Don Byas Mosaic set available for pre-order

[jazzbo]

https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-don-byas-sessions/

[ghost of miles]

Such great news!

[colinmce]

Wow. 

[jazzbo]

Looks as if it's going to be an amazing set.

[ghost of miles]

Just now, jazzbo said:

Looks as if it's going to be an amazing set.

Indeed! Scott had mentioned it to me a couple of months ago, but had asked me not to post anything about it… considerable self-restraint has been required since then! Iirc a number of us have listed some sort of Byas set on our Mosaic wish-list posts throughout the years. Lots of unreleased material too.

[JSngry]

Yes, please! 

[Big Beat Steve]

Another one that has me on the fence ... I think I have most of the Don Byas recordings of the mid-40s on all those indie labels, but the Timme Rosenkrantz apartment sessions alone make this more than tempting anyway.

[miles65]

Did not expected this. But this is a must have.

[mjzee]

This is great news.  There is overlap with Savoy's twofer "Savoy Jam Party" but still valuable and welcome.  Reminds me of the service Mosaic did to release their Chu Berry box.  I'm in.

[scooter_phx]

Ordered.  Looks like another fine set.

[Jim Duckworth]

Pre-ordered without delay-I love the Mosaic multilabel tenor sax giant sets:  Illinois Jacquet, Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young.  

I was a bit disappointed to read this:

The following Don Byas sessions of 1944-46 are not included in this set as they are under ownership of various parent labels:
Albert Ammons and his Rhythm Kings (Commodore – February 12, 1944)
Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra (Apollo – February 16 and 22, 1944)
Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra (Signature – May 2, 1944)
Coleman Hawkins and his Sax Ensemble (Keynote – May 24, 1944)
Mary Lou Williams and her Orchestra (Asch – June 5, 1944)
“Hot Lips” Page and his Orchestra (Commodore – September 29, 1944)
Trummy Young and his Orchestra (Signature – December 4, 1944)
Cozy Cole’s Orchestra (Keynote – February 2, 1945)
Esquire All American 1946 Award Winners (RCA Victor–January 10 & 11, 1946)
Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra (RCA Victor – February 22, 1946)
Teddy Wilson Octet (Musicraft – August 19, 1946)
Tyree Glenn and his Orchestra/Don Byas and his Orchestra/Peanuts Holland and his Orchestra (Swing – December 4, 1946)

[EKE BBB]

Definitely, I’m in! 

[Dan Gould]

18 minutes ago, Jim Duckworth said:

 

I was a bit disappointed to read this:

The following Don Byas sessions of 1944-46 are not included in this set as they are under ownership of various parent labels:

 

But on the other hand I was excited to read this:

The Savoy and National sessions which are owned by the Concord Music Group

Hasn't it been said before "that's owned by Concord now and they won't deal with Mosaic"? If that is changing ...

Edited October 29, 2023 by Dan Gould

[gmonahan]

16 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

But on the other hand I was excited to read this:

The Savoy and National sessions which are owned by the Concord Music Group

Hasn't it been said before "that's owned by Concord now and they won't deal with Mosaic"? If that is changing ...

I caught that too! It would indeed be wonderful if Mosaic could dig into THAT treasure!!  

[Dan Gould]

For sure it's exciting to see this kind of release, the sort of thing Mosaic started out doing.  If predictable Blue Note sets help to keep the lights on for more like this set, that is fantastic and I say "bring 'em both on".

[Stompin at the Savoy]

Pre-ordered!

[mikeweil]

10 CDs - wow! Since I have most of what will be left off and have rather little of what's included, I will try to save up the funds for it, once Jazz Messengers offer it. 

What always drives me mad about these sets is when they omit a track just because the musician featured didn't play on it, like the one track from the Dizzy Gillespie session. I think they should keep such important sessions complete.

Edited October 29, 2023 by mikeweil

[clifford_thornton]

Will definitely get this.

[T.D.]

Props to Mosaic for this, musically compelling.

I strongly dislike the Mosaic packaging and really do not want any more of their big boxes, but still have to acquire this. 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

42 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

10 CDs - wow! Since I have most of what will be left off and have rather little of what's included, I will try to save up the funds for it, once Jazz Messengers offer it. 

What always drives me mad about these sets is when they omit a track just because the musician featured didn't play on it, like the one track from the Dizzy Gillespie session. I think they should keep such important sessions complete.

Yeah there were spots in the Basie Columbia discography where they left things out because Lester Young didn't play.  I suppose every additional disk reduces sales numbers so they have to strike a balance, esp when the set is already 10 disks...

[Big Beat Steve]

2 hours ago, Jim Duckworth said:

Pre-ordered without delay-I love the Mosaic multilabel tenor sax giant sets:  Illinois Jacquet, Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young.  

I was a bit disappointed to read this:

The following Don Byas sessions of 1944-46 are not included in this set as they are under ownership of various parent labels:
Albert Ammons and his Rhythm Kings (Commodore – February 12, 1944)
Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra (Apollo – February 16 and 22, 1944)
Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra (Signature – May 2, 1944)
Coleman Hawkins and his Sax Ensemble (Keynote – May 24, 1944)
Mary Lou Williams and her Orchestra (Asch – June 5, 1944)
“Hot Lips” Page and his Orchestra (Commodore – September 29, 1944)
Trummy Young and his Orchestra (Signature – December 4, 1944)
Cozy Cole’s Orchestra (Keynote – February 2, 1945)
Esquire All American 1946 Award Winners (RCA Victor–January 10 & 11, 1946)
Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra (RCA Victor – February 22, 1946)
Teddy Wilson Octet (Musicraft – August 19, 1946)
Tyree Glenn and his Orchestra/Don Byas and his Orchestra/Peanuts Holland and his Orchestra (Swing – December 4, 1946)

I did not feel like checking all the LPs where these recordings will hide, but unless my memory fails me gravely on this, I think I have something like 95% of the above on vinyl so I am cool with these omissions.
One more reason in favor of that set.

 

[JSngry]

Nature abhors a vacuum. 

[Big Beat Steve]

2 hours ago, mikeweil said:

10 CDs - wow! Since I have most of what will be left off and have rather little of what's included, I will try to save up the funds for it, once Jazz Messengers offer it. 

What always drives me mad about these sets is when they omit a track just because the musician featured didn't play on it, like the one track from the Dizzy Gillespie session. I think they should keep such important sessions complete.

Yes, that's very annoying. Particularly so if the omission is not even because the musician featured elsewhere is not present at all but only because he does not SOLO.
And in this case here it sometimes says "Limited solo participation" by Byas. Pity ...
But I guess, with space constraints being what they are you cannot have 'em all. 🤨
Ah, long gone are the days when fans and reissuers drooled about a recording of a run-of-the-mill dance band just because it included 8 bars of solo by Bix or Tram.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Big Beat Steve

[Clunky]

Definitely getting this. I had some bias to Byas with a mix on 78/ LP

[Big Beat Steve]

Just now, Clunky said:

I had some bias to Byas with a mix on 78/ LP

Byas'd opinion, then?