a longer conversation at the bar, long after most of the audience had left) that was so flawless and still had that somewhat raunchy stride feel to it ... amazing.

The only criticism one could level at him (and that is definitely not criticism in my eyes), is that his technical abilities were so sharp that he could effortlessly play a number twice without a single note sounding different. Some people, I recall, have stated that they thought his playing was a bit sterile because of its technical flawlessness (is that a word?), but one could say the same thing, for example, about Artie Shaw, who never seemed to miss a note, not even the most challenging one.

I've also heard it said that with this kind of mastery comes a certain arrogance, also in the way of playing one's instrument, but if this was the case, a listener like myself could not tell. He seemed to be the true gentleman, enjoying a good night with a good audience. And beyond that, I didn't/don't really care.

Cheers!

Edited May 6, 2004 by deus62