Eddie Condon & Bud Freeman: Complete Commodore & Decca Session

[jazzbo]

Yes. So far I'd say that this Mosaic set sounds better and is of course much more comprehensive. Reveling in some of the great sound right now. . . Chicago Style is helping my mood a lot!

Edited May 9, 2015 by jazzbo

[Harold_Z]

Mine should be arriving this afternoon. Can't wait to hear it. Glad to hear that the sound is great Lon!

[ArtSalt]

I so want this set!

Everyone keeps on saying there's nothing left for Mosaic other than live gigs, I think not, the best is yet to come!

[Clunky]

I was playing an LP of some of the Condon sides and struck how great they were ( regardless of sub genre) and how rubbish the transfers were . Tempted especially as I've not bought a Mosaic in some while .

[SwingItTrev]

Everyone keeps on saying there's nothing left for Mosaic other than live gigs, I think not, the best is yet to come!

Agreed! There's so much Swing Era stuff like this that's never been given the love of restoration or a comprehensive release. Love your work Mosaic!

[gmonahan]

Grrr. No sign of mine yet. Comes from living on the West Coast, I guess. Takes 'em a little while to get over here!

gregmo

[jazzbo]

Hope it arrived Greg. A friend of mine (trumpeter Dave Laczko) got set #2!

I have been all the way through this set, with each disc getting stuck in my transport for a while. I love the sound. I think I have all this stuff here and there and the material sounds great here.

[mjzee]

Review in WSJ.

[gmonahan]

It got here the day after I whined about it. I've been listening to it every since. Great set. Some especially nice Teagarden hidden away in there.

gregmo

[jazzbo]

Absolutely. Tea at his best.

[Clunky]

Absolutely. Tea at his best.

I'm so tempted by this set. I noted last night when skimming through the discography that a number of excellent vocalists appear like Teddy Grace. Bud's sessions are a delight . I think he's a really undervalued player. Modern sounding early on in his career which just kept going. This set is probably for me edging out the Dial for my next purchase?

[Ted O'Reilly]

I've heard pretty much all of this release, and have a couple of remarks... First, the sound is very fine, pretty much the best my old ears can recall. It's always subjective, but the sound on this set should satisfy anyone.

One particular thing really jumped out: the single Commodore session at Liederkranz Hall (Session O in their discography -- November 14, 1940) is an 'oddball' in a couple of ways.

First, that it's at Liederkranz, while most were done at Brunswick and Decca studios, and some later ones at WOR Studios. To my ears, the difference is amazing with the four tracks suddenly jumping out of the speakers with a clarity and resonance the other tracks just don't have. Most are very dry.

It's the same with the late '20s Victor recordings of Duke Ellington at Liederkranz -- a spacy fullness that isn't heard on other Ducal discs of the period. I know that World Transcriptions Library (Decca bought the company in 1943) did a lot of sessions there as did other labels, but one wonders why it wasn't used a lot more. To my ears, the sound is simply that much better.

Another thing about that particular session is that it's somehow "Sponsored". The credit is given as EDDIE CONDON AND HIS BAND SPONSORED BY -- COLIN CAMPBELL but there is no other reference to Mr. Campbell in the notes, and I don't believe I've ever seen that name before. Why would that session need/have a sponsor? Was it the presence of one 'Maurice', aka Fats Waller, who is on no other Commodore session?

[jazzbo]

He's mentioned in "We Called it Music" as a friend of Condon's and he shares at least one song-writing credit with him. . . .That's really all I know so far. Not sure if he is mentioned in the notes to the Commodore Records box sets. . . .

[king ubu]

Will order mine later this week ... and the Dial set as well (crazy, as I have most of its contents via the Spotlite discs, but I'm an official Mosaic nut).

[Clunky]

Will order mine later this week ... and the Dial set as well (crazy, as I have most of its contents via the Spotlite discs, but I'm an official Mosaic nut).

It does not help me when others dare to suggest what I was foolishly considering???.

It's one way of mitigating customs fees.

[king ubu]

Oh well, I'm considering throwing in the Lunceford on top of that, wanted it for a long time, it was on backorder, now it's around again, so ... shipping wise, it won't matter, and having to pay those annoying fees only once helps as well (the VAT doesn't matter of course, have to pay it anyway, as those fees apply on orders of more than c. 65 US$ value, and rarely does a parcel slip by these days).

After that, my Mosaic collection will be more or less up to date - for the first time since I started collecting them. Still want the Goodman, eventually, but other than that and the upcoming Bee Hive, I think I'll have all I want (which is: nearly all of 'em )

[gmonahan]

Oh well, I'm considering throwing in the Lunceford on top of that, wanted it for a long time, it was on backorder, now it's around again, so ... shipping wise, it won't matter, and having to pay those annoying fees only once helps as well (the VAT doesn't matter of course, have to pay it anyway, as those fees apply on orders of more than c. 65 US$ value, and rarely does a parcel slip by these days).

After that, my Mosaic collection will be more or less up to date - for the first time since I started collecting them. Still want the Goodman, eventually, but other than that and the upcoming Bee Hive, I think I'll have all I want (which is: nearly all of 'em )

Those are all great sets. I've never been a big fan of free jazz, so I've been resisting the Braxton and Clifford Jordan sets. Don't know if I'll ever pull the trigger on those two, which means I won't have *all* the big Mosaic boxes.

gregmo

[king ubu]

Well, I joined the game around the time sets like TKM, Giuffre, Hamilton were new, was still able to buy many of the 150 and 160 numbers (and a few earlier ones) -- and while I have many of them suckers, I'll never have all of them anyways (but the free jazz ones I do have ... though I'd not count the Jordan among them, I'd rather book that as some sort of of post-Coltrane/post-bop/open-minded-stream of things).

The Lunceford was comparatively low on my list as I have the entire run of Masters of Jazz discs (thanks to dear brownie!), the Columbia LP box and two Chronos on top of that ... but still, it's a no-brainer!

Two I'm not sure about are the Ella/Webb and the Bing Crosby ... but I might in the end go for both of them, too. (At least that's what some inner voice tells me ... )

As for the Condon/Freeman, I have the full run of Condon Chronos, so I am familiar with the music (which is glorious), but I guess I want the Mosaic sound ... and the booklet, too (guess Dan Morgenstern was the right pick for the notes!)

[Peter Friedman]

I too have the Condon and Bud freeman Chrono Classics, so was not sure if I want / need the Mosaic. I was a bit concerned about the many alternate takes of the same tune coming one right after each other. My preference is for alternate takes being separated out so it is easier to play through a disc without having to hear the same tune played 2, 3 or more times in a row.

Yes, I do know one can program the CD player to avoid that issue, but it just creates one more thing to have to do.

But after hearing how good the sound quality is, I may go ahead and order the box.

[crisp]

Two I'm not sure about are the Ella/Webb and the Bing Crosby ... but I might in the end go for both of them, too. (At least that's what some inner voice tells me ... )

If you are at all interested in Crosby, this is the perfect introduction. The repertoire is stellar, the accompaniment tasteful and he's in fine voice. Great sound too. A fantastic set.

[king ubu]

Two I'm not sure about are the Ella/Webb and the Bing Crosby ... but I might in the end go for both of them, too. (At least that's what some inner voice tells me ... )

If you are at all interested in Crosby, this is the perfect introduction. The repertoire is stellar, the accompaniment tasteful and he's in fine voice. Great sound too. A fantastic set.

Yeah, I was afraid to hear something like that

Don't know him really, but I will find out, sooner or later.

[medjuck]

As is often the case I'm confused: The Discography states that Milt Gabler numbered the takes in order of preference so the master take would be take 1. However starting January 1948 the master takes seem to be those with the highest numbers: eg. The master on Fidgety Feet is take 4. What am I getting wrong?

(It shouldn't really matter to me, I love almost all the takes-- especially those with Pee Wee.)

[John L]

I guess that this must be the first time that Mosaic has issued a set that consists mostly of music already issued on another Mosaic set.

Edited May 30, 2015 by John L

[Harold_Z]

I'm glad they did. The sound is much better!

[king ubu]

Two I'm not sure about are the Ella/Webb and the Bing Crosby ... but I might in the end go for both of them, too. (At least that's what some inner voice tells me ... )

If you are at all interested in Crosby, this is the perfect introduction. The repertoire is stellar, the accompaniment tasteful and he's in fine voice. Great sound too. A fantastic set. Yeah, I was afraid to hear something like that

Don't know him really, but I will find out, sooner or later.

Btw, played some of the Bing & Rosie (Clooney, that is) two disc set - and that's definitely some nice stuff! However, as with her Mosaic, I'd wish for a somewhat more interesting/committed backing band.