Due to my quite limited budget (I'm on disability and make do with what I can, due to a serious physical disability from birth), I just have a $450 Sony 5-CD player with some mid-size but nice-sounding Sony speakers which came with the package. I couldn't even afford the system myself-- a family member helped me out with the purchase as a gift, for which I was extremely thankful. On a better system than mine, I virtually salivate to imagine how good this Bing set would sound!
Man, these Bee Hive Sessions just keep on getting better and better! At this point, even though I have the set myself, I'm truly hoping that at least a few more are found in the Mosaic inventory, so they can be on sale again at the site, because every serious jazz fan (who loves hard-bop or is simply curious) really should hear this music! I'm on the second song of the third CD ("Bambu," from the album Neo Nistico, by Sal Nistico), and I am in "super-funky jazz" ecstasy!! This isn't jazz-rock, or any kind of fusion at all (which is much of my previous experience of "funky jazz," but apparently, I have much to learn!), it's very much hard-bop acoustic jazz, but these cats are getting down!
Nistico is a fantastic player! Wait 'til you get to the next disc, Fuller's Fire & Filigree - Nistico's on that one too. Just got through Disc 6 today, the Hartman album and really enjoyed it.
I'm groovin' to Fuller's transcendent take on "Hello Young Lovers" from Fire and Filigree-- unbelievably good playing from him and everyone on this song (and on the album)!! If you don't hear from me again, know that I died happy, because I was listening to this box, which is so good that the sheer pleasure of listening to it may prove to be too much for me!
I just landed a NM copy of the Bing Crosby set for $75 (Discogs). Looking forward to getting this one.
Yes. The Bing set is almost surreal. I suspect Bing's interest in the technology, the quality of all the material attributes and their preservation are all responsible for the lovely, warm and clear fidelity. The mastering is sublime. The Louis set is similar to the other Mosaic sets recently, of this vintage. I'm thinking of the Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman boxes. They're super clean. Almost squeaky clean. I've noticed on cheaper systems they can be a touch strident. The clean sound invites a little more volume and then Louis' horn blows you away -- upper mid-range is a tad piercing. But that's on "consumer grade stuff." On my dedicated listening system, it's fantastic. I will do some comparisons (if I can find some other sources in my collection). I doubt there's going to be much of a contest.
I suppose it is near impossible to obtain now, but seek the complete series of CDs by Bing on the Jonzo label. When Jonzo stopped, the Sepia label picked it up for another 11 volumes. Over 60 CDs in all. The first 50 or so were sold by subscription only.
Bing's complete collection of transcription discs of his pre-1950's radio sessions was destroyed in the fire at his home (I forget when). That was a very serious loss.
The Bing set arrived this morning from the Discogs seller. Of the 7 cds, only the first 2 (in a double jewel box) were open, the rest were sealed. In really nice shape. Listened to the first disc, and I agree with you - the mastering is superb on this. I don't have much Bing, so this is a great one to have.
This is not Mosaic, but it is great Bing Crosby, if you like his deeper resonant (later) voice The CD edition was a serious upgrade. In it's day, it was Bing's first album recorded to be issued as a 33 LP, though it was a 10 inch. There were many other previous 10 inch LPs by Bing, but those were originally recorded as 78s (either folio 78 albums or 78 singles)
Seems as though these Mosaic sets are coming down in price on the used market. Picked up a near mint Lionel Hampton box for 40 dollars and they have several Duke Ellington sets below discogs prices and not moving.
All 3 volumes of the Commodore 26 LP sets just sold on Ebay for $105-$125. These were $250 new I believe, so yeah i think some of them are coming down. Others however have held value well or increased such as the hard/post bop sets. Dixieland stuff seems to have peaked...
I was in the mix but got outbid. Oh well. I'll keep trying! I've been listening to some of those Fletcher Henderson tracks and they're so much fun. I think Dixieland and traditional jazz like that just doesn't have much audience anymore beyond a specific niche, unlike the more modern forms which are easier to tie to modern musical styles.
It was scarce for many years. For maybe 50 years, it was only ever issued on the original 10 inch LP, never 12 inch, and had been deleted probably in 1954. The original 10 inch LPs were usually in poor playback condition due to typical groove wear on such Decca records. Just before this official CD issue with bonus material from master tapes, it had been included on a Sepia label CD transferred from a commercial 10 inch LP
Very lovely album. Bing was such an icon, an institution, that it's easy to forget at his core he was just a singer. He never cared about all that other stuff -- just music and singing. That's what he loved to do. And his heart was always in jazz. Often my agenda when listening to Bing is to strip away all that other stuff and listen to just how marvelous of a singer he was. I think albums like this, the Mosaic set, and all his earlier stuff is where you can find it best. There's a nice moment on the Duke Ellington Brunswick Mosaic (1932-40) where Bing pops up, singing a few takes of St Louis Blues. It's one of my favorite cameos, if you will. And you can get a clear sense of just how elite a vocalist he was in those early days. He literally smokes all the other vocalist of that time, save for a precious handful like Armstrong. You immediately hear that he is the present and future of the art of singing.
An incredible new project by Mosaic would be a series of box sets, say 8 CDs per box, of the complete master takes by Bing in Chronological order. Essentially a remaster and new transfers of the Jonzo series. The alternate takes, and alternate masters could be on a series of Mosaic Select boxes. Gary Giddens: Give Mosaic a call and get started
I finally got around to picking up the Mosaic Bing box a couple of months ago, thanks to another forum member, and happen to be listening to it as I type this. It's been on my wish list since it was first announced, and I'm only sorry I somehow waited until now to get it. What a magnificent set.
Answering my own question - just got an email today that these were being pushed to September release date.
