Condon Mob Mosaic

[jgthomas]

Any fans of this Mosaic set?

I was wondering how much Pee Wee Russell and Peanuts Hucko you

get on this...the Mosaic site indicates 2 sessions for Russell and 1 session

for Hucko. Is that it? Are the sessions with Russell and Hucko only

available in the Mosaic box set?

Thanks!

John

[jazzbo]

That IS all there is of these in the set.

I believe that both are available, at least the masters, elsewhere, but I don't have details at the moment. I think I have both sessions on another release, but they sound considerably better on the Mosaic set. I don't have the time right now to hunt and peck I'm afraid.

[montg]

I'm a big fan of both Condon sets. In addition to Peanuts and Pee Wee, don't forget Edmond Hall! For me, he's the best of the three. Always interesting, with a sharp attack coupled with a slightly rough-edged sound, seems to fit in perfectly with the Condon idiom. And then there's a lot of Matty Matlock, whose clarinet playing is very different from Edmond's--smoother, melodic, very pretty. Nice contrast.

In addition to the all star clarinetists, there are so many others who stand out--two of my favorites, Bobby Hackett & Tea, are both here as well. In fact, for me, Bobby Hackett's quartet sessions, and his session with Lee Wiley, are the highest points of this box.

And then there's Abe Lincoln who, with the mute, sounds like he's speaking Chinese on the trombone on Chinatown, my Chinatown... I could go on and on. If you have any interest in this music at all, I'd save the pennies and grab it. I believe very little has been on CD prior to this box (the Lee Wiley sessions are about it, I believe). And Sony, like Verve and the other "majors" have really shown very little interest in the Chicago/Condon type of jazz so once the Mosaic goes, it could be a long wait.

[frank m]

jg---

I hope we're talking about the same Mosaic set. I mean "Classic Columbia Condon Mob Sessions".(MD8-206)

I count 4 sessions for PeeWee and 4 for Peanuts. Counting alternate takes I make it 21 cuts for PeeWee and 14 for Peanuts. As for being available elsewhere there are some 29 out of print lp's this Mosaic was culled from. Go figure what your chances are.

There is another condon Mosaic--"The Complete CBS recordings of Eddie Condon and his Allstars"

MQ7-152 which is, except for the last record, terrific. If you haven't heard their version of "Old Mis" you have missed the best hunk of that brand of Chicago style jeaa. IMHO

[Dr. Rat]

I'm a big fan of both Condon sets. In addition to Peanuts and Pee Wee, don't forget Edmond Hall! For me, he's the best of the three. Always interesting, with a sharp attack coupled with a slightly rough-edged sound, seems to fit in perfectly with the Condon idiom.

I think Pee Wee was the best of the clarinettists who worked with Condon, but by the time they recorded for Columbia, I think his mind was elsewhere: on some of his own projects, on expanding his horizons beyond Chicago style, on his resentment of Condon (by no means the only aspect of their relationship).

Hall was a very capable musician, of course, always professional and occasionally hitting on something really interesting, but he wasn't the adventurer Russell was, for good & ill. But the good thing about Russell is, we don't have to listen to the ill!

--eric

[montg]

Pee Wee's never been at the top of my list. I understand that the squeaks and the shakiness are part of his "thing". I appreciate what he's doing, it just doesn't move me much.

Edmond Hall's collaborations with Vic Dickenson, on Blue Note and later on Vanguard, are at the pinnacle of jazz, for me.

[jazzbo]

I like all those guys, but Pee Wee is the one for me; what a mind!

[jazzbo]

Here's the online discography. 21 tracks with Pee Wee and 14 with Peanuts as mentioned above.

CONDON MOB DISCO:

It's a great set. If you go through Classics and other European labels the Freeman and some other sessions ARE on cd, but a lot of the later sessions aren't, more's the pity. One day I bet, after we've all bought the Mosaic.

Edited February 15, 2004 by jazzbo

[ghost of miles]

I may pick this one up when I order the Herman later this spring. I'm sure the Lee Wiley sessions have much better sound than the current versions that I've got... In general this box doesn't cover one of my more favored styles of jazz, but it might help me develop an appreciation for it--and I do dig Bobby Hackett.

[king ubu]

I will probably pick this up, too, but not right now.

Was also wondering about the Condon LP set (mentioned above) - seems to be one to get before it goes OOP, but those LPs are so darn expansive, and I would actually prefer having it on CD... yet the music is the main thing.

How does the music compare to the stuff on the Capitol set? Some musicians are on both of them. I am only getting into this "dixieland" thing or whatever you call it, but what I heard so far was quite beautiful music.

ubu

[jazzbo]

The first Condon box is to my ears quite different than the Capitol box. The "dixieland" material in the Capitol does not have Condon's hand in its shaping, and Condon's Chicago Style is a different format than the predominantly Bob Crosby band member material in the Capitol box.

Both are great boxes. . . the Capitol of course has a huge variety from big band bombast to very small unit filligree. . . .The Condon Columbia is also more recent recordings, stereo, from that beautiful studio Columbia used to use.

[king ubu]

The first Condon box is to my ears quite different than the Capitol box. The "dixieland" material in the Capitol does not have Condon's hand in its shaping, and Condon's Chicago Style is a different format than the predominantly Bob Crosby band member material in the Capitol box.

Both are great boxes. . . the Capitol of course has a huge variety from big band bombast to very small unit filligree. . . .The Condon Columbia is also more recent recordings, stereo, from that beautiful studio Columbia used to use.

Thanks, Lon! Sounds even better!

ubu

[montg]

How does the music compare to the stuff on the Capitol set?

The Condon material tends to have a looser feel. Some tunes run for over 10 minutes in jam session fashion. And, with folks like Wild Bill Davison and Pee Wee it's a little less polished. Glorious stuff. As is the Capitol material.

[Roger Hiles]

Just a note for those interested in getting the material on the "Complete CBS Recordings of Eddie Condon and His All Stars" (Mosaic#152) on CD, most has been reissued on three "two-fers" on the Collectables label:

Click here for details

Edited February 16, 2004 by Roger Hiles

[Harold_Z]

Yeah..with the collectables you get everything except the live Newport material (one lp side. The other side was Louis Armstrong) and the final (and weakest) date.

Either way it's GREAT music and with the Mosaic you also get a very good booklet.

[king ubu]

Playing the Condon Mob right now.

Disc one with the Bud Freeman & George Wettling dates are terrific (dig Cozy Cole! Hellyeah!)

But disc two is a pretty lame Dorseylandbanddixieland schtick... makes me want to reach for the Blue Note dates with Sydney De Paris, James P. and Dickenson!

Looking forward to discs 3 etc. now... the only one I played right when I got the set was disc eight - with the two Wild Bill w/strings tracks - too bad the Arbors disc of the two albums is gone! these two cuts are terrific! - and the whole Lee Wiley stuff (all three of her 1950/51 Columbia 10 inch albums).

[king ubu]

Just finished disc three - the Hackett sessions are pretty nice, the second is very good!

The material that follows by Matty Malnock and the first Rampart Street Paraders date are fine, too - much better I think than the Dorsey material. Eddie Miller on tenor is pretty good - I have positive memories of him from the Classic Capitol Mosaic set, too. And Abe Lincoln on trombone isn't bad, either - he's great opening up "Sheik of Araby"!

[king ubu]

Quickly approaching end of disc five - a most enjoyable 2 1/2 discs by the Rampart Street Paraders!

[king ubu]

Also played disc six yesterday, the Jimmy McPartland sessions - not bad, again. Some very nice Tyree Glenn trombone, and that Dick Cary chap is interesting! Looking forward to hearing his own date on disc seven!

Oh, and before I forget, some nice Coleman Hawkins (AND Bud Freeman) on the "Music Man" album, too!

[montg]

Quickly approaching end of disc five - a most enjoyable 2 1/2 discs by the Rampart Street Paraders!

I enjoy these discs quite a bit too; more than I expected I would when I purchased the set. None of the names were familiar to me at the time.

[Kalo]

Quickly approaching end of disc five - a most enjoyable 2 1/2 discs by the Rampart Street Paraders!

I enjoy these discs quite a bit too; more than I expected I would when I purchased the set. None of the names were familiar to me at the time.

Not even Abe Lincoln?