JJ Johnson Mosaic

[BruceH]

If you ever thought that he was kind of facile but lacking in substance

Was it something I said?

[sal]

Also, another wonderful aspect of this set is Max Roach's drumming. Some of the best I've heard by him.

This is my favorite Mosaic. Anyone who does not have this set or the material contained within simply must purchase it. There is no option.

[LAL]

Four Freshmen set selling at discount, about $127, at Tower Online (part of their "Blue Note" sale).

[king ubu]

Also, another wonderful aspect of this set is Max Roach's drumming. Some of the best I've heard by him.

This is my favorite Mosaic. Anyone who does not have this set or the material contained within simply must purchase it. There is no option.

There's that one Roach intro, pretty early on the respective disc, that's really some of his most impressive playing I have heard! (Don't have the set at hand to check)

ubu

[garthsj]

OOOOPS! I inadvertently created another J.J. Johnson Box thread.. must be the lack of morning coffee (I switched to teas about four months ago) .... anyway here is my original post...

As an "early adopter" of the J.J. Box, it has always surprised me that it has remained around for so long. This has always been wonderful music, but for some reason, J.J. just does not enter the consciousness of jazz fans the way that he should. One should also not overlook the sidemen on this set ... Bobby Jaspar, Hank Jones, Percy Heath, Elvin Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Wilbur Little, Paul Chambers, Max Roach, Nat Adderley, Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, Victor Feldman, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Freddie Hubbard, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Arthur Harper ..... now ... is there any other Mosiac box that can boast a lineup of jazz stars like this?? "Hello Young Lovers" and "Aquarius" are worth the price of admission all by themselves....

Garth.

Edited April 22, 2004 by garthsj

[Tony Pusey]

Yep, one of the very best Mosaic sets. Keep calm, breathe slowly, it seems you have got a year to get the money together but as soon as hits the running low catagory.... Though I would not like to be without this for another 365 days!

[J.A.W.]

Mosaic's Scott just told me there are now 172 J.J. Johnson sets left; they will probably order another batch after that number dwindles down. It will last well into 2005.

[wesbed]

Mosaic's Scott just told me there are now 172 J.J. Johnson sets left; they will probably order another batch after that number dwindles down. It will last well into 2005.

You're taking away the pressure for me to feel I need to buy this set now. This is no fun.

[John B]

Mosaic's Scott just told me there are now 172 J.J. Johnson sets left; they will probably order another batch after that number dwindles down. It will last well into 2005.

You're taking away the pressure for me to feel I need to buy this set now. This is no fun.

I feel the opposite way...this news will help me reprioritize and focus on which other set I should pick up next.

[J.A.W.]

Mosaic's Scott just told me there are now 172 J.J. Johnson sets left; they will probably order another batch after that number dwindles down. It will last well into 2005.

You're taking away the pressure for me to feel I need to buy this set now. This is no fun.

If you want some real good music, you need to buy this set now!

Edited April 22, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Brad]

This may be slightly off topic but have you noticed that on the older sets, the boxes now come with a lift off top. Much better to avoid any chance of the binders separating.

[wesbed]

This may be slightly off topic but have you noticed that on the older sets, the boxes now come with a lift off top. Much better to avoid any chance of the binders separating.

>Mosaic Lid Link<

[Eric]

Just my two cents ...

I owned this and sold it in a time of cash crisis.

I have since bought it back and LOVE it.

Everything that was said above - great playing, tunes and arrangements.

Eric

[Shrdlu]

Supoib set!

A favorite moment: the end of "Old Devil Moon", where Elvin is cooking so much that J.J. has to rein him in.

The session with Max is a real gem.

[wesbed]

I got my JJ today. I'm currently on a second pass through Disk One. Everything, so far, is quite good. Simply, fine music. It makes me feel that the world is peaceful and it's a good time to be alive (always a good sign for music). Not too crazy, not too dull, but, a very good mixture of both. The music seems mature, adult, and well-played.

My first surprise: Bobby Jaspar on the sax. Why have I not heard of this guy? AMG says Jaspar died, early, from a heart ailment. What a great combination, Jaspar is, of East coast and West coast jazz. His tenor displays the 'cool' of the West with the 'bite' of the East. It's too bad we don't hear more from Bobby Jaspar.

Disk One of the JJ Johnson Mosaic contains one of the best version of 'Angel Eyes' I've heard. This version of 'Angel Eyes' also inludes Elvin on the drums.

[king ubu]

I got my JJ today. I'm currently on a second pass through Disk One. Everything, so far, is quite good. Simply, fine music. It makes me feel that the world is peaceful and it's a good time to be alive (always a good sign for music). Not too crazy, not too dull, but, a very good mixture of both. The music seems mature, adult, and well-played.

My first surprise: Bobby Jaspar on the sax. Why have I not heard of this guy? AMG says Jaspar died, early, from a heart ailment. What a great combination, Jaspar is, of East coast and West coast jazz. His tenor displays the 'cool' of the West with the 'bite' of the East. It's too bad we don't hear more from Bobby Jaspar.

Disk One of the JJ Johnson Mosaic contains one of the best version of 'Angel Eyes' I've heard. This version of 'Angel Eyes' also inludes Elvin on the drums.

Wesbed, compare Jaspar's playing on the sessions on disc 1 to the last "reunion" date made by that line up! Pretty much of a development, there!

And if you like to hear more of him, there are two discs available in the Jazz in Paris series, "Modern Jazz Au Club Saint-Germain", a very good one, and "Jeux de Quartes" (on which he plays flute only - coupled with Michel Hausser on vibes this is quite an astonishing sound, to my ears).

Also, Jaspar plays on the two Donald Byrd quintet albums available in the same series, "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "Byrd in Paris" - a very fine band, featuring Walter Davis on piano.

Here is the board's own Jaspar discussion.

ubu

[John L]

I broke down and bought this one too. I have been through it once so far

Yes, this is high class jazz: intelligent, executed extremely well, and driven by a high performance engine of either Elvin Jones, Max Roach, or Tootie Heath. Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan both live up to their reputations as studies in good taste. Flanagan, in particular, gets off some brilliant solos. Bobby Jasper's playing is fine indeed, as is Nat Adderley's.

The other great feature of this set is that, other than the fine J.J. Incorporated, all the music is new to me.

Why did I wait so long? I had a worry in the back of my head that it might all sound a bit too prim and proper, perfectly executed and sophisticated, but maybe lacking in that hard drive and loose bluesy swagger that made so much other hard bop of the period so memorable. Now I think that my fears were largely misplaced. This music mines roughly the same territory as Brown-Roach, but with a bit of added structure and discipline. There is a time and place for different types of music, and I expect to be finding a lot of time and place for this set. Thanks to all who recommended it so highly.

[wesbed]

Again, I'll say that Bobby Jaspar just 'cooks' on these sessions. He is the ultimate combination of West coast and East coast jazz.

[BruceH]

AND you got Clifford Jordan. Nice!

[J.A.W.]

Again, I'll say that Bobby Jaspar just 'cooks' on these sessions. He is the ultimate combination of West coast and East coast jazz.

The West Coast of Belgium, I presume...

[king ubu]

Again, I'll say that Bobby Jaspar just 'cooks' on these sessions. He is the ultimate combination of West coast and East coast jazz.

The West Coast of Belgium, I presume...

Yeah, but check the last "reunion" session with Jaspar - he moved to the east coast by then!

[trane_fanatic]

How much of this J.J. material has been released domestically in the US on CD and remains in print? This may be my first Mosaic.

[RDK]

Very little - if any at all. Better order quickly.

[rostasi]

How much of this J.J. material has been released domestically in the US on CD and remains in print? This may be my first Mosaic.

←

Not sure what's still in print, but you're also getting over 20

previously unreleased recordings - so you can look at that as one CD worth of music

of it's very own. J. J. would be a very honorable place to start your Mosaic habit!

[Ron S]

I'm listening to it right now--ordered it when it first went into "Running Low". It's terrific.