Hey Kids, Have You Heard The News? MOSAIC's IN TROUBLE!!!

[Hot Ptah]

This discussion reminds me of the time that there was an extended discussion on another jazz board about Jazz Record Mart (when the store was open in downtown Chicago) and how the problems with how it was run, and how its online site was run, were frustrating to many members. Possible solutions were discussed.

I wrote a letter to Bob Koester of Jazz Record Mart, telling him about the board and its discussion, and summarizing the problems and their solutions from the members.  I wrote that I was sending the letter out of my love for Jazz Record Mart and my thought that the suggestions might be helpful.

I received a letter back from Bob Koester which was typed and signed by him. It was a blistering reply that I should mind my own business. He wrote that he was surprised that so many people wanted to poke around in his private affairs.

 

[Ken Dryden]

You'd think that a business owner would appreciate an outside opinion from a group of customers. I bought some things from the Jazz Record Mart catalog, but always found that their website wasn't conducive to browsing. Since I've yet to visit Chicago, I had no opportunity to explore their inventory in person.

His loss.

 

[JSngry]

Bob Koester being grumpy contradicts everything I've ever heard about the man.

[danasgoodstuff]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Bob Koester being grumpy contradicts everything I've ever heard about the man.

FWIW, in my limited personal experience I found Bob K to be perhaps 'gruff' on the surface but basically friendly and willing to discuss internal business with me, a random customer.

[Scott Dolan]

Hey, the cat could have been under a lot of pressure and having a really bad day at the time. Who knows? 

[JSngry]

He's still in business, so afaic, he can be as gruff/grumpy as he wants to be. Whatever it is, it's working.

[AllenLowe]

actually, he's mean on the outside, but look under that rough exterior and he's.....still mean.

[king ubu]

Got my big Mosaic shipment ... or rather picked it up at the post office as I wasn't home when they tried to deliver it yesterday ... arrived fast, was packed well, and even slipped through customs. No complaints whatsoever, but I guess I never ran into much of the heartache that some seem to have had when Mosaic changed their shipping method.

I've got all bases covered now (hoping the Benny Goodman will return, though, that one's still missing), between the recent jazzmessengers order (Ella/Webb and Basie/Young #2) and this new one (Bee Hive, Savoy, Bing, Jazz Icons). Gotta save some now 

Have made it halfway through the James P. Johnson and enjoyed that bumpy (hey, it's 20s music, right! I need more of that) trip quite some, so far!

[John Tapscott]

I ordered exactly 14 days ago and haven't even got a shipping notice yet. They must be really backed up.  

[WarpedOrb]

Scott phoned me on my cell yesterday afternoon. Felt bad about it because I'm in Nova Scotia and I planned on using Paypal (he was calling LD for my card info). He likened the last week or so to the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Haha I knew what he meant.

Reading this thread I now understand how a company who seems to care so damn much could package orders in a way that's not always the best - they're not doing it. A bit disappointing finding that out, but mystery solved. Glad yours arrived in good shape King Ubu.

Now I'm waiting for Shaw, Pass, Beehive, and Getz. Should know in a month if the Jamal is coming back.

 

[Scott Dolan]

Mine wasn't necessarily packaged poorly, but it still sustained some very minor damage to the box. 

Whatever. I care about the music more than the packaging. It would have had to have been really fucked up in order for me to make a stink about it. 

1 hour ago, John Tapscott said:

I ordered exactly 14 days ago and haven't even got a shipping notice yet. They must be really backed up.  

Sounds like a friendly email is in order. I never received a shipping number. 

[David Ayers]

2 hours ago, WarpedOrb said:

He likened the last week or so to the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Haha I knew what he meant.

 

That's...a generation-specific reference if ever there was one...

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 5/17/2017 at 0:50 PM, Hot Ptah said:

This discussion reminds me of the time that there was an extended discussion on another jazz board about Jazz Record Mart (when the store was open in downtown Chicago) and how the problems with how it was run, and how its online site was run, were frustrating to many members. Possible solutions were discussed.

I wrote a letter to Bob Koester of Jazz Record Mart, telling him about the board and its discussion, and summarizing the problems and their solutions from the members.  I wrote that I was sending the letter out of my love for Jazz Record Mart and my thought that the suggestions might be helpful.

I received a letter back from Bob Koester which was typed and signed by him. It was a blistering reply that I should mind my own business. He wrote that he was surprised that so many people wanted to poke around in his private affairs.

 

That reminds me of the time I wrote an e-mail to Sergio Veschi of Red Records, someone who I used to interact with regularly on-line, to tell him that there were several grammatical errors in the English liner notes for a few of his CD releases. I volunteered to review his English liner notes if he needed a hand for future CDs. I offered to do it for free.

His answer caught me off guard, basically saying that their English liner notes were perfect, my inquiry was insulting and no, they would never accept my help.

I often wonder if my English E-mail was forwarded to the Red Records label's English translator and that this return e-mail was actually written by the very person whose writing I was criticizing.

[gmonahan]

4 hours ago, Scott Dolan said:

Mine wasn't necessarily packaged poorly, but it still sustained some very minor damage to the box. 

Whatever. I care about the music more than the packaging. It would have had to have been really fucked up in order for me to make a stink about it. 

Sounds like a friendly email is in order. I never received a shipping number. 

I recently got the Threadgill and never got any kind of shipping notice either. I think they're a bit...busy...as others have noted!

 

 

gregmo

[Rooster_Ties]

I got my Bee Hive box day before yesterday, and did get a sort of shipping notice from Scott in a really nice email, in reply to an email I'd sent when I first made the order.

Haven't had the chance to spin but 3-4 discs. Damn, that second disc of every fat-boy box is nearly impossible to get out!! -- which I'd read here before, several times, but I never dreamed just HOW difficult it is to get out safely.

Will have to break off two opposite tabs on each one (as someone suggested here).

[Big Beat Steve]

4 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

That reminds me of the time I wrote an e-mail to Sergio Veschi of Red Records, someone who I used to interact with regularly on-line, to tell him that there were several grammatical errors in the English liner notes for a few of his CD releases. I volunteered to review his English liner notes if he needed a hand for future CDs. I offered to do it for free.

His answer caught me off guard, basically saying that their English liner notes were perfect, my inquiry was insulting and no, they would never accept my help.

I often wonder if my English E-mail was forwarded to the Red Records label's English translator and that this return e-mail was actually written by the very person whose writing I was criticizing.

 

You've gone to the wrong place, it seems. There ARE liner notes/booklets out there that are in dire need of having their contents tidied up, but no - pride wins out, even if this pride ridicules itself as soon as those "in the know" come across the items in question.

Happens with bilingual books too - and makes you cringe sometimes if you consider some of these books were done as a "labor of love" by the author, only to have some sub-par translation (or sloppy proofreading of the foreign-language version) appended to it.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Big Beat Steve

[sidewinder]

11 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I got my Bee Hive box day before yesterday, and did get a sort of shipping notice from Scott in a really nice email, in reply to an email I'd sent when I first made the order.

Haven't had the chance to spin but 3-4 discs. Damn, that second disc of every fat-boy box is nearly impossible to get out!! -- which I'd read here before, several times, but I never dreamed just HOW difficult it is to get out safely.

Will have to break off two opposite tabs on each one (as someone suggested here).

I find that a bit of inward pressure applied by finger nails on the tabs first of all, followed by a bit of rotating the disk side by side, helps with removing the Disk 2s. Just had the same issue with the Savoy set. Ludicrous !

[WarpedOrb]

@David Ayers  I don't know if it's generational David, but I'm a big movie buff and probably would've gotten a reference to Meshes in the Afternoon. I think cinema is at the centre of world pop-culture and cuts through generations - especially when it's about a great movie by one of your great American directors and a film that plays every year at Christmas time; my young nieces love the film. Then again all of us here seem to like old stuff, I've always loved old films have'nt you? It's about sensibility not age.

@Scott Dolan  you're right and I want to emphasize it hasn't happened that often usually only with the heavier vinyl boxes – I have not complained about it either. Still, when you buy something that's expensive, desirable, collectible and new having it arrive mint is the tits. I just mentioned it because like I said I have a pretty heavy 3-box order coming...fingers crossed.

[Scott Dolan]

That's cool. But it's really not a big enough deal for me to bother with, honestly. I have the discs ripped to my iMac now, so once I figure out where I'm going to put the box, there's a good chance I never touch it again. 

[BFrank]

14 hours ago, sidewinder said:

I find that a bit of inward pressure applied by finger nails on the tabs first of all, followed by a bit of rotating the disk side by side, helps with removing the Disk 2s. Just had the same issue with the Savoy set. Ludicrous !

Goes back to the always horrible design of jewel boxes in the first place.

[Rooster_Ties]

1 hour ago, BFrank said:

Goes back to the always horrible design of jewel boxes in the first place.

I just bent/broke off two of the four tabs on the second disc of each 3-disc fat-boy on my Bee Hive set.

Still(!!) surprisingly more than just a little tough to get out, but far preferable to "damn near impossible".

[BFrank]

Worst design ... EVER! 

[David Ayers]

The jewel case in general was a big factor in me giving up CD. The cracks, scuffs, broken teeth and hinges, before you even play the CD very often - it was like buying instant junk. 

[erwbol]

Jewel cases are easily replaceable and keep the artwork safe. Occasional problems with hard to remove discs usually resolve themselves after the first couple of removals. Or just replace the tray. Don't you people have spare parts lying around?

 

2 hours ago, David Ayers said:

The jewel case in general was a big factor in me giving up CD. The cracks, scuffs, broken teeth and hinges, before you even play the CD very often - it was like buying instant junk. 

Oh the glorious pops, clicks, scratches, degradation, and warping of vinyl. So unlike buying instant junk or winning ephemera in a lottery. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by erwbol

[Scott Dolan]

Hahaha...jewel cases can indeed be maddening. Although I had zero issue with my Benedetti set.

But, I will take jewel cases all day long over the cardboard sleeves some companies started using. Sometimes those things would be so tight I swore I was going to have to extricate the disc by employing a pair of scissors!