Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions Limited Edition Box Set (#280 – 7 CDs)

[hopkins]

Latest box set is now available for pre-order

https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-vanguard-small-group-swing-sessions-limited-edition-box-set/

Edited November 17 by hopkins

[jazzbo]

Pre-ordered! Great material.

[hopkins]

Same here!

[Stompin at the Savoy]

+1

[Fred]

I am still waiting some european dealers for the V discs, and now this news... Anyone in Europe know something?

[Chuck Nessa]

Looks like the Braff/Larkins, Sir Charles Thompson trio session and Mel Powell dates are held back for the promised piano box.

Edited November 17 by Chuck Nessa

[scooter_phx]

Christmas is coming and my wife is gonna order it for me.  That works.  I'm such a sucker for good music and I'm lucky to have a wife who understands that!

 

[J.A.W.]

9 minutes ago, Fred said:

I am still waiting some european dealers for the V discs, and now this news... Anyone in Europe know something?

Look here: Belgian store TYQMusic 

Owner Mark Steyaert told me a few days ago that he has plenty of V-Disc sets in stock. He'll surely get the Vanguard set as well.

[Fred]

Thanks a lot!

[Dan Gould]

Definitely interested but reading only one unissued track is a little disappointing.  Wondering what is truly new to CD since I think I did get all the discographical-nightmare / otherwise-outstanding CD reissues from the early 2000s.

[JSngry]

This is not a preorder discount, right?

[Dan Gould]

13 minutes ago, JSngry said:

This is not a preorder discount, right?

I thought email said $10 off

[JSngry]

Haven't looked at an email yet. Probably should!

[hopkins]

I have not checked all of the tracks, but I believe most of them have in fact probably been issued on CD before.

The "Jo Jones Special" session, for example, was issued on CD by Fresh Sound Records (you can find other versions on streaming services issued by dodgy labels). I already have it on CD, and have the LP as well. I happen to like the sound quality of the latest Mosaic box sets - which were all handled by the same studio (Swan) - and this time they explain that everything was produced using the original master tapes. So between that, the booklet, and some of the sessions missing in my collection, I did not hesitate to pre-order it...

Edited November 17 by hopkins

[Dan Gould]

Wondering why larger group recordings like these didn't make it? If the second set will feature piano trios they shouldn't be expected then and will just remain "out there".

https://www.discogs.com/release/9625738-The-Nat-Pierce-Bandstand-The-Nat-Pierce-Bandstand

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/18911410-Urbie-Green-And-His-Band-Urbie-Green-And-His-Band

https://www.discogs.com/master/3476182-Mel-Powell-Septet-Mel-Powell-Septet

Again unclear on what was issued on comps like Basie Bunch I and II and other Vanguard CD reissues in the 90s-2000s.

 

[Chuck Nessa]

They don't say a piano trio set - "focus on pianists in a variety of settings".

[Dan Gould]

2 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

They don't say a piano trio set - "focus on pianists in a variety of settings".

 

[jazzbo]

I think the Mel Powell sessions will make the second set. . . I would hope so. . . fabulous music.

[mikeweil]

.... as will the Jo Jones Trio session with Ray Bryant, I suppose.

The Mosaic website  has this statement:

Producer’s Note: This set of small group recordings were selected with the mainstream swing sessions in mind. A second set of the Vanguard label featuring piano recordings will follow in the future.

"Mainstream swing sessions"! So some sessions like the Urbie Green, Nat Pierce, Ted Brown, Dave Burns may have seemed too "modern"? May we hope for a third set covering these?

Edited November 18 by mikeweil

[Big Beat Steve]

But the Urbie Green set isn't that "modern". Even though the starting track says "Old Time Modern". I don't know about others but I did not hesitate filing my copies (original 10" Amadeo-Vanguard vinyl and Membran label CD reissue pairing it with a Vic Dickenson session as a straight reissue of Jazztone J1259 "Slidin' Swing") in the "Swing" sections of my shelves.
I'd describe it as mainstream swing neither moldy-figgish nor adventurous. 

[mikeweil]

1 hour ago, Big Beat Steve said:

But the Urbie Green set isn't that "modern".

I agree with you. I just try to understand Mosaic's selection. Maybe they just limited themselves to seven CDs or whatever. It all derserves the Mosaic treatment. Some of the very best 1950's small group swing. The mixture with some younger players makes it all the more interesting and underlines their connection to the tradition.

Edited November 18 by mikeweil

[ghost of miles]

17 hours ago, mikeweil said:

.... as will the Jo Jones Trio session with Ray Bryant, I suppose.

The Mosaic website  has this statement:

Producer’s Note: This set of small group recordings were selected with the mainstream swing sessions in mind. A second set of the Vanguard label featuring piano recordings will follow in the future.

"Mainstream swing sessions"! So some sessions like the Urbie Green, Nat Pierce, Ted Brown, Dave Burns may have seemed too "modern"? May we hope for a third set covering these?

Ouch--those are some painful omissions. Agree with the hope for a future set covering them, especially since I'm not sure how much of that material ever emerged on legit CD releases in the 1990s and 2000s.  

[Dan Gould]

19 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

I agree with you. I just try to understand Mosaic's selection. Maybe they just limited themselves to seven CDs or whatever. It all derserves the Mosaic treatment. Some of the very best 1950's small group swing. The mixture with some younger players makes it all the more interesting and underlines their connection to the tradition.

In this case I am certain that this was a decision based on a resulting price point. 

 

Seeing that the material is owned by Concord now ... is this the first time a deal has been made with them?  What are the implications for possible future sets, I wonder.

[jazzbo]

Maybe they offered several plans to Concord and a more expansive one was not accepted. I would say that this one makes sense cohesively to me.

I probably have all the likely material to be included in the piano-centric set, but it will be great to have them all in session order and annotated in Mosaic fashion. Looks likely to be a good release for next year.

[mjzee]

4 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Seeing that the material is owned by Concord now ...

Ownership is a tricky thing.  X1 owned the Vanguard rights before Concord.  It could be they retained some rights, including deciding who can reissue material.