Why are there so few jazz mega box sets

[margolbe]

Classical music has tons of mega box sets (25 or more disks).  However, this is a rare occasion in jazz (the Miles Davis on Sony comes to mind).  Why is this?  And, what would you like to see a mega box set of?

[Rabshakeh]

No one tell Anthony Braxton about this thread.

[Rooster_Ties]

…or David Murray.

I remember walking into Euclid records in St. Louis back in the 90’s, and seeing a Murray CD displayed prominently at the front counter with a little sign that said “this week’s new David Murray CD”. 

[sidewinder]

The Complete Mosaic Mosaic Records would be good !

[porcy62]

21 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

The Complete Mosaic Mosaic Records would be good !

On vinyl, I presume.

[sidewinder]

Just now, porcy62 said:

On vinyl, I presume.

Naturally..

[porcy62]

My biggest set is the Ellington Centennial, jazz. My complete Bach edition surpasses it by a wide margin.

[Stonewall15]

A terrific big box set would be the 17 CDs released by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute. Another would be the 36 LPs released on the Calliope label.

[Ken Dryden]

The conglomerate that combined the jazz holdings of Columbia/Legacy & RCA was active for a time, but I guess they just weren't selling enough units. I'd like to see all of the Dave Brubeck with Gerry Mulligan recordings in a box set.

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Ken Dryden

[Chuck Nessa]

Those big "classical" boxes are more attractive to the labels because most of the compositions are PD, hence are much cheaper to produce.

[porcy62]

12 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Those big "classical" boxes are more attractive to the labels because most of the compositions are PD, hence are much cheaper to produce.

Yep, and when you own a huge catalogue lasting sixty years of recordings.

[trane123]

And it’s not just classical that’s been getting the huge box set treatment.  It’s rock too.  I just ordered a Van Der Graaf Generator 20 CD set.  There also have been sets lately from Gentle Giant (25 discs), Al Stewart (~30 discs), John Mayall (20+), Wishbone Ash (20+), Steve Hillage (20+).  King Crimson has put out probably five or six sets of this size (or bigger) over the last decade.  Metallica's had some big boxes as well.  All with hard cover books and lots of “collectables”.  All are limited runs that seems to sell out.

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by trane123

[jcam_44]

Yeah the Super Deluxe releases are popular now. 

[Teasing the Korean]

Publishing.

[miles65]

How about this for a mega set 'The complete Brian Rust Jazz Records 1897-1942'  On vinylite 78's

[Stonewall15]

23 hours ago, Ken Dryden said:

The conglomerate that combined the jazz holdings of Columbia/Legacy & RCA was active for a time, but I guess they just weren't selling enough units. I'd like to see all of the Dave Brubeck with Gerry Mulligan recordings in a box set.

 

 

 

This box set would be welcomed by Brubeck collectors. Hopefully it would contain the Columbia LP "Compadres" which has never been released on CD.

[Rabshakeh]

Has Columbia done some sort of Miles box set with a complete run, with his face across the spines or something? You'd think it would have done.

[jcam_44]

The Genius of Miles Davis set was 40ish CDs collecting all the “complete sets”. 

[Rabshakeh]

That's it. Although they missed a trick by not doing the face/spines thing.

[GA Russell]

On 4/29/2022 at 5:12 PM, Chuck Nessa said:

Those big "classical" boxes are more attractive to the labels because most of the compositions are PD, hence are much cheaper to produce.

Didn't Michael Cuscuna find that sales decline when the retail price is more than $120.00?

I can imagine that the smaller profit per cd combined with a price tag ceiling resulted in the 13-18 disc boxes we saw last year from Nucleus, Barbara Thompson and Henry Cow.  

[Dave Garrett]

On 4/30/2022 at 3:11 PM, Rabshakeh said:

That's it. Although they missed a trick by not doing the face/spines thing.

The "Genius" set only contained the individual, mostly metal-spined, box sets that had previously been released. There was also a set of all the individual albums that had been released by Columbia, on 70 CDs (but they didn't put his face across the spines):

Miles Davis – The Complete Columbia Album Collection

[ghost of miles]

I think The Herbie Hancock Columbia 1972-88 Columbia box (34 CDs) is the most voluminous set I have around the house. Btw several new copies of it seem to be around online right now at really good prices. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by ghost of miles

[BFrank]

This was a nice set - 21 disks

[miles65]

A mega set that is possible that would interest me would be The complete Columbia, Okeh etc - Victor Duke Ellington 1925-1973. 

The Columbia,Okeh etc 1925-1931 on 4 Cd's, The complete Victor 1927-1973 24 Cd's , The Live and unissued set 3 Cd's, Columbia 1932-1940 big band 11 Cd's, The small groups 1936-1940 7 Cd's, The Columbia 1947-1952 period 11 Cd's (if all the unissued takes are included) The 1956-1962 Columbia 24 Lp's would be at least 24 Cd's. A total of 84 Cd's would be the minimum for this set. Still no match for the Bach 333 set with 222 cd's

Edited May 4, 2022 by miles65
correction of error

[Jon King]

 

 

WHY NOT Buddy Rich Big Band, complete World Pacific, RCA, and European label catalogs from 60s to present?