Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions New Upcoming Release March 25

[RiRiIII]

Coming.

https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-vanguard-piano-sessions-limited-edition-box-set-281-6-cds/

 

 

 

[miles65]

Just received an e-mail announcing the Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions a 6 CD set. With Tho Jo Jones Trio With Tommy Bryant, Sir Charles Quartet and Trio,Bobby Henderson solo, various Mel Powell groups and the Ruby Braff Ellis Larkins duets.

Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions Limited Edition Box Set (#281 - 6 CDs) -

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I haven't ordered or pre-ordered a set in a few years but this has a lot of music I never heard or even knew existed so I have my order in.

[hopkins]

Same here!

[Lino22]

Woo hoo, this is set I’ve been waiting for! As good as the small set is this one has the most gems, IMO. All the Mel Powell rank as his best, very swinging, creative and witty. The Braff and Larkins sessions are masterful. Although Mosaic has left things off like the Mel Powell “Bandstand” and the Nat Pierce session, which bewilder me. Nonetheless, this is a must have set for 1950 mainstream jazz and swing. I’m sure the sound will be the best ever. The last set topped previous releases of this material, even the Japanese ones.

[jazzbo]

I have had all these sessions on disc for years. . . great stuff. .  I've pre-ordered based on the amazing sonic quality of the previous Mosaic set.

[jlhoots]

Tempting.

[Stompin at the Savoy]

Ordered.

[mjzee]

I find it interesting that this is a limited edition of 5,000.  That number seems to be inching up again - a few years ago, it was only 3,000.  I wonder if they're just feeling more self-confident.

[tranemonk]

I might pass on this. I've got two Mosaic sets in the listening queue that I haven't even gotten to yet. I'm more tempted to save up for the Don Byas whenever it comes back into stock.

[jazzbo]

This music is worth exploring, and it should not be hard to find almost all of it on Vanguard cds that shouldn't cost too much I bet. (I have almost all of it on cds, with the exception of the Trio with Quinichette which I have on a Vogue 2 LP set). I love the Powell material.

Edited February 24 by jazzbo

[romualdo]

2 hours ago, tranemonk said:

I'm more tempted to save up for the Don Byas whenever it comes back into stock.

Get It!! You won't regret it - one of my fav Mosaics

[mhatta]

Jo Jones Trio with Bryant brothers, Sir Charles Thompson, Mel Powell's "Thigamagig", Braff/Larkins Duos...I love these recordings, but for me the sound quality is okay, so I'm not sure whether to buy it or not.  Is there a clear improvement in sound quality?

[Joe Bip]

They've been nailing the cover art lately

[Lino22]

8 hours ago, mhatta said:

Jo Jones Trio with Bryant brothers, Sir Charles Thompson, Mel Powell's "Thigamagig", Braff/Larkins Duos...I love these recordings, but for me the sound quality is okay, so I'm not sure whether to buy it or not.  Is there a clear improvement in sound quality?

There certainly was a clear improvement to the sound quality on the Vanguard small group set. I have the American, French, and Japanese reissues and the Mosaic set tops them all and best captured the ambience from the original lp releases and the sound stage John Hammond was going for. The piano oriented releases were always the best sounding to me already so I am confident this set will be stellar and a worthwhile purchase.

[Dan Gould]

I need to figure out if I have the Nat Pierce recording as that would have probably pushed me over to "yes" on this set. I would guarantee that I am more interested in that set over the obscure pianist they gush about. And not at all obvious why six CDs couldn't have been seven.

[Lino22]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I need to figure out if I have the Nat Pierce recording as that would have probably pushed me over to "yes" on this set. I would guarantee that I am more interested in that set over the obscure pianist they gush about. And not at all obvious why six CDs couldn't have been seven.

I know I don’t understand why they left out the four track Nat Pierce session or the Mel Powell 7 track “Bandstand” session. However, IMO I would not let that deter you from this set. The Powell they did include and the Braff Larkins sessions make this set indispensable. For the Nat Pierce and Mel Powell, Bandstand sessions I highly recommend this cd to supplement this new Vanguard Piano Mosaic set.

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/10880164-The-Nat-Pierce-BandMel-Powell-Band-Easy-Swing

 

 

[Big Beat Steve]

24 minutes ago, Lino22 said:

I know I don’t understand why they left out the four track Nat Pierce session or the Mel Powell 7 track “Bandstand” session. However, IMO I would not let that deter you from this set. The Powell they did include and the Braff Larkins sessions make this set indispensable. For the Nat Pierce and Mel Powell, Bandstand sessions I highly recommend this cd to supplement this new Vanguard Piano Mosaic set.

https://www.discogs.com/release/10880164-The-Nat-Pierce-BandMel-Powell-Band-Easy-Swing

 

Amazng that this should be mentioned .-.. I have the contents of that LP/CD on ARS G-446 (record club pressing). Surprising indeed that they omitted this. As far as I can see, it was far less well-served by reissuers - contrary to many of the small-group piano Vanguard releases.

 

[Lino22]

14 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Amazng that this should be mentioned .-.. I have the contents of that LP/CD on ARS G-446 (record club pressing). Surprising indeed that they omitted this. As far as I can see, it was far less well-served by reissuers - contrary to many of the small-group piano Vanguard releases.

 

It’s interesting what Mosaic didn’t include in either set. Besides the missing Powell and Pierce they didn’t release the Urbie Green, Sam Most, and Don Eliot sessions. I know they said they wanted to stick to mainstream swing but not sure any of these sessions are that far off that mark. Maybe there were some licensing hold ups. Anyway I’m grateful for they are releasing!

[king ubu]

Those are weird omissions indeed, thanks for pointing them out ... alas that French CD contains the same five tracks that were also part of the two previous Mel Powell CDs issued by Vanguard:

https://www.discogs.com/release/14735742-Mel-Powell-The-Best-Things-In-Life
https://www.discogs.com/release/14667510-Mel-Powell-Its-Been-So-Long

So, two track missing ("My Last Millionaire" and "Soon"), it seems.

While the Nat Pierce session is included in its entirety, it may be worth noting that the four tracks can also be found on a pretty good Fresh Sound compilation (quite certainly no match in sound quality):

https://www.discogs.com/release/7238051-The-Swingin-Nat-Pierce-Band-Kansas-City-Memories

[jazzbo]

I have the Nat Pierce material and the Urbie Green. I'd say these are neither fish nor fowl, neither really a "small group" nor piano-centric. So I can see why they were not included.

[king ubu]

I'd still have expected the Powell (all the more annoying, as the common reissues omit two tracks) and Pierce to be in there ... the others (Green, Most, Elliot) would certainly have been a kind of departure with the Swing sessions ... though I would not have minded them being included at all.

[Big Beat Steve]

I am not so sure about what some of you say ... We are talking about FIFTIES "small group swing" here. And FIFTIES small group swing falls within the broader category of MAINSTREAM jazz (as distinct from SWING-ERA swing-style jazz). So there was bound to have been some evolution after 1945 that was reflected in the recorded music, particularly among younger exponents. Which applies both to Ruby Braff and to Urbie Green and the like, for example. Personally, I do file Don Elliott among my Modern Jazz LPs and I'd concede that he is on the very outer limit of what might be called Mainstream SWING at all. Just like the Vanguard Rolf Kühn session that was NOT included - for evident reasons. But Urbie Green certainly should fall within Mainstream SWING (as it had evolved in multiple facets style-wise by the mid-50s), and Sam Most (to me at least) seems to be a matter of how open your ears are when you are intent on listening to FIFTIES mainstream swing. (BTW, I'd not be deterred by the lukewarm DB review of the Sam Most LP either) 

So all in all I agree with the puzzlement of some around here about the apparently "conservative" tastes of the compilers of this set.

Re- the incompleteness of the missing Mel Powell session in other reissues: It seems to me they used the track compilation on the 12" ARS pressing of the 50s I mentioned earlier (which has only 5 of the 7 Mel Powell tracks because apparently the entire original 10" LP would have been too long for ONE side of the 12" ARS LP). Pity, at least for completists ... Clearly those other reissuers goofed there.  Though - after checking Bruyninckx I see why the other reissuers omitted these tracks so often. Maybe they did not care too much about the vocals by one Joan Wylie on these two missing tracks?

[Lino22]

19 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

I am not so sure about what some of you say ... We are talking about FIFTIES "small group swing" here. And FIFTIES small group swing falls within the broader category of MAINSTREAM jazz (as distinct from SWING-ERA swing-style jazz). So there was bound to have been some evolution after 1945 that was reflected in the recorded music, particularly among younger exponents. Which applies both to Ruby Braff and to Urbie Green and the like, for example. Personally, I do file Don Elliott among my Modern Jazz LPs and I'd concede that he is on the very outer limit of what might be called Mainstream SWING at all. Just like the Vanguard Rolf Kühn session that was NOT included - for evident reasons. But Urbie Green certainly should fall within Mainstream SWING (as it had evolved in multiple facets style-wise by the mid-50s), and Sam Most (to me at least) seems to be a matter of how open your ears are when you are intent on listening to FIFTIES mainstream swing. (BTW, I'd not be deterred by the lukewarm DB review of the Sam Most LP either) 

So all in all I agree with the puzzlement of some around here about the apparently "conservative" tastes of the compilers of this set.

Re- the incompleteness of the missing Mel Powell session in other reissues: It seems to me they used the track compilation on the 12" ARS pressing of the 50s I mentioned earlier (which has only 5 of the 7 Mel Powell tracks because apparently the entire original 10" LP would have been too long for ONE side of the 12" ARS LP). Pity, at least for completists ... Clearly those other reissuers goofed there.  Though - after checking Bruyninckx I see why the other reissuers omitted these tracks so often. Maybe they did not care too much about the vocals by one Joan Wylie on these two missing tracks?

So often vocals get dropped from reissues. They are ok, but not the best tracks on the Bandstand set. Mosaic did hint that if the small group and piano set do well there could be a third set for the other sessions, maybe even a Mosaic select if they come back.

As for the Bandstand vocals they are found on this set, which also includes other Vanguards and best of all the Mel Powell and His All Stars at Carnegie Hall lp that has the swinging and groovy Carnegie Blues.

 

https://www.discogs.com/release/10451116-Mel-Powell-Six-Classic-Albums?srsltid=AfmBOopMK-eYJY3vZ0Tdm0IADVstw0Mgt1nbYyumEUfToyZWHO11Etcx

 

[JSngry]

Yeah  third set, big bands and other larger ensembles.