Seeking advice

[TheMusicalMarine]

DISCLAIMER: Some Rambling

Here's the situation:

I make shit for money but I save about half of what I do make. With the remainder, I'm able to spend, just barely, about 300 a month on music. Right now BMG music is offering unlimited cds for 7.99 with free shipping. But I also want to pick up two Mosaics on the Running Low list. Ideally, what I do now ought to set a precedent. Do I say goodbye to single discs for a year or so and work on purchasing all of the current Mosaics? Or do I say 'too expensive' and opt for the cheaper, more plentiful single discs?

I realize that Mosaics go up in value, but if I enjoy them (and the two that I have currently are stellar) I'm not going to want to sell them. On the other hand, if I buy 3 Mosaics a month, I can't buy three dozen assorted artists for the same price.

What would you do? And why?

Thanks for any input.

By the way, I don't want any of these "there's no set rules to how you go about buying jazz" or "you've got a weak character". Once I do something I probably won't stick with it anyways, but please tell me what YOU'd do.

[Cem]

How about one Mosaic? Then shamelessly committ some musical thievery online (or e-music) and figure out whose music and which albums you want and spend the rest of your budget on singles.

[stonemonkts]

Interesting questions, Marine. I was just thinking to myself only last night that a person could build quite a fantastic jazz collection if they only purchased Mosaic boxes. They really are something. Of course you already know this, since you've recently acquired a lapfull of them iirc.

As expensive as they are relative to typical CDs, I think they offer more bang for the buck all around. I wouldn't discount their value as collector's items, it certainly equates to better than money in the bank. Typical CDs bought at deep discount, such as the regular BMG sale, is also money in the bank, per se. I know you can re-coup at least 75% of the purchase price after accounting for shipping/handling (usually $2.00 per CD). But, based on a simple financial point of view alone, the Mosaics are a better buy by far. In terms of quality, they are extraordinary in all respects.

My vote is to first exhaust the Mosaic catalog in terms of stuff you think you want to listen to, and then start in with non-Mosaic outlets.

Since it seems to me you are still in the early stages of exploring jazz, you can't go wrong with Mosaic. I'm sure you'll get all sorts of opinions. This is just my admittedly skewed opinion, since I'm in the throes of orgasmic delight what with my own recent Mosaic purchases.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I'd go for a less fully planned approach. With that kind of monthly budget for music, you could have oodles of fun strolling through used (and new) bins at brick and mortar stores, and experience of the joy of improvisatory shopping as well as adding to your collection. I find too much calculating by me results in headaches -- not necessarily to me personally, but to those around me.

[Rob C]

Well, I'd go for the multiplicity of single discs, personally. I like Mosaic, but I'm not as much of a fetishist as many jazz fans. Or go with Cem's sensible plan.

[Sergio Zamora]

I don't see what the point is just buying Mosaics. Like Rob, I dig'em, but I'm not a fetishist. Besides, if you only buy Mosaics, you'll miss out on a whole lotta music, A LOT of music. Especially contemporary music. I mean, I don't expect a Mosaic LJCO box any time soon

[Gary Sisco]

Go with singles and search out more music that way. I wouldn't just drop loot on Mosaic boxes in general, but only if they've boxed up some real favorite artist(s). As a relative newbie to jazz, the singles will reveal a lot more of the jazz world, esp if you can drop that kind of bread.

[shrugs]

I say grab as many of the Mosaics that you can for the next 6 months. A lot of the music contained in these sets are so overlooked it's criminal. Take the now long OOP Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. 80% of the set contains some of the greatest big band music of that time period. And most here have heard maybe only a smidgeon.
I have always said that if push came to shove, I would sell all of my music except my Mosaic boxes. I have 44 lp sets and I am sure I could get by just fine.

Do you own the Blue Mitchell set?

[shrugs]

Originally posted by Gary Sisco
As a relative newbie to jazz, the singles will reveal a lot more of the jazz world, esp if you can drop that kind of bread.

The Mosaic booklets are a treasure trove of information. The Roswell Rudd liners in the Herbie Nichols reveal A LOT.

[shrugs]

Originally posted by Rob C
Well, I'd go for the multiplicity of single discs, personally. I like Mosaic, but I'm not as much of a fetishist as many jazz fans. Or go with Cem's sensible plan.

Main Entry: fe·tish·ism
Variant(s): also fe·tich·ism /-tish-"i-z&m/
Function: noun
Date: 1801
1 : belief in magical fetishes
2 : extravagant irrational devotion
3 : the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish
- fe·tish·ist /-tish-ist/ noun



I personally don't find owning a lot of music to be irrational.

[TheMusicalMarine]

Thanks to everyone for the well thought out replies. I'm definitely taking each into consideration. While most of you are saying "Go for the singles! They'll allow you to sample so much more.", I think I'm going to buy the current Mosaics. Then, after a year or so, I'll be 21.5, and still young enough to indulge in the singles. I'm using a spreadsheet to schedule what I'll buy when, and while I'll go through with it, I can't help but think 3600 dollars a year or so spent just on music is a bit unhealthy. Well then, I guess if healthy is no music, disease me up!

Thanks again.

By the way, Ebay is currently offering the buy now option for the Duke Ellington Capitol Sessions and Illinois Jacquet 1945-1950. Anyone here familiar with/recommend them?

[shrugs]

Originally posted by TheMusicalMarine
Thanks to everyone for the well thought out replies. I'm definitely taking each into consideration. While most of you are saying "Go for the singles! They'll allow you to sample so much more.", I think I'm going to buy the current Mosaics. Then, after a year or so, I'll be 21.5, and still young enough to indulge in the singles. I'm using a spreadsheet to schedule what I'll buy when, and while I'll go through with it, I can't help but think 3600 dollars a year or so spent just on music is a bit unhealthy. Well then, I guess if healthy is no music, disease me up!

Thanks again.

By the way, Ebay is currently offering the buy now option for the Duke Ellington Capitol Sessions and Illinois Jacquet 1945-1950. Anyone here familiar with/recommend them?

Skip them and get the Blue Mitchell if you don't already own it.

[TheMusicalMarine]

Thanks Shrugs. This month I'm going to snatch up the Atlantic New Orleans and Blue Mitchell (seeing as how they won't be around forever now) and Hank Mobley, and either Stuff Smith or the Jack Teagarden. Haven't decided yet.

[Rob C]

Originally posted by shrugs
Main Entry: fe·tish·ism
Variant(s): also fe·tich·ism /-tish-"i-z&m/
Function: noun
Date: 1801
1 : belief in magical fetishes
2 : extravagant irrational devotion
3 : the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish
- fe·tish·ist /-tish-ist/ noun



I personally don't find owning a lot of music to be irrational.

Neither do I, I was talking about the Mosaic obsession specifically, a common condition among jazz fans.

Hey, whatever floats your boat....

[shrugs]

Originally posted by Rob C
Neither do I, I was talking about the Mosaic obsession specifically, a common condition among jazz fans.

Hey, whatever floats your boat....

Quality is always sought after, usually in large doses.

[Gary Sisco]

Shrugs -- I have a pile of Mosaic boxes, too, but if I were as new to jazz as our Marine is, I don't think I'd go for such concentrated doses before doing a lot of sampling. They're great boxes but I wouldn't, for example, just buy the Curtis Fuller box if I didn't already love Curtis Fuller to death. Not saying he'll lose out, of course, because they're all good, but there's so much out there happening now and since most of the Mosaic collections, I'd go for the singles route first. Except for the Complete Plugged Nickel Sessions. Everyone has to have those.

Agreed though that one could listen with satisfaction for a long time, with 14 Mosaic boxes of lp's. Agreed also about the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis box, the template of big band jazz ever since; everyone should hear those, too, definitely.

[TheMusicalMarine]

Gary, you make a point as valid as that of Shrugs and Stonemonkts and the rest. I was dead set on buying Mosaics. Then I was certain I'd be buying singles. Right now I'm struggling between the two. I'm tempted to just say to hell with it and buy 600 dollars worth, but that would throw my finances into dire straits for at least a month or so. My god! Any normal human being would say to just buy one box set and a half dozen cds. All things in moderation, right? Nuts to that.

Edited: I remember once somebody here saying that they'd just buy the Mosaics on the running low/last chance list, because they couldn't afford regular purchases. That philosophy is appealing.

[vibes]

Marine, another idea is to start with 1-2 Mosaics and then see if you like those artists and their sidemen, then look for more music by the people you like. It's a lot of fun to see where one artist's music can take you. For example, my interest in Bobby Hutcherson led me to look for albums where he was a sideman, and because of that, I ended up getting into:

Jackie McLean
Andrew Hill
John Patton
Prince Lasha/Sonny Simmons
Barney Kessel
Eric Dolphy
Lee Morgan
...and so on.

That's a lot of different artists, and a pretty decent variety of styles, too. Pick a set that interests you, and see where it leads you. You won't be disappointed.

[shrugs]

Gary, if I had followed your same advice when I started out I would have had to shell out an arm and a leg for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill and others. They all went oop soon after I got into buidling up my collection. I had never heard Andrew Hill before and I only had heard a tune from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis. There is a lot going on nowadays but there is a shitload of music that is ignored as well.
The Blue Mitchell set will be gone in days.