Lee Konitz: The Milestone Albums

[mjzee]

6 discs. No other information listed on Amazon.

[jeffcrom]

I'm intrigued, but doubt I'll spring for this unless there is previously unreleased material included.

For about 15 minutes I was puzzled - I could only come up with four Milestone albums: Duets, Peacemeal, Spirits, and Satori. Then I remembered the two duet albums with Alan Broadbent, recorded years later.

I'd love to hear some new late-60s/early 70s material, but otherwise I'll pass - I've got all the released stuff except for the second Broadbent duet album.

[J.A.W.]

It's not listed on the Concord site (they own Milestone.)

Just checked the various Amazon sites; according to Amazon Italy it's been available there since March 22 and it's only 19 euros plus change and shipping. It seems to be an Italian Concord release.

There are other Concord boxed sets on Amazon Italy, like an 11CD Eric Dolphy set with his Prestige/New Jazz recordings for 33 euros.

Edited July 29, 2012 by J.A.W.

[Chuck Nessa]

Better they should do a "Complete Prestige" disc including both takes of Yesterdays.

[Eric]

Looks like there is also a Chet Baker box than never came out the US. They also show an 11-CD version of the Dolphy set, versus nine in the domestic version. Wonder what makes up the other two CDs, unless there is a typo.

[jeffcrom]

Better they should do a "Complete Prestige" disc including both takes of Yesterdays.

Agreed! I've been trying to track down a copy of the 78-only take ever since you posted about it in the 78 thread.

[jazzbo]

Looks like there is also a Chet Baker box than never came out the US. They also show an 11-CD version of the Dolphy set, versus nine in the domestic version. Wonder what makes up the other two CDs, unless there is a typo.

My guess is that rather than be the same sequence as in the box set, it's the same material configured as the individual cd releases were?

[king ubu]

In addition to those mentioned, here's boxes by Monk, Evans (Riverside), Ellington (Carnegie Hall), Coltrane, Rollins (Prestige) and I guess others ... all cheap, all with info included, but (I guess - I only got the Rollins and for no real reason) no liners or text at all.

These are "original albums" boxes - the Dolphy misses lots of stuff, the Miles (yeah, one more!) and Evans and Trane have lots of discs more than the older boxes, maybe not the Trane though, as they all are missing the sideman albums.

So they are typical cheaply done yurpeen no-royalties sets, though coming from the actual owners (or rather: produced by Universal, who distributes Concord in yurp) ... no way you can compare them to the great little boxes (Monk Prestige, Sonny Rollins Freelance, Evans Vanguard, Dexter Prestige etc) that Fantasy put out.

[J.A.W.]

They also show an 11-CD version of the Dolphy set, versus nine in the domestic version. Wonder what makes up the other two CDs, unless there is a typo.

I mentioned that one in post #3

In addition to those mentioned, here's boxes by Monk, Evans (Riverside), Ellington (Carnegie Hall), Coltrane, Rollins (Prestige) and I guess others ... all cheap, all with info included, but (I guess - I only got the Rollins and for no real reason) no liners or text at all.

These are "original albums" boxes - the Dolphy misses lots of stuff, the Miles (yeah, one more!) and Evans and Trane have lots of discs more than the older boxes, maybe not the Trane though, as they all are missing the sideman albums.

So they are typical cheaply done yurpeen no-royalties sets, though coming from the actual owners (or rather: produced by Universal, who distributes Concord in yurp) ... no way you can compare them to the great little boxes (Monk Prestige, Sonny Rollins Freelance, Evans Vanguard, Dexter Prestige etc) that Fantasy put out.

Thanks for the info, Flurin.

Edited July 29, 2012 by J.A.W.

[crisp]

In addition to those mentioned, here's boxes by Monk, Evans (Riverside), Ellington (Carnegie Hall), Coltrane, Rollins (Prestige) and I guess others ... all cheap, all with info included, but (I guess - I only got the Rollins and for no real reason) no liners or text at all.

There are also two Art Tatum sets in the series. They are straight ports of the original individual album releases, repackaged in a box. A good way to fill in blanks in a collection, but some of these are badly in need of remastering IMO -- the Tatums are *very* quiet.

[J.A.W.]

There are also two Art Tatum sets in the series. They are straight ports of the original individual album releases, repackaged in a box. A good way to fill in blanks in a collection, but some of these are badly in need of remastering IMO -- the Tatums are *very* quiet.

Why not turn up the volume? They don't sound bad.

Edited July 30, 2012 by J.A.W.

[Guy Berger]

Is Spirits worth getting?

[Larry Kart]

Is Spirits worth getting?

Yes

[colinmce]

+1. Especially for Sal Mosca.

[JSngry]

+2,3,4 and 5

One of my "default" Konitz albums, especially the quartet cuts, which get downright rambunctious.

[crisp]

There are also two Art Tatum sets in the series. They are straight ports of the original individual album releases, repackaged in a box. A good way to fill in blanks in a collection, but some of these are badly in need of remastering IMO -- the Tatums are *very* quiet.

Why not turn up the volume? They don't sound bad.

You know, I hadn't thought of that.

Seriously, I really have to crank it up to hear these. It shouldn't be necessary. The low price makes up for it though.

[J.A.W.]

There are also two Art Tatum sets in the series. They are straight ports of the original individual album releases, repackaged in a box. A good way to fill in blanks in a collection, but some of these are badly in need of remastering IMO -- the Tatums are *very* quiet.

Why not turn up the volume? They don't sound bad.

You know, I hadn't thought of that.

Seriously, I really have to crank it up to hear these. It shouldn't be necessary. The low price makes up for it though.

What I meant is that having to turn the volume up is better than a (serious) loss of dynamics that is the result of loud, "modern" mastering with lots of added digital compression/limiting/what have you. In those cases turning the volume down isn't going to help, that doesn't make up for lost dynamics, what's gone is gone.

Edited July 31, 2012 by J.A.W.

[crisp]

No worries. I hear what you're saying and completely agree -- compression is an horrendous development of recent years. However, these Tatum sets *are* significantly quieter than almost all of my other CDs. For such a classic series of sessions, it deserves better, but as I say, at least it's cheap.