jazzbo Posted December 1, 2003 Report Posted December 1, 2003 I can understand that I guess. I've been buying this music since the seventies, and I've had many versions of much of the RCA set, but the RCA set sounds fantastic, has it all under one roof, and was a nice centennial tribute. Likewise, I've bought the best versions of the Brunswick, Vocalian, Okeh, Harmony, etc. material because. . . I LOVE THIS MUSIC! It has traveled with me on my jazz journey for some time, and I want it at its best. There is little else like it! Quote
mikeweil Posted December 1, 2003 Report Posted December 1, 2003 I love the RCA box. . . I'm so glad I have it! Different strokes for different folks! Me too - except for the book falling apart! Got me a sealed copy on Ebay this summer for just 70 Euros!!! Quote
jazzbo Posted December 1, 2003 Report Posted December 1, 2003 My book fell apart too. Darn. But that's cool. Read it once, and knew most everything in it already! Quote
Sundog Posted December 1, 2003 Report Posted December 1, 2003 My book fell apart too. Darn. But that's cool. Read it once, and knew most everything in it already! Ditto on the book falling apart. I've been trying to find some oversize sheet protectors with holes for use in 3 ring binders. No luck though. Too bad they couldn't properly bind that book. Quote
Harold_Z Posted December 1, 2003 Report Posted December 1, 2003 I've heard maybe 10 or so discs out of the RCA box and I think they sound great. As Lon said - this is stuff that you want in the best sound you can get because it is SOOO good. I have it a lot of it in various issues, including some great sounding RCA lps from the 50s, but I really think this RCA box sounds the best of what I've heard. OTOH -what I've heard of Proper issues does not come up to this standard (I haven't heard the Duke box). Yes, if it's great the music comes first, but - believe me - sound matters and a bad remaster can lose a lot of the music and make a performance that may turn you on leave you cold. Quote
jazzbo Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 That's pretty much the list I would draw up. I have the Classics all the way up to 1940 as well; they don't always sound the best by any means, but they're chronological and fill a lot of gaps. I actually have a few of the Masters of Jazz too for the same reasons. And I really don't think the Columbia cds sound bad, they sound pretty decent in many aspects. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 I use Classics and Neatworks to fill in the rest. Quote
BruceH Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 (edited) I love the RCA box. . . I'm so glad I have it! Different strokes for different folks! Seriously, it's a mixed bag, and I can see why anyone would be into it. I like the idea of it. But for me the bad mastering of the early stuff is a deal-breaker. On my system the early music sounds like boken glass coming through my speakers. Not good! Edited December 2, 2003 by BruceH Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 The early side remasterings are the parts I like best. Quote
Leeway Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 OTOH -what I've heard of Proper issues does not come up to this standard (I haven't heard the Duke box). I have the Proper Box Ellington "Masterpieces." The sound quality is pretty good overall. They also do a really nice job with the accompanying booklet (although I did just notice a track listing error). What I'd like to know is if Proper, or the producers of the 40 CD set, actually have any original masters to work with, or all these all made from 78 and LP dubs? What is their source material? Quote
jazzbo Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 I'm with Chuck on this one. The remastering of the early stuff sounds superb on my system! Quote
Harold_Z Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 ...And I'm with Chuck and Lon. The RCA box sounds a lot better tham the EARLY ELLINGTON RCA CD that came out in the late 80s. I think it's the best I've heard and it beats the RCA vinyl - which was consistently excellent on vintage material. Quote
Harold_Z Posted December 2, 2003 Report Posted December 2, 2003 What I'd like to know is if Proper, or the producers of the 40 CD set, actually have any original masters to work with, or all these all made from 78 and LP dubs? What is their source material? Yeah...that is the big question..I'm sure they don't have access to the original metal parts- so I guess they're limited to dubs, 78s, and digital cloning. Quote
David Ayers Posted December 4, 2003 Report Posted December 4, 2003 First, Proper and History are unrelated. Second, Proper boxes are credited as "compiled and prduced for release by Joop Visser" and "digitally remastered by Peter Rynston". That, plainly, does not tell the whole story. Quote
nmorin Posted January 12, 2004 Author Report Posted January 12, 2004 I picked up the 40 CD box set from History. My two cents: The sound is acceptable, if not first rate, but certainly not the quality of the RCA box. The sound is of a similar quality as the Classics CDs. The 40CD set is largely, but not quite, complete--at least compared to what is on the discs in the Classics sequence. It misses a couple tunes here and there (e.g., compared to Classics 1928-1929, 1938-1939, 1939 Vol 2), and misses essentially all of Classics 1939-1940. It gets spotty in 1946-1947. Like the Classics sequence, it skips a bunch of the early sides in which Duke was accompanying vocalists--these are on the first couple Masters of Jazz CDs. Still, for under $90, and another couple dozen bucks patching up the misses relative to the Classics CDs, I am thrilled having an essentially complete set of Ellington master takes from 1924 to 1947. By the way, a VERY nice online Ellington sessionography can be found at A Duke Ellington Panorama Quote
medjuck Posted January 12, 2004 Report Posted January 12, 2004 I'm with Chuck on this one. The remastering of the early stuff sounds superb on my system! I agree about the early stuff. My problem is with the first '40s stuff. I found Jack the Bear to be unlistenable. However i I was able to get hold of the 2 Dreyfus releases of that material which sound great. Quote
Tom Storer Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 I ordered this set on amazon.co.uk on December 1, and the estimated delivery date kept getting pushed back and back. Now they've informed me they've given up trying to get it and cancelled my order. Oh, well. I'll just have to use that money on something else! Quote
EKE BBB Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 I ordered this set on amazon.co.uk on December 1, and the estimated delivery date kept getting pushed back and back. Now they've informed me they've given up trying to get it and cancelled my order. Oh, well. I'll just have to use that money on something else! It was the same for me, Tom, but with cduniverse.com. This item was backordered for a couple of months, and finally I got tired and didn´t postpone the order anymore. Quote
couw Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 (edited) maybe try here or here Edited February 18, 2004 by couw Quote
Saxophone__Vagina Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=2595237156 is the same set on ebay. That seller is selling a lot of complete sets for similar low prices. Quote
Stefan Wood Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 The seller claims that the sound quality "to his ears" sounds better than the RCA box. Interesting.......... and probably not true. Quote
EKE BBB Posted February 19, 2004 Report Posted February 19, 2004 Thanks for the hints, guys. With my recent acquisitions, I´m in doubt about picking this box-set. There´s too much duplication in my Ellington collection. I shoud sit down calmly, peruse a good discography and compare it to my collection. It will take some time, I´m afraid... Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.