How we've changed re. Mosaic

[David Ayers]

Time was that we'd have had a countdown, rushed to get sets we had never previously even considered, patted each other on the back for sets ordered or arrived, commiserated the late click of procrastination.

How we are today: the Complete Johnny Guitar Watson set disappears from the last chance list and no-one considers it worth a mention.

It was Johnny Guitar Watson, wasn't it?

[sidewinder]

You mean the Johnny Smith? I'd not noticed that that one had now gone until this morning. Fine set..

[AfricaBrass]

I purchased my last regular Mosaic set in 2004 and my last Mosaic Select in 2007. Man, this has been a long financial rut for me.

Fortunately, I bought the Johnny Smith on its release.

I check their website, every so often, and receive emails from them, so I follow the status of the sets. It has been so hard seeing new sets come and go.

I am not of fan of this century (the 21st). I miss the good ol' days too. I still dream about all the shopping I did in the 90's.

[ejp626]

I don't feel obligated to rush out and get everything, but there are two sets that I plan on ordering within the next few months.

[jazzbo]

My personal feelings haven't changed regarding Mosaic at all. For the last six years or so I've pre-ordered nearly every set. They're an event for me.

Edited April 23, 2013 by jazzbo

[tranemonk]

I'm still on board with Mosaic although, my enthusiasm has waned a bit especially with the demise of the Selects. I'm still waiting for my Betty Carter Select....

My personal feelings haven't changed regarding Mosaic at all. For the last six years or so I've pre-ordered nearly every set. They're an event for me.

[colinmce]

Simply can't afford them, either to buy or own. Time was I had 10+ big boxes and 20+ Selects. They're all gone now. I couldn't justify owning them given my financial situation. I don't think about them any more, or pay much mind to the label. So it goes.

[felser]

It was one thing in the early days when the sets were until then unavailable on CD Blue Notes, such as the Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, etc. It's another thing when the sets are things I would not have considered essential to my listening joy. They can still pump up the excitement in me when the material is right, like with the Mingus set, but most of what they come out with these days isn't anything I was dreaming of.

[mjazzg]

Just too expensive for me too.

Glad i got the Rivers and all the Hills and a couple of other Selects when times were better. Would still like to get Hutcherson Select someday. Braxton and Threadgill would've been nice but an unaffordable extravagance given how much i had of them already.on vinyl.

I've always been disappointed that they don't reproduce artwork - never could understand why not. I can live without now and I'm glad I never caught the buy on release 'bug'.

[Bluesnik]

I finished ordering Mosaics around 2004 or so, but I'm still informed about their catalogue and their new sets and could decide to jump on one eventually. But this isn't too probable now. The sets I'd be most interested in are OOP. And the demise of the Selects is a big drawback.

[.:.impossible]

I own one Mosaic set, and I received it as a Christmas gift one year.

[sidewinder]

I am not of fan of this century (the 21st). I miss the good ol' days too. I still dream about all the shopping I did in the 90's.

In that case you need a Tardis to take you to Tower Sunset Boulevard circa 1999 with the racks full of Conns, all of the Fantasy reissues in stock, a whole shelf of Japanese imports and the early Sony/Miles boxes just hitting the tarmac !

My personal feelings haven't changed regarding Mosaic at all. For the last six years or so I've pre-ordered nearly every set. They're an event for me.

Totally agree with regard to the personal feelings for Mosaic. They have led to some wonderful musical discoveries for me. Don't usually pre-order these days though (the Mingus was an exception) and if I can buy here in Europe that's the route I prefer to take. US/Europe shipping $ hit is a real pain..

Edited April 23, 2013 by sidewinder

[David Ayers]

My problem is time. I just counted six unopened big box sets here. I get through one a year, if that. So at that rate...

[AfricaBrass]

I am not of fan of this century (the 21st). I miss the good ol' days too. I still dream about all the shopping I did in the 90's.

In that case you need a Tardis to take you to Tower Sunset Boulevard circa 1999 with the racks full of Conns, all of the Fantasy reissues in stock, a whole shelf of Japanese imports and the early Sony/Miles boxes just hitting the tarmac !

>My personal feelings haven't changed regarding Mosaic at all. For the last six years or so I've pre-ordered nearly every set. They're an event for me.

Totally agree with regard to the personal feelings for Mosaic. They have led to some wonderful musical discoveries for me. Don't usually pre-order these days though (the Mingus was an exception) and if I can buy here in Europe that's the route I prefer to take. US/Europe shipping $ hit is a real pain..

I lived in SoCal back then. It was a paradise for me. I used to shop at the Sunset Tower along with Aron's when I'd drive up from OC.

In many ways, this is a great time since I can get so many things online at blowout prices, but it isn't the same. I still dream of the record stores I used to haunt. I spent nearly every lunch hour at my local Tower. I think they thought I was a lunatic or something. lol

I had no idea how good we had it back then, but at least I enjoyed it as much as I could.

[David Ayers]

Here it was national record shop day at the weekend. The local HMV was closed that morning for stock-taking. I read an article about record shops in the online paper. In the vox pop comment section one guy had written that he'd been buying CDs since the year dot and still loved to do so, but that at times even he found himself standing in a record store wondering what the hell, really, he was doing there.

[king ubu]

No major changes here ... other than me not listening to much jazz at all these days.

I never pre-ordered any Mosaic, I was lagging behind ever since I found out about them, and it's still like that (I need among others the Mingus, the Hawkins, the Lunceford, the Hines, the Jamal, might get the MJQ, too ... and there are a few others).

I love the Selects, too, and am sorry to see them go. Still need a few of them, too (the Booby, for one).

As for the big ones, I endorse them doing more older jazz ... and - just thinking out loud: might that be a reason for changed perception? Since all the "cult" Blue Note material has come and gone and they're onto different things now, they don't have that magical BN aura around them any more much ...

[sidewinder]

I wasn't expecting to be a big fan of the material in the older sets when I started out with Mosaic but over the years their appeal has got better and better and been a real eye-opener to talents I would otherwise have missed. Some real scholarship has gone into the putting together of those sets by Scott and co. and the sonic sources that they have dug out have often been incredible (must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

(must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

With their HQ in Glasgow

MG

[JSngry]

They've been my doctor, my lawyer, my mother, my father...

[Clunky]

(must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

With their HQ in Glasgow

MG

er.... you mean Edinburgh

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

(must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

With their HQ in Glasgow

MG

er.... you mean Edinburgh

I thought it was Glasgow where you score all your 78s.

MG

[Clunky]

(must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

With their HQ in Glasgow

MG

er.... you mean Edinburgh

I thought it was Glasgow where you score all your 78s.

MG

This is the place in my home town - Edinburgh

[Face of the Bass]

I wish they'd think outside the box a little bit more. I would like to see more avant-jazz material from the 1970s and later, personally. The reissues of big bands from the 1930s and 1940s get old for me really quickly.

[Late]

I would like to see more avant-jazz material from the 1970s and later, personally.

Agreed. I have the Ellington Small Groups, Lunceford, and Hawkins — and love them — but always thought a Sam Rivers Trio* box set would be brilliant.

* horn, bass, drums OR horn, tuba, drums ... OR (better) both! But I imagine licensing from all the smaller labels might be prohibitive. But maybe not? The music, overall, is amazing.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

(must be a world-wide mafia of 78rpm collectors meeting up in secret once in a while ).

With their HQ in Glasgow

MG

er.... you mean Edinburgh

I thought it was Glasgow where you score all your 78s.

MG

This is the place in my home town - Edinburgh

Smart-looking place!

MG