Article on Mosaic from the Stamford Advocate

[mjzee]

Can your heart stand it??

Stamford Advocate

[tranemonk]

Nice piece!!! Makes me want to crash over there sometime... :rolleyes:

[papsrus]

Nice. Thanks.

Love the photo of Wenzel as a young child sitting in front of his record player, records all over the floor -- much like Steve McQueen and his records all over the floor in the Time photos linked in another thread.

What's the deal with leaving records out of their sleeves all over the floor? I don't remember doing that when I had records.

Edited October 12, 2010 by papsrus

[mjzee]

I remember those white records...

[mellowT]

I wonder if they give tours. I'd especially like to see the trophy case with all the #0001 sets.

Also, Michael Cuscuna's secret stash of low number sets he keeps selling on eBay.

[medjuck]

Interesting that the Crosby and Armstrong are their best sellers. I guess they appeal to an audience outside that of jazz fans. Glad the Crosby worked out for them. I remember taht when ti was announced some of us had our doubts about its appeal.

[BFrank]

Nice article. Short, but informative.

[sidewinder]

Good stuff. First time I've seen a photo of the legendary 'Fred'.

[Ron S]

The company has three full time employees

So now it's just Scott, Fred, and Michael?

[J.A.W.]

The company has three full time employees

So now it's just Scott, Fred, and Michael?

Yes.

[gmonahan]

The company has three full time employees

So now it's just Scott, Fred, and Michael?

So it would seem. You can't say it's not an *efficient* operation! Still, seems kind of fragile, doesn't it? Sigh...don't want to think about it.

gregmo

[John Tapscott]

Nice article. Looking forward to the next Mosaic shipping sale!

[tranemonk]

I was DEFINITELY one of the skeptics. :rolleyes:

Interesting that the Crosby and Armstrong are their best sellers. I guess they appeal to an audience outside that of jazz fans. Glad the Crosby worked out for them. I remember taht when ti was announced some of us had our doubts about its appeal.

Anybody know where Cindy went to???? She was truly fantastic!

The company has three full time employees

So now it's just Scott, Fred, and Michael?

Yes.

[J.A.W.]

Anybody know where Cindy went to???? She was truly fantastic!

She got a job elsewhere.

[Clunky]

Anybody know where Cindy went to???? She was truly fantastic!

She got a job elsewhere.

weren't there 7 employees just 2 years ago, if my memory is correct it underlines the down sizing that Mosaic has been through.

[AllenLowe]

not to cast a pall here, but there is NO mention of Charlie Lourie, who was not only one of the founders but one of the nicest people ever in the jazz biz. How could they not mention him?

[J.A.W.]

not to cast a pall here, but there is NO mention of Charlie Lourie, who was not only one of the founders but one of the nicest people ever in the jazz biz. How could they not mention him?

You're right, that's a serious omission.

[paul secor]

not to cast a pall here, but there is NO mention of Charlie Lourie, who was not only one of the founders but one of the nicest people ever in the jazz biz. How could they not mention him?

You're right, that's a serious omission.

Michael Cuscuna wasn't quoted in the article, so he probably wasn't interviewed. If he had been, I'm sure that Charlie Lourie would have been mentioned as co-founder of Mosaic.

[mellowT]

not to cast a pall here, but there is NO mention of Charlie Lourie, who was not only one of the founders but one of the nicest people ever in the jazz biz. How could they not mention him?

You're right, that's a serious omission.

Michael Cuscuna wasn't quoted in the article, so he probably wasn't interviewed. If he had been, I'm sure that Charlie Lourie would have been mentioned as co-founder of Mosaic.

Just tonight I stumbled upon this fellow's interview of Cuscuna for JAZZ that was posted two days ago. His name is Gerald C Watson II and writes this on his Facebook page:

Just uploaded my latest interview for JAZZ. Subject is Mosaic Records co-founder and owner Micheal Cuscuna....they pretty much invented the box set:

JAZZ – Michael Cuscuna (Mosaic Records) « New Ish

Though there are typos that makes for difficult comprehension in parts, I found the interview quite interesting. Charlie Lourie is not left out.

[brownie]

Very interesting the mention that Scott Wenzel is working on a Jimmie Lunceford set!

Last phrase from that Michael Cuscuna interview (thanks MellowT for linking it

Scott Wenzel is working on ‘30s Ellington and Lunceford sets at the moment.

[AllenLowe]

I wouldn't say they INVENTED the boxed set.

[Brad]

Nice article. I used to live in Stamford (but before I became interested in jazz). However, I did drive up there once and met Scott. However, I think he had hair then

Yeah, Cindy was great. Hope she's doing well.

[gmonahan]

I wouldn't say they INVENTED the boxed set.

It says *definitive* boxed set, and I'd say that comes fairly close. There weren't a lot of "complete recordings of [blank]" before Mosaic.

A Lunceford 30s set? THAT sounds very cool!

gregmo

[Chuck Nessa]

The Columbia Bessie Smith set (not boxed) was the first non classical program I can recall. Complete boxes were relatively common for classical music in the late lp era.

[medjuck]

I remember two box sets from Columbia in the early '60s which between them contained all the '30s Billie Holiday master takes Columbia owned.