The short answer is probably the pandemic supply chain issues. I would imagine they have plans for more projects from their labels. They've done some great stuff, Craft seems to be going well.
They're also doing it under various brands which I think can be harder to follow. Even BN's current approach with two lines (Classics and Tone Poets) seems to confuse folks who are getting into the products.
Briefly went into a rage a short while ago. My Ring alert showed FedEx banging on my door during the 15 minute window that my wife was picking up the kids. FedEx man drove off with my Evans box set (signature required). The FedEx guy swung back around 20 minutes later and tried again. By then she was home and I have a present waiting for me after work! Bravo to FedEx!
Mine arrived today, spun the first two discs, they sound absolutely sublime. Definitely unhappy about the price and it was painful to have to pay this much for a box set, but I am very glad to own it.
I was getting increasingly frustrated about the status of my box. I got notice from Acoustic Sounds that my box had shipped on 9/15 via "Outside Shipper". My order disappeared from my order history on the Acoustic Sounds website after the confirmation e-mail. So I couldn't try to track it that way. The email said I would be getting an email from the shipper. Six days have passed and no email from the shipper. But things started getting a little less foggy and more clear. At noon I got a shipping notice from FedEx Ground that I had a delivery that I must sign for on next Tuesday 9/27. I was a bit confused because I had just ordered 2 LPs from Acoustic Sounds yesterday and the shipping notice from FedEx gave no reference I could find of the order number. As a result I couldn't tell whether it is the Evans Box or what I ordered yesterday. Then at 5 PM I got a different shipping notice from FedEx for the 2 LPs shipping which I could also track/cross check via Acoustic Sounds. Mystery solved. Then at 6PM I got a notice from FedEx ground about the package I must sign for, which I by now knew was the Evans box. The delivery date has been moved up to this Saturday 09/21. Over seven months wait and now this bit of final drama. I really didn't need this. Sigh. This is good news and I know where I will be and what I will be listening to this Saturday.
For those who are receiving the recent production box set, I'm curious about the quality of the printed booklet from this run. My QRP release from 2016 was very poor quality with ink rubbed off in various places on the thin spine and cover. When I complained and asked for a replacement, the customer service person said "Chad will not reprint them" but acknowledged my issue was not isolated to my copy and sent me a replacement NOS booklet from the 2010 Pallas production. The replacement was flawless. They even printed my set number on the back to match. I've kept that one pristine and use the other to thumb through when listening. Hopefully this run solved the printing issues from the last run.
Hopefully FedEx actually arrives that day. Mine is in limbo and as usual the delivery date will get changed 3 times before they decide when to deliver.
My first order was 2009 and they were a smaller company then. I'd order early morning and they'd have it for FedEx in the afternoon. Definitely got a lot of good deals with those holiday sales and the glorious days before internet tax. There was one woman on the phones, Leeza? Maybe someone remembers. I hope everyone enjoys their boxes, it's a beautiful release.
FedEx dropped mine off this afternoon when no one was home. Thankfully it was still there when my wife arrived. Fastest door-to-door shipment I’ve had from Acoustic Sounds. This run’s booklet seems fine. Clear print on glossy paper. No smudging so far.
Remember, Concord deleted virtually entire catalogs of every label they acquired shortly after acquisition, including that of Concord itself after owner Carl Jefferson's death. Each of those labels had a general long term policy of keeping virtually their entire historic catalog available. Concord did this to their non-jazz acquisitions as well (e.g. Rounder). Most of these titles were sold off at bargain basement, garage sale prices. Concord has an entirely different idea. Total market control and restricted availability. Nothing at all to do with supply chain or the pandemic. If Carl Jefferson could weep, California would be under water.
Well, I was at work when FedEx arrived with my box today…and they simply left it on the porch to bake in the 90+ degree heat all day! So much for requiring a signature… Hopefully all is well when I’m able to get home tomorrow and check out the box.
I've had records left in 115 heat and they were fine. I learned when I was kid that my Johnny Horton 45s didn't fare well left out of their sleeves in direct sunlight though.
My FedEx experience was very different. I ordered KoB and the Bill Evans box set, both dispatched, quite reasonably, in two separate packages. Both packages arrived in the UK together, and were transported to the regional hub together. Received notification from FedEx that both would be delivered yesterday, but then only one turned up. Had a bit of back and forth with the driver who confirmed that the Bill Evans was still at the regional hub. Imagine my surprise when the app buzzed twenty mins later to confirm both parcels had been delivered, which then makes it impossible to track the Bill Evans. Called FedEx who seem incapable of understanding that I didn’t receive the second more expensive of the two parcels. But, on a positive note, KoB is perfect. My 33 has the dreaded ticking on Blue in Green, but the 45 is flawless, flat, centred, and all together lovely. Having listened to it a couple of times yesterday, I am unable to say whether it sounds night and day better than the 33 on my system, but I may, this weekend, flip between the two. But the real reason I jumped on the 45, is because I was hoping that the QC issues had been addressed and that I might have a chance at a perfect copy. Given that I am very, very pleased and will enjoy giving it another spin later.
Amazing story!! Thanks for sharing. It is for reasons like this that I'm a big fan of Chad Kassem's various enterprises. He expects the best for himself and he wants to provide the same for his customers. He loves what he is doing and this isn't just some generic product he is selling. The quality is important to him. That is why I don't have a problem paying the price he asks for his various products and services. Do they make mistakes and could they sometimes do better? Sure we are all human and mistakes happen. However they seem to be able to learn from their mistakes and strive to do better. Would I like to pay less for these products and services? Yes of course, who wouldn't? But I think it is money well spent. It helps pay for all of those nice touches. I will always try to support businesses that put their customer first, even if it costs me a little more. The thing is you will also get to hear many stories, just like the one @MonkeyTennis shared with us.
A question for folks who have the 2022 box already: How wide is the box? I am trying to plan ahead for where it will go on top of my 4x2 Kallax shelf which display my other Jazz boxes. It will get a place of honor, I just don't know what space to leave. TIA
Received mine this morning: intact with no issues at all following visual inspection. I’m listening to New Jazz Conceptions now and will make my way through the rest today and tomorrow - just to check that there are no non-visible but audible defects. But so far, the presentation is really good, the booklet well done, and my first listen to the first album is meeting expectations. A good few days ahead of me, I think
Mine arrived yesterday. Half of the jackets have seam split along the spines right across the album titles
