A Really Great Jazz lp/cd jazz reissue label

[KLM]

I am writing about the limited releases of Mosaic Records which I'm not sure all Forum members know about. Here's a description from their website:

Mosaic Records was launched in 1983 and was the first company devoted exclusively to reissuing jazz recordings in limited-edition boxed sets. Mosaic offers complete definitive collections by such important jazz artists such as Basie, Teagarden and Miles along with lesser-known but important artists such as Illinois Jacquet, Lennie Tristano and Hank Mobley.

Every set, whether CD or LP, is housed in a sturdy 12" x 12" box with a liquid laminated cover. One of the most highly treasured components of a Mosaic set is the accompanying full-size booklet that features newly commissioned biographies and musical analysis by the most distinguished writers and scholars in the field of jazz. Many rare and unpublished photographs are included and printed in a rich duo-tone process. The updated discographies at the end of each booklet are considered so invaluable that colleges, institutions, jazz archives and libraries all over the world acquire these sets for use as permanent references.

I've purchased many of their cd sets and just got my first lp set (Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis and John Coltrane).
The cds and lps are incredible and exceeded my expectations in every way. I strongly recommend all Forum members to get over to their website and pick up a copy or two before they are out of print.

I heard on another forum that they are getting out of producing lps and it's a shame really as we all talk about the quality of lps yet why doesn't a high quality label like Mosaic have more success so they can continue to make more of the lp sets (limited to 7500 or so pressings).

Visit their website and get a 20% discount off the lp sets and 10% off cd sets. The range of artists are just incredible and include some of the biggest names and most important jazz recordings ever made.

http://mosaicrecords.com/

[ArneW]

Their booklets are marvellous and their pressings are very clean, but - not unlike Rhino - they are not an audiophile company. The Paul Desmond box set I have is not nearly as good as Classic Records' reissue of "Desmond Blue" from the same period‡. But like Simply Vinyl, they do "command top dollar", as someone in this forum once put it. I paid almost $150 for the Paul Desmond /w Jim Hall box*, and that was ten years ago! For that much money, they surely could afford to hire Steve, Bernie or Joe for the job.


*I just visited their web site. They seem to sell them cheaper now than they used to in the pre-internet days, I admit.

‡There is something about it that tells me it has been digitally remastered, no matter what Mosaic communicates.

[KLM]

ArneW,
Thanks for your thoughts. I haven't had the opportunity to compare Mosaic's releases to some other labels such as Classic Records but I don't think they are like Simply Vinyl. I would put them at a higher qualoty level than that. As you pointed out, the included booklets are incredible and I find the pressings and sound to be excellent. More importantly, unlike Simply Vinyl, they do spend some time to put these collections together and search for the original or best possible masters available.

Now granted, these collections are extensive and include many alternative tracks that some people may not desire and you have multiple discs that adds up. I've heard people complain about their prices but the fact is the pricing for their sets breaks down to $18 per lp and their cds are $16 each. Again compared to Simply Vinyl or other audiophile labels, I find this an incredible deal for high quality 180 gram pressings or 24 bit re-mastered cds from the origianl master with the incredible booklets and information included.

Sorry to go on and no I don't have an affiliation with Mosaic, I guess I don't understand why their isn't more interest in this company from the Forum.

[Todd Fredericks]

I have several Mosaic set and they're wonderful. I consider them to be a top-notch quality company that has a good team and cares very, very much about their product, sound and packaging. I do not put them on the same planet as Simply Vinyl. Mosaic Records uses original master tapes (or the multi-master for re-balancing), they state their sources (sometimes digital editing as to be done if a tape is severly damaged) and they do their extensive research. They are a very important to support because they are small and they're getting miles of important jazz sessions out there for a limited audience (not every teenager is running out to buy a Jack Teagarden collection). My only negative drag with their vinly packaging is the difficulty of getting the records out of the box (inner-sleeves stacked and the box sild isn't completely removable but the music is worth the little work). I would take advantage of their current sale...

Todd

[ArneW]

I didn't really mean to compare Mosaic to SV. What I very much like about them is the fact that the pressings are dead quiet - very close to MFSL.

Arne

[J Epstein]

Big Mosaic fan here, both LPs and CDs.

[Todd Fredericks]

Mosaic uses RTI (same as DCC, Classic Records, etc.) for their vinyl pressings. I would consider them an "audiophile" company. One thing I'm not sure of is what exactly qualifies a label to be considered "audiophile"?

Todd

[ArneW]

IMO, it basically comes down to using the original master tapes and doing all the work in the analog domain. Using the same tape recorder the performance was recorded with, if possible. Staying close to the original LP issue if it sounds good. Rebalancing from the work parts if it has too much echo. Using a mono tape if the "hit version" wasn't in stereo.

This is what I consider "audiophile", and there are quite a few companies (not just DCC) which do (or did) make their records that way:

- Alto
- Speakers Corner
- Analogue Productions
- Classic Records
- Sundazed
- Chesky (their pre-1993 LP releases)

are the ones that immediately come to my mind.

[Mike V]

Originally posted by ArneW


This is what I consider "audiophile", and there are quite a few companies (not just DCC) which do (or did) make their records that way:

- Alto
- Speakers Corner
- Analogue Productions
- Classic Records
- Sundazed
- Chesky (their pre-1993 LP releases)

are the ones that immediately come to my mind.

Hi Arne,

I have to disagree regarding Sundazed. I did get lucky with my 1st purchase (Albert King Born Under A Bad Sign) and I was blown away by the great job they did with that one. I was so excited, I bought all 4 Byrds titles. I thought something was wrong with my turntable they sounded so dreadful. But my turntable is just fine!

I just bought The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and I like it, but it sounds really 2 dimensional to me. Maybe Bob was miked up close or something. You can't hear the room at all. Maybe a teensy bit of reverb would have been nice to fool the ears? I don't know. Yes, I know it's mono, but there are a lot of mono recordings that sound much more open than this. In fairness to Sundazed, I've nothing to compare their issue to.

As for Mosaic, I love their stuff. Boy, they do reissues like no one else. Audiophile or not, they set the standard of excellence for jazz reissues. And to this day, no one touches them. And one hell of a value too! Dollar for dollar, you get way more out of these sets than most others out there. And who more than Mosaic has pointed our attention (through completist boxsets no less) toward obscure, forgotten musicians who deserve another listen. This no-holds-barred approach has convinced me that no one on this planet loves jazz more than Charlie Lourie and Michael Cuscuna.