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Jazz experts - are the Mosaic LP box sets worth investing in?

Excellent! I had never wanted to advertise it but since the cat is out of the bag, the Mosaics if bought at list prices are some of the best vinyl bargains on the planet!

Let me tell you about my positive Mosaic experience. I ordered my Miles In a Silent Way box a few years ago. A month or so later, a single disk of Miles vinyl was airfreighted to me half way round the world. Unbeknownst to me, one of the box disks had some manufacturing fault (something really minor that did not even catch my attention), and they had just sent me a replacement disk.

How many stupid socalled audiophile vinyl companies do that for you, without even your asking???
 
Up 'til about 2am this morning listening to the Miles & Coltrane set - absolutely fantastic music and an all round excellent set. They're not cheap although I personally think the sets represent excellent value overall, and I can't recommend them and Mosaic the company enough.
 
Very nice. Much better purchase than some new equipment! I'd work my way through in chronological order.

My only problem with the Mosaic sets is that they did not do more. With the 'vinyl revival', why not issue the marvellous 'Cellar Door Session 1970' or forthcoming 'On the Corner' set?

By the why, the Columbia 63-64 has now gone to 'last chance'. I.e will be gone in a few days. Looks like you got there just in time!
 
These guys are too efficient:-

Date Time Location Service Area Checkpoint Details
May 18, 2007 13:41 Norwalk, CT - USA Shipment picked up

May 18, 2007 18:26 Norwalk, CT - USA Departing origin

May 19, 2007 04:01 DHL Wilmington Airpark, OH - USA Departing origin

May 18, 2007 22:45 Norwalk, CT - USA Departed from DHL facility in Norwalk - USA

May 19, 2007 06:00 DHL Wilmington Airpark, OH - USA Departed from DHL facility in DHL Wilmington Airpark - USA

May 20, 2007 00:35 East Midlands - UK Processed for clearance at East Midlands - UK

May 20, 2007 03:00 East Midlands - UK Arrived at DHL facility in East Midlands - UK

May 20, 2007 04:27 East Midlands - UK Clearance processing complete at East Midlands - UK

May 20, 2007 04:28 East Midlands - UK Departed from DHL facility in East Midlands - UK

May 20, 2007 11:32 London-Heathrow - UK Arrived at DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

May 21, 2007 05:08 London-Heathrow - UK Departed from DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

May 21, 2007 06:28 Gatwick - UK Arrived at DHL Facility

May 21, 2007 08:28 Gatwick - UK With delivery courier

May 21, 2007 12:59 Gatwick - UK Delivery attempted; recipient not home

Note the DELIVERY. However I didn't get am email until 14:29 to tell me that it will be shipped within the next 24hours! Gone through some timewarp?

BTW I was at home but on the 'phone at the time.

Geez

DV
 
Martin M said:
Very nice. Much better purchase than some new equipment! I'd work my way through in chronological order.

My only problem with the Mosaic sets is that they did not do more. With the 'vinyl revival', why not issue the marvellous 'Cellar Door Session 1970' or forthcoming 'On the Corner' set?
Click to expand...

Definitely much better than new equipment. I always think about the opportunity costs in terms of music software whenever I contemplate buying hardware.

If I recall, Mosaic has ceased making vinyl because it has been a loss-making exercise; there is just not enough demand to justify it. Which is sad, because I think they do a fantastic job compared to a lot of audiophile vinyl companies who only focus on the "audiophilic" as opposed to musical side of reissues.
 
Slowly making my way through The Complete In a Silent Way and The Complete Bitches Brew sets. Sound quality is way beyond the CD re-master, the cohesion the band at this point in time really shows, textures are clearer and you're a step or two deeper into the studio. A minor quibble with Bitches Brew is some of the unreleased sets have that "extra footage on the DVD" type-quality where the balance isn't the same and its recorded in a different acoustic altogether -- but I soon forget the discrepancy.

Its amazing to hear how in 1968-69 Miles is doing what what avant garde-ists are doing today -- without flares and bad hair (or in Joe Zawinul's case when he had some hair!)

Its something I'm resisting the urge to play front to back. A bit every night and usually not play anything afterwards...

Worth it for £10 a disk? Hell yeah! Bring me more!
 
Thanks a lot - excellent - tempting stuff..

New babies can be made - I fear I need to share news with my 7 year old tomorrow..

Carl

PS Could have sworn you said Columbia set - still hungry..?
 
fox said:
And if you nix the Miles Davis Blackhawk set before I get it I'm having your firstborn
Click to expand...

Nice set. But you really need the 65-68 set if you don't already have it. Marvellous. I'd imagine the license is coming to the end of its term too.

I'm not surprised that Mosaic made zero money out of these LPs. My 63-64 set was one the last ones and its serial number is in the 700s. Which means they made about $150k tops, minus manufacturing and licensing costs, I don't see much profit.

The Mosaic CD sets have a great reputation, but I don't own any so can't personally vouch for them.
 
The Thelonious Monk Qrt. /John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall-LP
Item :231-MR-LP Price : $30.00

The Studio Recordings of Miles Davis Quintet 65-68(#177) LPs
Item :177-MR-LP Price : $180.00

The Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis/ Coltrane (#191) LPs
Item :191-MR-LP Price : $162.00

Art Blakey - Hard Bop (MCD-1005)
Item :1005 Price : $15.00

Steve :D
 
I own over 80 Mosaics sets, a few on CD but mostly vinyl. If you like the format (I do) they are terrific and the sound quality is generally very good. Get any vinyl sets before they go out of print as the SH prices are just crazy.
 
Martin M said:
Nice set. But you really need the 65-68 set if you don't already have it.
Click to expand...

Yes but the relative scarcity of some of these sets means you need to buy what's in the running low list before anything else. I dipped my toes in with my fave Miles period: the long textural expositions of Bitches Brew and Silent way, was pleased and was about to place an order for the 63-64 Columbia Recordings LP (#226) but see it has been de-listed just a couple of days earlier. So I have various alerts set up if one should appear at a reasonable price.

EDIT: I'm intrigued that some of the no-longer available ones are listed as 10" (such as the Complete Plugged Nickel) on the Secondhand Market. I assume they mean 10 x.
 
Starbuck - you are a star. I had both of those in my basket from Mosaic & SWMBO said 'Hmmm' so I left them, & next day they were both gorn...just ordered. I expect a belt around the ear, but I thank you anyway!!
 
Starbuck - Thanks for the link. I got both the Silent Way and Bitches Brew sessions today.


Just listening to the Silent Way LP's and its superb

Albert
 
...after a failed delivery attempt on Tuesday. I only ordered late Weds evening last week so pretty impressive delivery. No tax to pay. As mentioned by others, the sets are works of art and weigh in pretty heavily with all that vinyl goodness inside.

Currently on Complete Miles & Coltrane, Disc 1, Side 2 and it all sounds wonderful. I love working from home.

Steve.
 
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