Braxton Arista and Freedom set on Mosaic?

[rostasi]

OK, I've separated the Braxton Arista out

and tried to present it chronologically as well.

I'm leaving out the session with Ran Blake on Novus and the

"Arista/Freedom" refs too:

Total time is about 9hr:45min [585 minutes],

so I would think it impossible for 7 discs

and I'm not sure if 8 would do it either.

Let me know if I've left anything out:

[clifford_thornton]

If you left off the Teitelbaum and Two Pianos, then it might.

And the Four Orchestras might also be better left to somewhere else.

Edited April 5, 2008 by clifford_thornton

[John L]

I just hope this doesn't bankrupt Mosaic. I don't think it will sell well.

I am not sure about this, given the fact that the music is critically celebrated as some of Braxton's best, is not as "difficult" as much of what came later, is extremely hard to find on CD, has never been remastered well, and the generation that heard it live is still around.

Sure, the market is limited. But a good number of people will grab it immediately as a no brainer. A number of others will probably pick it up as a first Braxton set to hear what all the fuss is about, after seeing the strong critical endorsements in the press. All in all, I bet that it will sell as well as the average Mosaic set, if not better

Of course, there is the problem that the USA will be in a recession at the time of release, but that will affect all Mosaic sales, not just the Braxton. On the other hand, the weakening dollar should increase sales in Europe and Asia, where Braxton's music has a strong fan base.

Edited April 6, 2008 by John L

[Dave James]

I can only hope that if a Braxton Mosaic does come to pass, he is given the opportunity to contribute his insights. While anyone who has been even marginally exposed to AB's musical musings will acknowledge that this could get awfully strange awfully fast, I still think it goes to the integrity of the overall package.

Up over and out.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I can only hope that if a Braxton Mosaic does come to pass, he is given the opportunity to contribute his insights. While anyone who has been even marginally exposed to AB's musical musings will acknowledge that this could get awfully strange awfully fast, I still think it goes to the integrity of the overall package.

Up over and out.

Yes, that would be great to hear him talk about the music. Actually, I have to see, the more I hear of him, the more LUCID it becomes, rather than anything else (I think there are some genuinely brilliant examples of conveying complex ideas succinctly in the documentary accomapnying the recent Firehouse 12 release, for example).

In fact, there will be several candidates to write some very interesting notes on this, I would have thought.

Edited April 6, 2008 by Red

[B. Clugston]

OK, I've separated the Braxton Arista out

and tried to present it chronologically as well.

I'm leaving out the session with Ran Blake on Novus and the

"Arista/Freedom" refs too:

Total time is about 9hr:45min [585 minutes],

so I would think it impossible for 7 discs

and I'm not sure if 8 would do it either.

Let me know if I've left anything out:

Knock off Time Zones, which is a Teitelbaum date, had no involvement by Cuscuna and is not considered part of the core Arista Braxton recordings, Mosaic may be able to jam this into seven discs.

It would be disrepectful not to include For Four Orchestras and For Two Pianos. Braxton's music of this period goes far beyond the quartet stuff.

[B. Clugston]

I just hope this doesn't bankrupt Mosaic. I don't think it will sell well.

Why would it bankrupt Mosaic? A lot of people have been dying to see this music get reissued.

[7/4]

on the other hand, edc MIGHT boycott the whle thing if they punk the fuck out & omit FOUR ORCHESTRAS, which is really the only tough ($$) set to score on vinyl.

Really? What can I get for my copy? I have bills to pay...

[clifford_thornton]

$60 or so, last one I saw.

[clifford_thornton]

on the other hand, edc MIGHT boycott the whle thing if they punk the fuck out & omit FOUR ORCHESTRAS, which is really the only tough ($$$) set to score on vinyl.

it's 2008 goddamnit, people need to grow up-- (i have more 'respect' for those who hate Tony outta ig'nance than a yokel who likes the small group jizz & can't swing w/Teh Braxton Army).

do it right or don't do it all!

edc's point is taken by CT.

[7/4]

$60 or so, last one I saw.

That's more like groceries.

[clifford_thornton]

I have seen it as low as $30 in a couple of shops, too. Might as well keep it, right?

[jon abbey]

in any case, this will easily sell 3700 copies out of the gate. what happens after that... we'll see.

that's an awfully confident statement and an odd number to make it about, curious what makes you so sure. the low dollar certainly will help, but 3700+ copies of a $110+ set is a lot. the 5 CD Art Ensemble box Chuck Nessa put out in 1993 was available until pretty recently, that was an edition of 2500 copies.

[paul secor]

in any case, this will easily sell 3700 copies out of the gate. what happens after that... we'll see.

that's an awfully confident statement and an odd number to make it about, curious what makes you so sure. the low dollar certainly will help, but 3700+ copies of a $110+ set is a lot. the 5 CD Art Ensemble box Chuck Nessa put out in 1993 was available until pretty recently, that was an edition of 2500 copies.

I was thinking the same thing. It wouldn't surprise me if this were a 2500 limitation set - tho I can't remember if Mosaic has limited sets to 2500 in the past - and still didn't sell out for a good while.

[rostasi]

I wish them luck with the sequencing.

The first two LPs together are slightly over 81 minutes in length.

If they were to keep things chronological,

there'd have to be some overlap on the discs.

Still, I hope it happens!

[Hoppy T. Frog]

in any case, this will easily sell 3700 copies out of the gate. what happens after that... we'll see.

that's an awfully confident statement and an odd number to make it about, curious what makes you so sure. the low dollar certainly will help, but 3700+ copies of a $110+ set is a lot. the 5 CD Art Ensemble box Chuck Nessa put out in 1993 was available until pretty recently, that was an edition of 2500 copies.

The Mosaic "cachet" , glossy catalog, and much more saturated marketing/distribution than what Chuck could afford should guarantee more/faster sales, or I'll eat my hat.

[jon abbey]

The Mosaic "cachet" , glossy catalog, and much more saturated marketing/distribution than what Chuck could afford should guarantee more/faster sales, or I'll eat my hat.

on the flip side of this is that it's a far weaker overall market for CD sales than it was in 1993, and that this will be a major jump in terms of material for Mosaic.

[Bluerein]

Just returned from Stamford and this set is surely going to be issued this year. I don't have more details since I'm not interested in this set.

Indeed as mentioned in this threat sales volume went up from Europe/Asia and Australia and shrunk in the US. The up side is the total volume didn't shrink!!!!

Edited April 8, 2008 by Bluerein

[WD45]

The Mosaic "cachet" , glossy catalog, and much more saturated marketing/distribution than what Chuck could afford should guarantee more/faster sales, or I'll eat my hat.

on the flip side of this is that it's a far weaker overall market for CD sales than it was in 1993, and that this will be a major jump in terms of material for Mosaic.

The overall market, for sure, but for niche productions like this?

[Chuck Nessa]

The overall market, for sure, but for niche productions like this?

Things have slowed considerably. I admit to being nervous about my future releases.

[WD45]

Those hatOLOGY reissues of Braxton's material went OOP PDQ, IIRC. Those were issues of 2,000 copies? Basel 1977? Dortmund 1976? These are all in that sweet spot that this box would cover.

[jon abbey]

Those hatOLOGY reissues of Braxton's material went OOP PDQ, IIRC. Those were issues of 2,000 copies? Basel 1977? Dortmund 1976? These are all in that sweet spot that this box would cover.

those were mostly single discs in the $15-$20 range, right? we'll see, just saying I don't think it's as much of a fait accompli as Clem seems to think, and I HIGHLY doubt there's more than a handful of crossover fans from Wolf Eyes, I don't think those guys are even buying much Wolf Eyes stuff these days. any guess as to what Mosaic's edition size will be?

[jon abbey]

The Mosaic "cachet" , glossy catalog, and much more saturated marketing/distribution than what Chuck could afford should guarantee more/faster sales, or I'll eat my hat.

on the flip side of this is that it's a far weaker overall market for CD sales than it was in 1993, and that this will be a major jump in terms of material for Mosaic.

The overall market, for sure, but for niche productions like this?

yes.

[WD45]

The Mosaic "cachet" , glossy catalog, and much more saturated marketing/distribution than what Chuck could afford should guarantee more/faster sales, or I'll eat my hat.

on the flip side of this is that it's a far weaker overall market for CD sales than it was in 1993, and that this will be a major jump in terms of material for Mosaic.

The overall market, for sure, but for niche productions like this?

yes.

I suppose the enthusiasm of those reading this thread might not equate with the record buying public. Very true.

[B. Clugston]

Those hatOLOGY reissues of Braxton's material went OOP PDQ, IIRC. Those were issues of 2,000 copies? Basel 1977? Dortmund 1976? These are all in that sweet spot that this box would cover.

Basel and Dortmund were both 3,000 copies.