This is seriously depressing. I received their running low email this week and read the note about about the Brown/Roach set. I immediately ordered it from acoustic sounds. Then I forgot about the email. Well reading this is said, I'll order the Lester Young/Basie this weekend. I've acquired a number of their sets... they are just stellar. I'm in my mid 40s and it's not just old folks who listen to Jazz. All you need is taste, I guess that's what's lacking in the music world today. Jeff
Oh no, I actually checked the site and it says "back ordered until early 2017" under the item. I don't recall seeing that when I ordered it, but probably just missed it. Darn it! I want Mosaic to survive, but would have purchased something they could actually deliver to me. I might email them for a status, any recommendations if I change my order? I like Bop and Swing. I like Free Jazz too, the Sam Rivers set is fantastic, but I have to be honest I don't go as far out as I use to.
There is a car repair place here that will bundle any on-line purchases you wish to make (such as Amazon or Mosaic) and list the charges under "Labor". This helps with guys whose wife keeps track of all purchases. For guys who cannot get such items delivered to their house, you can pick it up at the auto service shop. The easiest thing to do is cover a box set under "Diagnostics" and just do an oil change. If you get asked at home, you say "it turned out there was nothing wrong"
You know, Jazz Listeners could probably keep Mosaic a float just using the patreon system. There is enough out there and this is something that isn't considered. But a subscription basis to revive the business. There is enough of the community for this label to pay its bills & to make a profit. Labels like Mosaic need to stop being so insular. People will support art if you address it concisely what the dilemma is. Especially with distributing legendary jazz names that Mosaic provided back to the public.
How much is the estimate to run something like Mosaic? My god, think of all the people who would subscribe and act as executive producers on future Mosaic Projects. You could have 50 angel donors probably cover the costs of Mosaic and then some. Then you have all the small amount donors who could probably keep the label somewhat lucrative. Mosaic needs to go streaming eventually or they will die. That's where we are in the 21st century. FYI streaming quality is only going to get better. I would challenge any audiophile to a blind hearing contest, digital vs hard copy. You aren't spiderman with the ears & you will lose. Mathematicians have clearly won on the algorithims of streaming, where science fiction becomes reality. Streaming in 20 years, they will recreate a hologram vinyl or cd player, you will never know the difference unless you are prompted. The Future in Audio always is resisted. Leave the resistance and join the Streaming Revolution. We welcome you.
Well my wife has no problems with my buying habits (which include about 14 Mosaic sets in the last 2 months plus a lot more), but many of my music friends are not allowed to buy anything
Let me get off my high horse and be honest. I see dudes on here from time to time nearly taking pride in hiding music purchases from a gf or wife. It certainly took the enjoyment out of my guitar practice when I bought an expensive Martin and hid it in the closet thinking somehow Id fool her. First off, I was very young and stupid. But secondly, women are never fooled. It backfired and that guitar eventually got sold. I never did that again. Trust is one of the biggies for a woman. As it should be. I wouldnt enjoy listening to my Mosaic set very much after lieing to the person who is suppose to be trusting me. Bad juju. Sorry dont mean to point a finger at you. Ive seen many say the same. Just my experience. And no thats not right that a partner isnt allowed to buy anything. That should be addressed. But lies and deceit isnt the way to address it imo.
Great post, and I agree, lying is the stupidest thing to do, especially in a relationship - well, and adultery, of course, but that's a different subject. Mutual trust is everything. Oops, this getting way off topic
Yes sir, it is. Back to topic Now, how can I sneak into Hans' home and secretly listen to all his Mosaics?
Most of these friends do not lie. They just borrow stuff from me. I usually have a dozen boxsets out at one time, sometimes a hundred LPs.
Long live Mosaic! I'm listening to some records right now from their old, wonderful Jack Teagarden set. Such incredible special releases over the years.
May I ask, by that do you mean a formal box set, like #103, or the three-disc Boogie Woogie and Blues Piano Select set?
I once did an eyeball scan of the complete list of Mosaic titles, and it appeared that in their early years well over 50% of the titles were sourced from Blue Note. In recent years, it has fallen to close to zero. There was not a loss of customers for Blue Note artists, rather there was a large increase. It just seems like the corporate owners of Blue Note refused to license or made the price too damn high. This factor must have really hurt Mosaic. It is too bad that the owners of Prestige won't license. Despite the large number of reissues they have done, there is still so much more, especially retrospective boxes (which Prestige totally gave up on years ago). I would love to see a Mosaic box on the collected works of Gene Ammons (speaking of his Dad above)
EMI, who owned Blue Note of course, also owned half of Mosaic (don't know what the current situation is), so I don't think it would have been in their interest to hurt Mosaic that way. Maybe Michael Cuscuna found the Blue Note material that hadn't been released yet on Mosaic not interesting enough, both artistically and financially. The owners of Prestige (Concord) do license - Chad Kassem's Acoustic Sounds have released and are releasing several Prestige albums on their Analogue Productions label, in their ongoing hybrid SACD series. They are remastered by Kevin Gray. I have no idea what Mosaic's position is with regard to Prestige recordings, i.e. whether they would be interested or not.