Beyond excited for this. While we count the days, what is the preferred source for the Lionel Hampton tracks that were unavailable for inclusion in this set?
The Mosaic Hampton set and this RCA set: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Victor-Lionel-Hampton-Sessions/dp/B06Y3LHX2P both contain all 8 master takes, plus an alternate take of "Dough-Re-Mi." (The RCA set, which is digital-download only, is also on iTunes.) (Edit: Helen Forrest knocks it out of the park on both of her vocal tracks, in my opinion.)
I looked up the address and building on the label, and it's one that I've walked by many times and never taken note of it. Here it is, then and now: By the way, there's some stuff about MacGregor studios (used for many of the recordings in this set) in another thread, here: The King Cole Trio's Pre-Capitol Recordings? .
Great new review from The Vinyl District! TVD Radar: Nat King Cole, Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943) 10-LP box set in stores 11/1 - The Vinyl District
I just lost a lengthy P.S., but I wanted to say thank you to Messrs. Lutthans and Taylor for making this thread so fascinating and insightful. It really has been both educational and exciting to read the stories of the immense hard work, dedication, love and ingenuity that has gone into assembling this set. I think it will be one for the ages, a true dream set for any NKC/Trio fan. Thanks also to the collectors, archivists and the like who generously contributed their time, resources and materials to make this set the best it could be. We are very lucky to be alive at a time when such dedicated stewards as Mr. Taylor and Mr. Lutthans are taking utmost care to preserve and curate the legacy of these great, lesser known works of genius before they are lost to history. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Take a bow, Mr. Lutthans. As I told someone the other day...this is his project, the rest of us just got to put our names on it.
That is incredible packaging! It appears to have almost as much information and commentary as music. We knew the music would be great, but that is a Grammy Award package right there!
My stock-copy CD set arrived Monday, and the packaging is very well done and surprisingly compact (insert "compact" disc wisecrack here) -- but the booklet is quite thick (56 pages) and the text is very readable. It's not one of those you-need-a-magnifying-glass jobs, so kudos to the design guys. Even my wife was impressed by the booklet, and she's picky!
This set looks so great! I usually pre-order via Amazon in case prices go down along the way, but that Bull Moose CD set price is pretty low. LPs look nice, too!
There's a story that Vanna White often tells about a contestant on Wheel of Fortune who guessed "Done with One Hand" when the puzzle was actually "Gone with the Wind." (It may be an apocryphal story, for all I know, but it's still funny.) There is no Max Steiner score, but here is my Gone with the Wind video showing some of the packaging of the CD set: I know that CDs are viewed a bit askance these days, but these are old-school, non-compressed, non-brickwalled, non-screwed up (IMO) CDs that I can't imagine anybody -- even LP fans -- disliking. That's my way of saying: Don't shy away from the CD set!
Thank goodness for your stellar work and words as I am a CD guy and that's the version I ordered. Thanks again, Matt!
Sounds like this project added a lot of info re: Cole's discography to what had previously appeared in the '94 Klaus Teubig book?