New Box Sets: The Complete Masters (Universal France)

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trev
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New Box Sets: The Complete Masters (Universal France)

#1 Post by trev » Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:13 pm

A new series of box sets have popped up on Amazon etc. They appear to be official/comprehensive/low price sets releases from Universal Music France. They are interesting because they seem to include sessions not owned by Universal, which is unusual for a mainstream reissue project. Hopefully the sound will be pretty good.

The initial sets are of Louis Armstrong. Sidney Bechet. Ella Fitzgerald. Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater

Translation from french website:

THE JAZZ MASTERS (Limited Edition)
Louis Armstrong. Sidney Bechet. Ella Fitzgerald. Billie Holiday. Charlie Parker
5 BOXES - Universal Music Classics & Jazz France
Release Date: November 21, 2011
(not available for download)

For the first time together in a single box all records "master" of five legendary figures of jazz. Five artists who through their talent and their interpretation of creative genius have marked the history of popular music of the twentieth century. The sum of their recordings, for some long unavailable, is a heritage of a rich and endless variety and helps to make the output of these five boxes a major event discography.
Special care was taken in the design and implementation of these boxes that receive a luxurious presentation and will be offered at a very low sale price. Valuable articles intended to satisfy the amateurs and all the curious who want to enrich their music nightclub.
Each kit contains:
- 14 CD format Digisleeve ®, or about 300 songs, 15 hours of music enjoying a 24-bit remastered in high definition.
- A 68-page color booklet that includes a biographical text, a detailed discography and a plentiful illustrations (photos, sheet music, album covers ...).

These could be a great buy if you don't have much of a particular one of these artists. I'll definitely be looking at the Bechet set if the feedback is good.

straycat
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#2 Post by straycat » Tue Nov 22, 2011 6:18 am

Nice find!

They're also on the Amazon UK at around the £27 mark, which is a pretty good price for a 14 disc set.

Except for the Louis set, which is priced at £61. A little odd...

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trev
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#3 Post by trev » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:46 pm

I'm taking a gamble on these and have ordered the Bechet set. I'll report back when I've listened to it.

Here's an example of the recording info listed in the accompanying booklet:
http://www.deus62.com/linkto/bechet.jpg

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anton
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#4 Post by anton » Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:29 am

trev wrote:I'm taking a gamble on these and have ordered the Bechet set. I'll report back when I've listened to it.
Have you had a chance to listen to it yet? How's the sound compared to the Chrono Classics and the Bechet Mosaic Select set?

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trev
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#5 Post by trev » Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:47 am

Hasn't arrived yet. I'm on the other side of the Earth, plus no doubt Christmas season slows delivery down. I'll definitely report back as soon as I've had a listen.

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chrisbe
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#6 Post by chrisbe » Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:39 pm

could you provide a link?



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trev
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#9 Post by trev » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:41 pm

Yeah, Im guessing either a disgruntled customer or a manufacturing defect.

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trev
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#10 Post by trev » Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:22 am

My Bechet set arrived today. These boxes are a bargain!

I've only had a quick listen to some of the early tracks, and I can report back that the sound quality is good, certainly good enough to DJ at events, but not on the same level as JSP, HEP or Mosaic type box set. Probably more comparable with a Proper box or a Chrono[lo]gical Classics disc.

But the sets are comprehensive, cheap, and the packaging and booklet is beautiful, so I'd still cautiously recommend them.

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#11 Post by lipi » Wed Dec 21, 2011 5:00 pm

trev wrote:My Bechet set arrived today. These boxes are a bargain!

I've only had a quick listen to some of the early tracks, and I can report back that the sound quality is good, certainly good enough to DJ at events, but not on the same level as JSP, HEP or Mosaic type box set. Probably more comparable with a Proper box or a Chrono[lo]gical Classics disc.

But the sets are comprehensive, cheap, and the packaging and booklet is beautiful, so I'd still cautiously recommend them.
Do you have any of the Chrono Classics from that period? If so, can you do a side-by-side comparison?

(My guess originally was that these were (yet another) straight Chrono copy. The years for the Ella, though, don't quite match up, so maybe I'm wrong.)

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trev
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#12 Post by trev » Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:08 pm

Unfortunately I don't have any CC Bechet to compare it to, but I don't think they match up anyway (this set does not include his European recordings, and the first disc is selected highlights from his early years).

What I can say is that "Polka Dot Rag" on the Decca issued "Anthology of Big Band Swing" (A GREAT 2CD set, incidentally) sounds much better than the version on this set, and some of the other tracks I have on cheap CDs sound MUCH worse.

rayjazz
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Complete masters box set

#13 Post by rayjazz » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:33 am

complete listing of tracks for each of these set is available on Amazon.de .
click on Alle titel ansehen. go to artist ,look for box set and click. that is only place for all five lists

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