Louis Armstrong Mosaic planned with his 1935-1946 Decca sides

[Bluerein]

In fact this set had large preorders (just like the Lester set). Around 900 which is really good even for Mosaic. I was there last week and if there's a time to support them it's gotta be now. The state in which the industry is now really sets off all the alarm bells. I don't think we can think in the way we did about reissues by Mosaic. So Hans the money this set is raising will be used to pay the bills not to fund new sets I'm afraid.

[kenny weir]

It seems disc # 1 has a great mistake...

Oh dear!

I wonder how many sets are affected.

And I fear that the bonus of healthy preorders could be largely negated by setting this booboo right. Which I'm sure they will.

[Cliff Englewood]

From the Mosaic site;

"Great set with one mistake-please fix it

This set is great. I own over 60 Mosaic sets, and that's not including Mosaic Selects & Singles. I've been waiting for years for Mosaic to do this set. Unfortunately they made a rare goof. They don't have all three takes of "Old Man Mose". They're listed in the discography and Dan Morgenstern comments on all three. There are two takes which begin with a trumpet solo and one at a slower tempo with a band arrangement in place of the trumpet solo, which they put on disc one twice instead of the the second take with a trumpet solo. Mosaic is generally very careful and thorough. Somebody dropped the ball during the mastering process. I hope they re-do disc one and send everybody who bought this set the new copy. Otherwise they did their usual high quality work on all aspects of this set containing some of the greatist recordings by the greatest musician of all time. The mistake is what caused me to rate this set four notes instead of five."

[Bluerein]

how can a set be less good (star wise) is a non musical goof occurs????? Strange how people rate things.

[David Ayers]

how can a set be less good (star wise) is a non musical goof occurs????? Strange how people rate things.

Well, yeah, but the music is well known, so the rating is really for the set as such. Maybe. A similar booboo was reported on the Hampton wasn't it? Was that one ever fixed?

[ejp626]

It seems disc # 1 has a great mistake...

Oh dear!

I wonder how many sets are affected.

And I fear that the bonus of healthy preorders could be largely negated by setting this booboo right. Which I'm sure they will.

Well, perhaps things are so dire that they will just link us pre-orderers to a site where we can download the missing track. I'd prefer they fix the CDs but not at the cost of not being able to press any of the backordered sets.

[Fred]

I'd prefer they fix the CDs but not at the cost of not being able to press any of the backordered sets.

I strongly agree.

The set is perfect, just finished to listen to. The duplicated track (and the missing one) is a minor fault.

[Fred]

[ A similar booboo was reported on the Hampton wasn't it? Was that one ever fixed?

Yes, and yes, it was fixed. BTW, if the Armstrong set will sell very well, Mosaic could fix the disc with the next printing, at no substantial expense...

[kenny weir]

non-musical goof

I'm not sure the non-inclusion of a track specifically referred to in the booklet can be accurately be referred to as non-musical.

minor fault

Nor, considering the standard of excellence to which Mosaic has always aspired and almost always attained, can this be considered minor. And I'm sure they would agree.

Don't worry, though, I'm not gonna be asking for my money back. Or, more accurately, the money of Jazzbo, who ordered this set on my behalf.

Edited May 19, 2009 by kenny weir

[jazzbo]

Yes, as part of a trade. One day I'll get the Condon in the mail, I hope. I should have made you spring for air.

[mellowT]

That didn't take long: eBay: New Mosaic Records Louis Armstrong Decca Release (7 CD)

Who needs the box and booklet anyway?

[desertblues]

There is one other mistake, my booklet states the edition is limited to 5000 sets - the website says 10,000. Mistakes aside, this is a magnificent Mosaic box and this material has never sounded this good, IMHO! I can already say my copy will never wind up on ebay (in my lifetime, that is).

[J.A.W.]

From the Mosaic site;

"Great set with one mistake-please fix it

This set is great. I own over 60 Mosaic sets, and that's not including Mosaic Selects & Singles. I've been waiting for years for Mosaic to do this set. Unfortunately they made a rare goof. They don't have all three takes of "Old Man Mose". They're listed in the discography and Dan Morgenstern comments on all three. There are two takes which begin with a trumpet solo and one at a slower tempo with a band arrangement in place of the trumpet solo, which they put on disc one twice instead of the the second take with a trumpet solo. Mosaic is generally very careful and thorough. Somebody dropped the ball during the mastering process. I hope they re-do disc one and send everybody who bought this set the new copy. Otherwise they did their usual high quality work on all aspects of this set containing some of the greatist recordings by the greatest musician of all time. The mistake is what caused me to rate this set four notes instead of five."

Mosaic's Scott Wenzel just told me they fixed the error and they'll get replacement discs in approximately two weeks.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Mosaic's Scott Wenzel just told me they fixed the error and they'll get replacement discs in approximately two weeks.

Does this mean they'll send new discs to those who've already received their copy, or that they're holding up on shipping until correct discs are inserted into waiting boxes? It would seem that they've shipped 900 so far? It could be pricey re-sending that many individual discs.

I ordered mine 'way back in March, but Canada Customs is (as usual) holding up delivery, no doubt to justify its exorbitant warehousing/handling costs. (What's this Free Trade stuff???)

[J.A.W.]

Mosaic's Scott Wenzel just told me they fixed the error and they'll get replacement discs in approximately two weeks.

Does this mean they'll send new discs to those who've already received their copy, or that they're holding up on shipping until correct discs are inserted into waiting boxes? It would seem that they've shipped 900 so far? It could be pricey re-sending that many individual discs.

All I know is that they're holding my set until they get the replacement discs.

[jazzbo]

In the case of the Hampton, they sent discs out to those who had received sets before the correction, if I recall correctly, it was automatic, no customer input/request needed.

[J.A.W.]

In the case of the Hampton, they sent discs out to those who had received sets before the correction, if I recall correctly, it was automatic, no customer input/request needed.

Correct.

[Cliff Englewood]

From the Mosaic site;

"Great set with one mistake-please fix it

This set is great. I own over 60 Mosaic sets, and that's not including Mosaic Selects & Singles. I've been waiting for years for Mosaic to do this set. Unfortunately they made a rare goof. They don't have all three takes of "Old Man Mose". They're listed in the discography and Dan Morgenstern comments on all three. There are two takes which begin with a trumpet solo and one at a slower tempo with a band arrangement in place of the trumpet solo, which they put on disc one twice instead of the the second take with a trumpet solo. Mosaic is generally very careful and thorough. Somebody dropped the ball during the mastering process. I hope they re-do disc one and send everybody who bought this set the new copy. Otherwise they did their usual high quality work on all aspects of this set containing some of the greatist recordings by the greatest musician of all time. The mistake is what caused me to rate this set four notes instead of five."

Mosaic's Scott Wenzel just told me they fixed the error and they'll get replacement discs in approximately two weeks.

Cheers J.A.W, you're my favorite Dutchman after Kuyt and to a lesser extent Babel. :lol:

[ghost of miles]

I ordered the set on Tuesday (aware of the error mentioned here) and got it last night, so evidently they were still shipping them out earlier in the week. I'll probably call just to make sure that I'm on the list for getting a corrected disc 1--but that aside, this set is a joy, with Dan Morgenstern's notes certainly contributing in that regard.

[medjuck]

Given that Dan Morgenstern describes the take that was left out as "essentially the same" as one that was included, if they are having financial difficulties I'm willing to volunteer to live with what I got (numbered 0599) or to pay for the manufacturing and shipping of a replacement if I get obsessive about it-- which I probably will.

I guess you earn your reputation is for quality by being obsessive. I was involved with the Criterion Collection at its beginnings and I remember that that we redid one of the discs from the King Kong Lazerdisc box because it contained one faulty still frame.

[Guest Bixieland]

I've been spending time with this new set (#050!!!). I'm up to disc 3 now. This set is beyond good. I was very excited about it, but it has easily surpassed that excitement...and the "new toy" infatuation. It's impressive.

The sound is remarkable. And the music and everything I'm hearing is unbelievably interesting. My new favorite and most essential body of work in my collection, I think.

[ghost of miles]

Just finished listening to disc 5 and had to chime in again that this is a remarkable set--Morgenstern's notes, the sound, and simply Armstrong himself, of course. It's given me a new sense of appreciation for this period of his career (been years since I listened to my old Definitive collections of the Decca material, and I don't remember being as enamored of it the first couple of times around).

[Werf]

I've been loving this set. Disc 1 is in perpetual rotation. The first weekend I sat and listened to the entire box three nights in a row. Since then I've been spinning at least one disc per night. My intro to the Decca material, wonderful stuff.

[SwingItTrev]

I just ordered this set. The comments here and the video on the Mosaic site convinced me! Looking forward to its arrival!

[medjuck]

This set grew on me disc by disc. (Wasn't that nuts about disc 1 the first time through.) A question: Some sessions have multiple alternate takes but many have none. Am I correct in presuming that a couple of takes was normal for each number but that the alternates for some session just aren't extant?

Just how devastating the Universal fire was can been heard in the crackle's and pops on the numbers from the last 3 sessions where the original sources were apparently destroyed. But there's no mention of lost source material for the June 14 '38 session and that seems to me to have the worst sound. Any thoughts on why?