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russell
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#31 Post by russell » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:56 am

Enjoying working my way through material.
Already great versions of Blowtop, Broadway and Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie.

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anton
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#32 Post by anton » Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:07 am

russell wrote:Enjoying working my way through material.
Already great versions of Blowtop, Broadway and Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie.
Aaahhh, finally, crisp and dj-able versions of Lady Be Good, Easy Does It, Hollywood Jump, Broadway (incredible!), etc.

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anton
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#33 Post by anton » Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:38 am

From the Mosaic web site:

Upcoming release - not yet available for pre-order:

The Complete Clef/Mercury Recordings of the Oscar Peterson Trio (1951-1953) - 7 CDs

Coming up in the era he did, Oscar Peterson fell somewhere in between the swing players and the be-boppers, and the two strains wove together into something he never felt any reason to abandon. He and Ray Brown had developed an almost brotherly relationship thanks to the JATP tours they did together, and in Barney Kessel he found another player whose solos could wipe the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. With the JATP tours combined with these Clef and Mercury recordings the trio found the time and opportunity to hone their craft together and become a tight unit. Norman Granz’ vision of the “Songbook” album, was perfected by the trio and the series of “Oscar Peterson Meets…” have long been unavailable and are finally in one package.

The collection includes 127 tunes, including five alternate masters that have never appeared on any record, in any format. The earliest recording dates from November 25, 1951 and the last is from December 7, 1953. In the interest of being complete, we amassed a collection that exceeds even the one held in the Universal Music vaults; with some original masters missing entirely, we went to collectors for vintage 78s, second generation tapes, even rare LPs and EPs, performing sonic miracles when necessary to achieve a quality that meets our Mosaic standards.

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trev
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#34 Post by trev » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:49 pm


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Eyeball
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#35 Post by Eyeball » Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:40 am

Will big bands ever come back?

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anton
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#36 Post by anton » Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:37 am

Two more Mosaic box sets coming up this fall, including 40s-50s Goodman!


The Complete Arista Recordings Of Anthony Braxton (8 CDs)

(Release Date - October)

Anthony Braxton is the sort of artist who triggers those heated "Is it jazz?" debates; whatever his music is, it is brilliant. By the time he signed with Arista Records in 1974 at the age of 29, he had emerged as one of the major figures in Chicago's AACM, formed Circle with Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Barry Altchul and lived the expatriate life in Paris and moved freely in jazz and contemporary classical circles.

What made his output at Arista (1974-80) so unique was the range of projects he was able to realize thanks to the supportive budgets of a major label. This 8-CD set rescues his entire 14-LP Arista output from forgotten vaults. From live and studio recordings with his quartet (with Kenny Wheeler or George Lewis, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul) to solo alto excursions to a duet with Muhal Richard Abrams to Creative Orchestra Music to trios with Roscoe Mitchell/Joseph Jarman and Henry Threadgill/Douglas Ewert to his thoroughly composed pieces for two pianos and for four orchestras, Braxton explored every aspect of modern music through his own creative vision with astonishing results.



Classic Columbia Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions (1939-1958) (7 CDs)

(Release Date - November)

Seven discs from a neglected period of Benny's big band career which focuses mainly on his instrumental recordings for Columbia records during the 1940s. Also included are the bands he gathered at the Columbia studios during the 1950s which recreated some of the great Fletcher Henderson arrangements of the 1930s in addition to the lush and creative Benny with strings album titled "Let's Hear The Melody". Of particular importance are the breathtaking arrangements of the far-thinking Eddie Sauter. Over twenty previously unissued alternate takes are much welcome additions as Goodman was a master of solo creativity and spontaneity. He was the King of Swing and everyone wanted to be in his band as proven by the soloists and sidemen who pepper this set.

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Eyeball
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#37 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:53 am

anton wrote:Classic Columbia Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions (1939-1958) (7 CDs)

(Release Date - November)

Seven discs from a neglected period of Benny's big band career which focuses mainly on his instrumental recordings for Columbia records during the 1940s. Also included are the bands he gathered at the Columbia studios during the 1950s which recreated some of the great Fletcher Henderson arrangements of the 1930s in addition to the lush and creative Benny with strings album titled "Let's Hear The Melody". Of particular importance are the breathtaking arrangements of the far-thinking Eddie Sauter. Over twenty previously unissued alternate takes are much welcome additions as Goodman was a master of solo creativity and spontaneity. He was the King of Swing and everyone wanted to be in his band as proven by the soloists and sidemen who pepper this set.
The BG sides from 40 - 42 are fascinating stuff. Sauter was genius. His charts are far different than the great Henderson charts. Goodman managed to choose two of the best and most different arrangers he could find. These sides never got the acclaim they deserve b/c most BG fans are pretty focused on the Victor band of 35 - 39.

The immediate post-war BG sides on Columbia are more 'mainstream Swing' bright, crisp snappy and swinging. Superb sound quality, too.

His early 50s sides there are interesting as he was one of the first Swing band leaders to begin recreating his own work on record - charts that were not even 20 years old yet got re-done for Columbia.

The LP with strings is nice listening.

The 50s were really the last decade that Goodman was making recordings that 'mattered'. Near everything after that was hit and miss; there is very little (if any) 'great Goodman' from the 1960s onward.

So - get the Mosaic Columbia set. Lots of the instrumentals will be fine for dancing, but many likely will not suit the needs of the floorsters.
Will big bands ever come back?

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anton
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Columbia and OKeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions (#240)

#38 Post by anton » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:16 am

The new Mosaic Goodman box set is out now:

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.a ... =240-MD-CD

.. and ordered! :D

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Travis
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Re: Columbia and OKeh Benny Goodman Orchestra Sessions (#240

#39 Post by Travis » Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:29 am

anton wrote:The new Mosaic Goodman box set is out now:

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.a ... =240-MD-CD

.. and ordered! :D
Ooohhh...this looks good!!

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anton
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#40 Post by anton » Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:49 am

I got my B.G. Mosaic set two days ago and from what I've listened to so far, it's awesome! From the classic B.G. Orchestra tracks featuring Charlie Christian to the hifi 50's stuff (some produced by George Avakian). A bit top-heavy on alternative takes though (more than 30%).
Last edited by anton on Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Eyeball
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#41 Post by Eyeball » Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:23 am

It's hard to fully appreciate alternate takes unless you know at least one take very well. The differences become easier to hear and recall.

How many years you got? ;)

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anton
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#42 Post by anton » Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:48 am

Maybe I shouldn't complain. Out of 13 known takes of Clarinet A La King they have only included 6...

I'm at 1945 right now. Gotta Be This Or That Pts. 1 & 2 (with Benny on vocal on Pt 1) is a killer. Slam Stewart on bass. Red Norvo on vib.

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Eyeball
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#43 Post by Eyeball » Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:58 am

After a while and unless there are some 'radical' differences in the takes, it becomes near pointless to hear a few different notes from similar take to similar take.

Clarinet a la King, IIRC, was spread out over 2 or 3 sessions until BG got on he liked well enough....so there are some 'radical' differences extant.

And as I recall - 2 different takes were issued at the time in 1941. No way to tell except to look at the take numbers pressed into the run off grooves of the 78 rpm shellac OKeh disc. The labels and catalog numbers were identical.

*BTW - Did they include the 'breakdown' (and funny!) takes of THAT DID IT, MARIE and RAMONA? Good laughs as the band and Goodman go south and the takes fall apart as mistakes are made.

"Where the hell's the vocalist?" "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Why didn't someone tell me?"

"Do you want to hear a playback?" "NO!!!"

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anton
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#44 Post by anton » Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:39 am

Eyeball wrote: "Do you want to hear a playback?" "NO!!!"
This "Dixieland breakdown take" of Ramona is included. No others though. See the producer's note at

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/discograph ... =240-MD-CD

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Eyeball
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#45 Post by Eyeball » Sat Nov 29, 2008 12:13 pm

Thanks.

The LP issues on PHONTASTIC and the privately issued BLU DISC labels had many rare items.

*BTW - Did they include the 'breakdown' (and funny!) takes of THAT DID IT, MARIE and RAMONA? Good laughs as the band and Goodman go south and the takes fall apart as mistakes are made.

"Where the hell's the vocalist?" "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Why didn't someone tell me?"

"Do you want to hear a playback?" "NO!!!"


RAMONA is funny b/c as the piece is progressing, one guy, IIRC, hits one bad note (trombones?) and then it slowly gets worse and worse beyond the point of any return and the guys just play for laughs.

THAT DID IT, MARIE is going along perfectly well until Peggy Lee begins her chorus which is also going perfectly well except that Goodman seems unaware that she is there and singing and he begins singing the song with his own lyrics on his mic ending with "Where the hell's the vocalist?" sung in melody, then followed by his astounded apology "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Why didn't someone tell me?" when Lee stops singing and the band stops playing.

Those "spliced takes" that Columbia began creating in the 50s were one of the first instances of record producers interfering with previously recorded musical content.

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