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

[mjzee]

In the old days, you could just visit the Mosaic building in Stamford, CT and buy it there.  Those were the days, my friend...

[miles65]

18 hours ago, mjzee said:

In the old days, you could just visit the Mosaic building in Stamford, CT and buy it there.  Those were the days, my friend...

I would have loved that. But it's a hell of a commute from Europe.

[romualdo]

6 hours ago, miles65 said:

I would have loved that. But it's a hell of a commute from Europe.

even further down here in Australia but in the early 90s i used to call Mosaic (landline) to place my orders

[jazzbo]

My box is on the way.

[Chuck Nessa]

#428 in the house.

[jazzbo]

Awesome! Enjoy!

Mine is due today.

Edited December 20 by jazzbo

[Lino22]

Mine dropped last night! So far this set is the hands down winner for sound quality. The Japanese and the French reissues are close, but you really get the airiness of hall where they recorded these sessions on this Mosaic set. Boy, Jo Jones cymbals ring!! Essential 1950s mainstream swing!

Edited December 20 by Lino22

[jazzbo]

#255 here and agree about the excellent mastering of the wonderful original engineering.

[hopkins]

I received my set yesterday. My CD ripping software conveniently found all the track titles. I already had most of the sessions, but agree the sound is nice (they did not apply too much noise reduction; there are some clicks/pops on a few tracks).

Last night I played the Buck Clayton July 1, 1954 session with Buddy Tate several times. Very nice! The recording itself is far from perfect, the tapes are 70 years old, but the Mosaic track sounds sharper, more vivid, than the digital version I had prior to that, which you can find on streaming services. 

https://www.discogs.com/release/8976533-Buck-Clayton-The-Essential-Buck-Clayton

 

The liner notes describe how these Vanguard jazz recordings were first made:

"In Brooklyn's Masonic Temple, Seymour [Solomon] had found his ideal recording venue. With Hammond as his new ally, Seymour hung a single microphone 30 feet over the stage, and recorded the first Vanguard jazz session on December 29, 1953... The new series was called the Vanguard Jazz Showcase, and the initial recordings carried a balanced soundstage with the instruments surrounded by natural echo emanating from the room's wooden walls and floors."

These single microphone recordings required setting up the instruments correctly, and that was not always the case, as is explained in the liner notes:

"As is abundantly clear by now, there are plenty of benefits to the single-microphone recording system. However, one of its critical failures can be heard on the opening track of this session [Just a Groove]...one microphone cannot correct a faulty balance on stage! At the beginning of this track, it sounds like Buck Clayton (cup mute) and Ruby Braff (straight mute) are standing behind the rhythm section, and at times, the acoustic guitar of Steve Jordan nearly drowns out the trumpets! The piano was provided by the Steinway company, and while Hammond reportedly moved it to different spots on the stage before the session began, the placement of the instrument seems distant and unfocused on this track.... But if th'e microphne can't fix the balance issue, certainly the musicians can. After Jimmy Jone's mystical piano solo, the trumpeters ditch their mutes and move to the front of the stage. The increased clarity makes an enormous difference."

Edited Tuesday at 02:05 PM by hopkins

[hopkins]

I hope Mosaic Records will not take issue with me sharing a nice track from that Buck Clayton session, for those interested in hearing what it sounds like:

 

[JSngry]

Sorry, we don't do that here.

[hopkins]

16 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Sorry, we don't do that here.

Thanks for letting me know, and sorry for my enthusiasm:)

[JSngry]

Enthusiasm itself is never a problem.

[hopkins]

OK - it was a single track, not the whole box set!  Mosaic has samples anyway if people are curious to compare them to whatever version they currently have: https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-vanguard-small-group-swing-sessions-limited-edition-box-set/

 

 

 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

The set arrived this morning and I am listening to the first disk.  Great sound quality and relentlessly swinging stuff!

[JSngry]

33 minutes ago, hopkins said:

...Mosaic has samples anyway if people are curious to compare them to whatever version they currently have: https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-vanguard-small-group-swing-sessions-limited-edition-box-set/

There ya' go.

[scooter_phx]

Set #0124 made it to the desert.  On Christmas Eve.  I'd love to listen to it but no time for a couple of days.  At least, it's here!

Blessings!

 

[mjzee]

Mine is supposed to arrive on Monday.

[romualdo]

delivered (Brisbane, Australia) yesterday (Christmas Eve) - will have to wait though - It's a christmas present from my partner