Duke Ellington Question: Can anyone comment on Mosaic's "Complete Reprise" package?

I do not have a single Mosaic CD, and the only LP Box I have is the "Complete Paul Desmond /w Jim Hall". I like its kind of "built quality" (quiet vinyl, superb booklet) but the sound is somewhat sterile (it says "mastered by Ron McMaster"). I never found out if it's digital or analog. If the Ellington set sounds much the same, I won't buy it. BTW, Discovery Records had a very good sounding version of "The Symphonic Ellington" a few years back, which is also part of Mosaic's package.

 

ArneW,

Here's some info from the Ellington Reprise Mosaic booklet;

"Three track mixes, two-track transfers, and mastering by Malcolm Addey" (they don't mention which specific sessions were remixed)

Addey has done mastering for many of Mosaic's sets, including the remixes, transfers and mastering for my favourite big band box set (in terms of sound quality and musical content), the Basie Roulette Studio Recordings.

Unusually for Mosaic, they haven't listed the individual recording engineers for the original sessions on the Ellington box. I can only guess that information couldn't be found.

The recordings date from November 29, 1962 to April 14, 1965. About 50% of the 26 sessions were done at Fine Studios in New York. 3 sessions were done at Universal in Chicago, 5 at various European concert halls/studios, and the rest are listed as only being recorded in NYC...

In terms of sound quality, I had never heard this material before I got the Mosaic box, so I can't really compare it to original vinyl or earlier CD re-masters. The recordings themselves sound fine to me - not necessarily reference quality but all the personality of Ellington's musicians comes through...

Lastly, of the 101 tracks, there are two unreleased recordings - two trio medleys of Duke's "Afro Bossa" compositions from a Jan. 8 1963 date.

Let me know if I can offer any more information...

John

 

Thanks a lot, that was a wealth of information! I think I stick with what I have, though (As I found out, the only tracks I do not have as a regular CD are the Mary Poppins tracks and the unreleased stuff.)

Arne