Recommend me a box set

[Face of the Bass]

So, having jettisoned a few box sets from my shelves, I have a bit of cash to play with to pick up something new. And I'd like to get input.

Here's where my tastes incline these days:

a.) Not Free Jazz and (for the most part) not Hard Bop. I have plenty of that stuff. I'm mainly looking at music from the 1930s through the 1950s.

b.) Something rooted in African American forms of expression. The closer the music gets to the black churches the better.

c.) Something historically significant, that tells an important chapter in the history of jazz music, regardless of its intrinsic quality.

d.) Something thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.

I've been looking off and on at the following sets:

From Mosaic: the recent Coleman Hawkins set, the big Duke Ellington box from the 1930s, the Dizzy Gillespie box

Not from Mosaic: the Complete Charlie Parker on Verve, the Complete Jazz at the Philharmonic

The thing that has paralyzed me and prevented me from going for any of the above sets is the following:

a.) Coleman Hawkins--Slight aversion to big band music, too many vocalists

b.) Duke Ellington box--See above.

c.) Dizzy Gillespie box--A step below his most important music. Too much of an Afro-Cuban vibe that I've never found entirely compelling.

d.) Complete Charlie Parker on Verve--Also a step below his most important music. Too many alternate takes of the same thing.

e.) Complete Jazz at the Philharmonic--Too repetitious and formulaic.

What attracts me to each of those boxes:

a.) Coleman Hawkins--bridges the gap from swing to bebop, major influence on his instrument

b.) Duke Ellington--It's Duke f***ing Ellington.

c.) Dizzy Gillespie--Hearing music that bridges different styles, plus I don't own much Gillespie.

d.) Complete Charlie Parker on Verve--Really a basic feeling that I should have this material, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the Savoy & Dial recordings.

e.) Complete Jazz at the Philharmonic--Even if it is formulaic and repetitious, amazing musicians playing together and burning like crazy. A desire to hear major talent showing off and not apologizing for it. The musical equivalent of a slam dunk contest.

Any feedback welcome.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Face of the Bass

[lipi]

I recommend the Duke Brunswick/Columbia/Master set. I don't have any of the others, though, so... (FWIW: the Parker and Gillespie are simply not my thing, the JATP I have the same misgivings about that you have, and the Hawkins duplicates a lot of what I have elsewhere.)

If you have a slight aversion to big band, and if you don't own it yet, the Mosaic Duke Variety/Vocalion/Okeh small group set is a good one to consider, too. I prefer it to the big band set. It's a little more manageable in size--I can fit it all in my head, almost--and it's a little more varied in tone. They're both brilliant, though.

While we're talking Ellington: The sound/the mastering/the whatever has never been to my liking, but the Blanton-Webster stuff is from the right period, incredibly important, and damn' fun. I don't really know why many of the recordings sound so poor--even on legit releases like the RCA Centennial set. The good news is that you can pick up the "Never No Lament" set cheaply as MP3s from Amazon.

Other things that come to mind are the Bechet Mosaic Select (the collection is not terribly coherent, but it is all fantastic music), the recent Armstrong Mosaic, and the Frémaux Armstrong series. The latter is kind of a box set if you get a bunch of them, right?

[jazzbo]

I recommend the other Ellington Mosaic in stock, the Small Group.

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=235-MD-CD

Amazing music! Great mastering.

How do you feel about the Benedetti Charlie Parker set from Mosaic? I think it's one of the best sets Mosaic ever released, and a fascinating well to draw listening sessions from.

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=129-MD-CD

If you don't have the material elsewhere, the Woody Shaw Columbia box set from www.popmarket.com is an excellent set.

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=129-MD-CD

Edited September 8, 2012 by jazzbo

[Chuck Nessa]

I am out of town for a week, with limited access and this kind of question is what I dream of. Email me in 10 days if you want me to intrude.

[kh1958]

The five you list are all great choices, but given your expressed personal tastes, I would recommend the Dizzy set.

[GA Russell]

Your mention of black churches makes me think of Charles Mingus.

Complete RCA and Columbia box - $30.42

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y2W49W/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00

Complete Atlantic - $129.99 (used - $40.99)

http://www.amazon.com/Passions-Man-Complete-Recordings-1956-1961/dp/B000003446/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1347148639&sr=1-1&keywords=Charles+Mingus+Atlantic

[John Tapscott]

The five you list are all great choices, but given your expressed personal tastes, I would recommend the Dizzy set.

I second that. It's a wonderful set.

[paul secor]

A couple of other Mosaics you might consider:

Lionel Hampton

Django Reinhardt

[JETman]

This is one of my favorite Mosaics, and well worth the search, IMHO. Unfortunately, it's out of print, though:

#187 The Complete H.R.S. Sessions (6 CDs)

[colinmce]

HRS is a great suggestion, as is the Ellington small groups.

I would put a bid in for the Bird. There is no such thing as too much. Are you familiar with his Verve stuff? Its not the same as the Savoys & Dials but it's still jarringly great.

[JSngry]

a.) Not Free Jazz and (for the most part) not Hard Bop. I have plenty of that stuff. I'm mainly looking at music from the 1930s through the 1950s.

b.) Something rooted in African American forms of expression. The closer the music gets to the black churches the better.

c.) Something historically significant, that tells an important chapter in the history of jazz music, regardless of its intrinsic quality.

d.) Something thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.

or, if you want something easier to find:

The first one is ostensibly "rhythm & blues", but...that's semantics/marketing/cultural myopia/whatever. The second is some of ostensibly both, but again, whatever.

This is the one set I can think of off the top of my head that meets all of your criteria in pretty much unambiguous form. You might think that the larger box violates the No Hard Bop clause, but a lot of this stuff (even the "R&B") actually inspired Hard Bop as a "genre" rather than the other way around, so I think the Historically Significant To The History Of Jazz clause FTW is the right play.

Otherwise, as far as your B & C, hey, no brainer.

[GA Russell]

Horace Silver - Retrospective - used Like New $74.99

http://www.amazon.com/Retrospective-Horace-Silver/dp/B00000JYZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1347203189&sr=1-1&keywords=horace+silver+box+set

[Face of the Bass]

How do you feel about the Benedetti Charlie Parker set from Mosaic? I think it's one of the best sets Mosaic ever released, and a fascinating well to draw listening sessions from.

I actually got the Charlie Parker last year and was a bit disappointed. The playing is great but I underestimated how much cutting out full performances would bother me. I don't really like having a huge set of Parker solos where you often lose a lot of the interaction between the other musicians.

Thanks for the suggestions. Right now I'm thinking it's between the Gillespie set and the HRS sessions, if I can find those for a decent price. (Plus the Gillespie is on backorder at the moment, but I'm not in any particular rush.)

[jazzbo]

I can understand that. I've actually gotten more out of this over the years in repeated listenings.

[.:.impossible]

Looking forward to Chuck's enthusiastic response. In the meantime, how familiar are you with Dust To Digital?

http://www.dust-digital.com/catalog/

Lots of option that fit your criteria.

[scoos_those_ blues]

How about a compilation box set? I recommend the "Goodbye Babylon" box on Dust to Digital.

Alternatively, I have the first two four-disc sets in this excellent "History of Rhythm and Blues" series (spanning 1925 to 1952, they are highly enjoyable: http://www.rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/history.htm. They span quite a wide range of styles including country blues, gospel and jazz. They are well sequenced for an enjoyable listen all the way through.

Edited September 9, 2012 by scoos_those_ blues

[Face of the Bass]

At the moment I'm hoping to stay in the jazz canon, but Goodbye Babylon looks very tempting.

It occurred to me that I'm probably overthinking all of this. I was rereading part of Scott Deveaux's book on the origins of Bebop and it occurred to me that the Coleman Hawkins set meets all my criteria. The only Hawkins from this period that I have is the four-disc set on Properbox, some of which is repeated in the set, but not that much overall. I was actually originally supposed to get the Hawkins set last Christmas from my father, but after several months passed and there was no box by mutual agreement we changed the present to something else. After reading the thread on the Hawkins set that seems like a good direction to go in. I am still very intrigued by the HRS box, although its OOP and thus more expensive to track down. The Hawkins is in print and not on backorder, so it seems like a simple solution...

[JSngry]

The Hawk set is an incredible (and incredibly engrossing) collection, but...where are you getting "the black church" thing out of this? Just wondering...

Edited September 9, 2012 by JSngry

[scoos_those_ blues]

I have heard good things about the Hawk JSP: http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Sides-1929-1939-Coleman-Hawkins/dp/B000IAZ3SG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347230509&sr=8-1&keywords=hawkins+jsp

[J.A.W.]

The Hawk set is an incredible (and incredibly engrossing) collection

Seconded, it's an amazing set with relatively excellent sound. It thrashes all other Hawkins collections.

[JETman]

According to forum rules, not ok to link this.

[Blue Train]

The thinking outside of the box. Pun intended.

Jelly Roll Morton - The Complete Library of Congress Recordings

Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944)

Bill Evans - Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate (this one is new and and is outside the years requested.)

Charlie Christian - The Genius Of The Electric Guitar

Stan Getz & Kenny Barron - People Time - The Complete Recordings (also outside of the years.)

Non-Jazz outside of the time period and/or recent

Aretha Franklin - Take a Look: Complete on Columbia

The Complete Stax (pick the years you like)

Edited September 9, 2012 by Blue Train

[Face of the Bass]

The Hawk set is an incredible (and incredibly engrossing) collection, but...where are you getting "the black church" thing out of this? Just wondering...

Do you mean where am I getting the black church out of Hawkins, or why am I interested in the black church? Just a feeling I've been having lately. But then I tend to hear the black church in a lot of jazz music.

[Blue Train]

Another one that is non-jazz and recent.

Ray Charles - Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles

[scoos_those_ blues]

The thinking outside of the box. Pun intended.

Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944)

I have this 10CD box set and recommend it - it arrived in the mail 4 days ago. I have only listened to the second half of disc two thus far (He Ain't Got Rhythm, This Year's Kisses, Why Was I Born?, I Must Have That Man) - early recordings with Lester Young - excellent small group classic jazz - Prez at the top of his game - highly recommended. The sound is excellent to my ears too. It is available at very reasonable prices if you shop around. The booklet is well written too, with full discography.

Track listing here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Day:_The_Complete_Billie_Holiday_on_Columbia_1933%E2%80%931944

Edited September 9, 2012 by scoos_those_ blues