What do you think of JSP's Box sets?

[Saxophone__Vagina]

I was wondering what the general feeling is towards the Box sets that JSP puts out, so far i have bought Louis Armstrong's hot 5s and 7s, Django early recordings, Jelly Roll Morton 1926-30 and have the first Cab Calloway box on its way. The first and best thing i like about these sets is the price, usually under $30 for a 4 or 5 disc set. Also the remastering is pretty well done, i have not heard anything to bad on these sets yet.

What i also wanted to know was is there any truth to this amazon.com review.

JSP Records is short for the owner. John Steadman Productions. He is famous in the record world for surreptiously recording concerts he has produced over the years and releasing the material on his label without either paying royalties or making any attempt at getting any permission from the artists he has. The list is very long. He has been called the "British Don Robey" and is so reviled in London he has to have a bodyguard. Beware JSP records. It's a shame this man gets away with what he does.

this is found on the jelly roll morton 1926-30 page here

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music

This guy makes makes the owner out to be a real crook and i do not feel so good about supporting him.

So any other JSP box set recomendations for earlier jazz recordings?

[J.A.W.]

This thread might interest you.

(Off topic: I really don't like your handle)

Edited April 17, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Saxophone__Vagina]

This thread might interest you.

Thanks for the link

[B. Goren.]

Hi Saxophone__Vagina,

Bix and Tram is also a very good set (if you like the old jazz).

[LAL]

A few more sets to consider:

Louis Armstrong - Big Band Recordings 1930-32, 2CD (JRT remaster)

Joe King Oliver & His Orchestra - 1929-30, 2CD (JRT remaster)

Henry Red Allen & His New York Orchestra - 1929-30, 2CD (JRT remaster)

Mills Brothers - 1930s Recordings, 5CD

Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five, 5CD

Big Joe Turner - 1938 - '52, 5CD

Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang - 1920/30s, 2CD (JRT remaster. Not sure if this overlaps material on the Mosaic set and if so I would go for the latter, price notwithstanding)

A few more releases I haven't bought such as Django in Rome and the Hoagy box set should be worth exploring. I generally stay away from these sets if the recordings have already released by 'legit' labels such as Mosaic, and I would certainly avoid the outright rip-offs such as the Bunny Berigan set.

[jlhoots]

Agree on the Bix & Tram.

It's just the right amount for me.

[J.A.W.]

The Bix and Tram remastering seems to have been "borrowed" from Mosaic and the Louis Jordan remastering from Bear Family.

Here's a quote from a post by "Montgomery Cleft" on a blues board (I posted the link above) regarding JSP:

JSP is a strange label. They used to do original transfers of prewar blues and jazz (with a focus on the latter), and the remastering was done by the great John RT Davies. Their Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Django Reinhardt sets sound excellent and are extremely cheap. They dabbled in blues, and their Sleepy John Estes and Cannon Jug Stompers stuff is also great. But then they became more or a less a bootleg company. They steal other people's transfers (some lawsuits ensued) and release them in ugly boxes for great prices. Since the lawsuits, they generally do some EQ work on other people's transfers in order to make them somewhat different. Despite the legal issues, it's hard to pass up the Carter Family sets that can be bought for a fraction of the price of the Bear Family, or the Charley Patton set which is about a 125 dollars cheaper than the Revenant (but every Charley Patton fanatic must buy the Revenant--the sound is better without JSP's EQing, and the liner notes, lyrics, etc. are essential. The Revenant set is a dream come true for Patton fanatics). But their more recent box sets, of Lemon, McTell, etc. seem to come from various sources, basically from whatever they can get their hands on. The sound quality, then, differs from track to track, and the EQing they do often makes things worse. I've found their very recent reissues to sound muddy and extremely inconsistent. On the other hand, the price is right, and they almost always do complete works (though some of their "complete" sets have several notable omissions).

Edited April 21, 2004 by J.A.W.

[jazzbo]

The Lang and Venuti does NOT overlap with the Mosaic.

[Edward]

The Lang and Venuti does NOT overlap with the Mosaic.

Lon, are you referring to the original two single disc Venuti & Lang releases on JSP or the newly released four or five CD boxed set? Thanks for the clarification.

[ghost of miles]

The Lang and Venuti does NOT overlap with the Mosaic.

It doesn't?! Never realized that...

[jazzbo]

It doesn't. Not one shred.

[AfricaBrass]

It doesn't. Not one shred.

To quote Edward, "Are you referring to the original two single disc Venuti & Lang releases on JSP or the newly released four or five CD boxed set? Thanks for the clarification."

Inquiring minds want to know.

[jazzbo]

I'm sorry, I forgot about their recently probably pirated from the Mosaic four cd set; I was referring to the first one, the two cd set of Victor material.

[AfricaBrass]

I'm sorry, I forgot about their recently probably pirated from the Mosaic four cd set; I was referring to the first one, the two cd set of Victor material.

Thanks!

[RDK]

IWhat i also wanted to know was is there any truth to this amazon.com review.

JSP Records is short for the owner. John Steadman Productions. He is famous in the record world for surreptiously recording concerts he has produced over the years and releasing the material on his label without either paying royalties or making any attempt at getting any permission from the artists he has. The list is very long. He has been called the "British Don Robey" and is so reviled in London he has to have a bodyguard. Beware JSP records. It's a shame this man gets away with what he does.

"Stealing" masterings notwithstanding, I can't believe there's much validity to this claim since most if not all of JSP's releases are of old recordings that are most likely in the public domain (at least in Europe if not yet the U.S.)

[Chuck Nessa]

"Stealing" masterings notwithstanding, I can't believe there's much validity to this claim since most if not all of JSP's releases are of old recordings that are most likely in the public domain (at least in Europe if not yet the U.S.)

I think they were talking about the "contemporary" blues series - many said to be recorded from a table in the club.

[LAL]

The Lang and Venuti does NOT overlap with the Mosaic.

Thanks Lonson for the info.

Any comments on the Joe Venuti big bands also on JSP? Thanks.

[tatifan]

"Stealing" masterings notwithstanding, I can't believe there's much validity to this claim since most if not all of JSP's releases are of old recordings that are most likely in the public domain (at least in Europe if not yet the U.S.)

[tatifan]

The questionable JSP sets tend to credit... nobody, in contrast to the good old days with the huge visible credits to J.R.T. Davies and Ted Kendall, etc. As I recall, the Blind Blake is one of these without credit. Some of the recent sets may be a return to form though, didn't I see Kendall's name on the new Django Rome recording set?? Anyone have that one yet?

[RDK]

My bad - I wasn't aware that JSP dealt in "new" recordings as well. I guess to simplify things, anything with Davies or Kendell's name to it is a mark of quality; anything else is suspect...

[brownie]

The JSP Hoagy Carmichael 'Key Cuts' box has the John R.T. Davies and Doug Pomeroy imprimatur. That's good enough for me!

The JSP Django Reinhardt box says it was remastered by Ted Kendall.

[tatifan]

The Hoagy box draws on at least 2 single cd issues that Davies did maybe a decade ago. A few of the double cd sets also started out this way (Venuti/Lang Victors, maybe the Henry Red Allen & Armstrong Big Band stuff). There are probably a few more boxes they could put together like this. Those single discs used to cost almost as much as the 4/5 disc sets!