Complete Collections?

[colinmce]

Any artists you try to get every recorded appearance by, both leader and sideman? For the sake of discussion, let's say there's a 10 record minimum here.

The only ones I can say I'm working on are Ran Blake and Jimmy Lyons, and I'd say I'm a little under halfway there with each. I chose these artists for a few reasons: first and foremost I think they're both unique, brilliant, engaging musicians, but I also think they never showed up on a bum record And with about 30 or less appearances, none of which are terribly obscure, I think this is doable.

Of course, there are plenty of other artists I seek 90-99% coverage of, but wouldn't turn the earth over for every last thing, a la some of Miles' more obscure bootlegs and 80s records, or some of Ornette's sideman appearances.

[BeBop]

I've got the complete Buddy Bolden collection.

But seriously, I spent almost forty years trying to complete one artist. I failed and I've moved on with my life. Even the internet wasn't enough to make the completist thing possible.

[clifford_thornton]

If we're talking commercially-released stuff, I am a completist with certain people.

Those with smaller discographies haven't been too hard to complete collections of: Alan Shorter, Ric Colbeck, Kees Hazevoet. I have all but one Bill Dixon recording, all but one of my o-board namesake. I think all but three Frank Wright-related releases I have (a few of those Penck CDs are hellish to track down).

With labels I have some complete runs. Almost all the Nessas, all the Actuels, pretty good percentage of the ESP catalog, etc...

I find it hard to be a completist with catalogs that are super-huge; invariably, I get interested in someone/something else and that's where my money starts going. Maybe by the time I die I'll have every Archie Shepp vinyl, but there's certainly some of his catalog I don't feel a pressing need to wade through.

But I don't feel like having all this stuff is really the end; if you're trying to learn something about the music, you can have every release by someone and still not get what that person is saying. For that, context is necessary and that's provided by hearing other people's work as well.

Edited October 23, 2012 by clifford_thornton

[jazzbo]

Good points Cliff.

Early on I wanted to have all the Monk and Mingus possible. I've got a large portion of what's available, official and unofficial from these two artists, and I'm still learning from the recordings, definitely still enjoying them.

I'll confess that this is in a large part a "collecting" thing, but I very much enjoy the listening. The collecting part has a diminishing control on my time and money, thank goodness, but it's still strong.

[Chuck Nessa]

I would like to know which issues folks are missing in their collections. We might be able to help as a group. ? should that last sentence been in the "politics" thread? LOL.

[clifford_thornton]

I looked and the only Nessas I am without are the soon-to-be-reissued "Eftsoons" and the Ensayo titles (which have reverted, if I'm not mistaken).

[Chuck Nessa]

I still have the Eftsoons lp in stock and will reissue it on cd (hopefully with more if Mars makes up his mind) next year.

[Stefan Wood]

I would look forward to the reissue, if and when it happens!

[clifford_thornton]

Either way I'll be happy!

[bertrand]

I'm close with Tina Brooks - just missing the tracks with Sonny Thompson.

Bertrand.

[gmonahan]

I've been working on Frank Rosolino for years. He did a LOT of sessions, some of them pretty obscure.

gregmo

[mikeweil]

While researching his discography, I started collecting Cal Tjader - not every issue, but every recorded track. Up to his last years at Concord, only one track released only on a 78/45 rpm single is missing in my collection. From the Concord years, two sidemen dates with Rosemay Clooney, one with Eiji Kitamura (LP only), and one guest appearance with a Japanese big band (Japan LP only) are missing. Oh, and one Woody Herman Jam Session.

I have almost everything by Don Patterson and Melvin Rhyne, too. I may complete these soon ....

Edited October 24, 2012 by mikeweil

[mracz]

I think I'm complete for Hank Mobley's authorised releases (I know from this forum that there is live material out there from Europe, but I've not come across it). Love his playing, fascinating to hear him evolve and change over time, and even the less promising sessions usually have at least one special moment. I'm complete for Trane's commercial recordings, and I have a great many of the non-commercial. The live recordings still throw up surprises/delights, and I particularly enjoyed hearing the Jazz Gallery recordings with Pete Larocca (sp?). The Coltrane quartet before it became THE Coltrane quartet...

[JohnS]

I'm not admitting to being a completist but I have an awful lot of David Murray (leader and sideman), there are probably less than ten commercially issued items I'm aware of that I don't have (or particularly want).

[king ubu]

I guess my Coltrane collection is nearly complete, including unreleased/bootlegged live material. But I wouldn't ever vouch for it. Similar with Miles, though I certainly miss some sixties and seventies unreleased shows and never bothered to get all the eighties shows around (I've got the Montreux and grab some FM and SBD shows if they turn up but from that period, I definitely don't need any AUDs around).

Then, I guess I've got most of what Lester Young recorded ... thanks to the big generosity of some kind forum member

But there, too, I don't think I've got it all - and honestly I don't feel like going places just to get one more alternate take.

Mingus, Monk, Dolphy, Ayler are others where I have a lot, most or all officially released material that came out in its time (i.e. I miss lots of live Monk from the sixties, stuff that came out later on) ... I never bothered to get all the live boots by Dolphy, or to get them in their entirety - I just casually pick up what I find along the way.

Ellington is another case - far from complete, but still collecting - never-ending story, I guess

With others such as Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, Tina Brooks - I'm nearly complete, I guess, but then I don't care about having a gap here or there, or I'm in no hurry to fill the gaps, at least.

With others, I'm virtually complete on some periods, like early Shepp (up to the late sixties), early Cecil Taylor (though with him, the later music is much more relevant to me than later Shepp, which is spotty and often rather dull and uninspired, judging from what I've heard, but also has some hidden jewels and some very worthwhile stuff).

I guess what clifford said above rings true here ... I might get into Woody Shaw again, fill some gaps ... but I move on long before I'd have been able to fill them all.

[JSngry]

Leisurely working my way through with Wayne Shorter's various recorded appearances, which has led to some delightfully surprising back/side roads.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I am pretty sure I have all of Hank Mobley's commercially released recordings with the exception of Archie Shepp's "Yasmina, a Black Woman", which I never got around to getting and don't seem to miss yet.

[jlhoots]

Sonny Clark

[colinmce]

I forgot I'm also a little over halfway to having all of John Carter's appearances on record.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have almost everything by Don Patterson and Melvin Rhyne, too. I may complete these soon ....

What Don Patterson's don't you have Mike? I believe I have them all (a couple courtesy of you )

I'm sure I have all the Grant Green's leader and sideman dates that have come out so far - waiting for the live album on Uptown to issue now.

I believe I'm missing two Gene Ammons albums - 'Hooray for Coltrane' on Session and 'Birdland' on Chazzer (and I'm not sure these aren't mistakes on someone's part). I think I have everything from the 78 era except his appearances with Herman.

I have all Willis Jackson's albums and a lot of his earlier stuff, but there are sideman appearances for King and Atlantic I haven't got.

I have every Groove Holmes leader and sideman recording that's been issued, except 'Working on a groovy thing' and '$6,000,000 man'.

All the issued Baby Face Willette's (thanks to Dan).

All of Lou Donaldson except the material with Brownie. (And, yes, even the trashy ones.)

All the Billy Larkins.

I'm pretty sure I have everything by Sekouba Bambino Diabate, even two sideman albums on which he only plays ngoni (and produced).

I don't know how much Sonny Criss I haven't got; not much, I reckon. But I wouldn't say I COLLECT him, as such, if you know what I mean. I just buy anything I see.

MG

[romualdo]

pretty close with Booker Little

working my way through Eric Dolphy, Joe Harrriott (need more CD reissues), Hank Mobley

[king ubu]

All of Lou Donaldson except the material with Brownie. (And, yes, even the trashy ones.)

Now that, mister, is unforgivable!

Now will you please put on one of these and stand in the corner until called back!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

All of Lou Donaldson except the material with Brownie. (And, yes, even the trashy ones.)

Now that, mister, is unforgivable!

Now will you please put on one of these and stand in the corner until called back!

Don't have anything against those sides - haven't heard them. Couldn't justify getting the Mosaic for those sessions.

Just remembered I have all but one of Johnny Lytle's albums - 'Does it again' PJ.

MH

[colinmce]

With Dolphy, I find myself hindered by some of his early sideman stuff, the LJQ and that Lockjaw date. Don't ever see myself picking any of those up.

All of Lou Donaldson except the material with Brownie. (And, yes, even the trashy ones.)

Now that, mister, is unforgivable!

Now will you please put on one of these and stand in the corner until called back!

Don't have anything against those sides - haven't heard them. Couldn't justify getting the Mosaic for those sessions.

Just remembered I have all but one of Johnny Lytle's albums - 'Does it again' PJ.

MH

The LD Mosaic doesn't have any of the Clifford Brown stuff-- that's all on Brownie's Complete BN/PJ Recordings box. The Mosaic is just several late 50s hard bop dates with the usual suspects, most of which never showed up on CD outside Japan.

[J.A.W.]

All of Lou Donaldson except the material with Brownie. (And, yes, even the trashy ones.)

Now that, mister, is unforgivable!

Now will you please put on one of these and stand in the corner until called back!

Don't have anything against those sides - haven't heard them. Couldn't justify getting the Mosaic for those sessions.

Just remembered I have all but one of Johnny Lytle's albums - 'Does it again' PJ.

MH

The LD Mosaic doesn't have any of the Clifford Brown stuff-- that's all on Brownie's Complete BN/PJ Recordings box. The Mosaic is just several late 50s hard bop dates with the usual suspects, most of which never showed up on CD outside Japan.

The Lou Donaldson/Clifford Brown material (Art Blakey was the leader, of course) was included in the LP-only Clifford Brown Mosaic (#104) and, as posted above, in the later Clifford Brown Complete Blue Note/Pacific Jazz CD-set.

Edited October 24, 2012 by J.A.W.