Big BandUpcoming Releases
| Future Projects - Not Yet Available for Pre-Order | Here's a look at sets that we are currently working on at Mosaic. Each of our sets is a time-consuming affair to assemble from securing rights to tape research to studio mastering to the photographic, historical and discographical research for our booklets. Each step is fraught with surprises and therefore it is possible that the Future Projects may not see the light of day. These are not yet available for preorder Mosaic Records Limited Edition Box Sets Bing Crosby: The Bing Crosby CBS Recordings 1954-56 (MD7-245) Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong revolutionized the art of singing and changed the course of American music forever. Of course, they did it with recordings like “Just One More Chance” and “Heebie Jeebies” rather than “White Christmas” and “Hello Dolly.” Recently, the Bing Crosby estate has begun cataloguing and restoring music recorded for Crosby’s various radio programs. The 160 songs in this Mosaic collection were recorded with the Buddy Cole Quartet between 1954 and 1956 for Bing’s CBS show are absolutely revelatory. Crosby’s early jazz roots informed his influential career as a pop singer. To our knowledge, these are the only recorded performances of Crosby singing the Great American Songbook in an informal atmosphere with a consummate small jazz ensemble. Without the pressure of phonograph recording sessions which by definition are always in search of hits, these recordings put Crosby’s artistry in bold relief and redefine the depths of his art. Only 16 of these performances were commercially released over three Decca albums. The personnel (Buddy Cole on keyboards, Vince Terri on guitar, Don Whitaker on bass and Nick Fatool on drums and percussion) is consistent throughout. The repertoire includes plenty of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Fats Waller. One 13-song session adds clarinetist Matty Matlock, tenor saxophonist Fred Falensby, trumpeter Clyde Hurley and trombonist Abe Lincoln and finds Bing exploring his roots on tunes like “Muskrat Ramble”, “That’s A-Plenty” and “At The Jazz Band Ball.” Henry Threadgill: The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air Henry Threadgill was among the first wave of distinctive and utterly original artists to emerge from Chicago’s Association for The Advancement of Creative Music along with Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and the member of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. As a saxophonist, he delivers his unique style with a big, dry sound and precise articulation. As a composer, he was an American original, influenced by the entire spectrum of music. He creates distinctive sonic canvasses for a variety of ensemble. And his work is infused with a wonderfully dry, almost absurdist sense of humor. This set covers three important eras in Threadgill’s career, beginning with the three albums that Air made in 1978-79 for Arista Novus including the celebrated “Air Lore” with unique reinterpretations of the music of Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton. Air was a remarkable co-operative trio formed by Threadgill, bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall in 1975. In 1979, Threadgill made his first album as a leader for Arista Novus. “X-75. Volume 1” featured the unique ensemble of four reeds, four basses and the voice of Amina Claudine Myers. A volume 2 was made and never issued. It is released for the first time in this set. In 1981, Henry formed his Sextett, which consisted of seven musicians! This unique ensemble consisted of trumpet, trombone, cello, bass and two sets of drums as well as Threadgill. Beggining in 1986, the group recorded three albums for RCA Novus all of which are included here. Threadgill closed out the century with three albums on Columbia (“Carry The Day,” “Makin’ A Move” and “Where’s Your Cup”) recorded between 1994 and ’96 with varying ensembles of unusual instrumentation. This set cover three distinct and fertile peak periods in Threadgill’s long and ever creative career. THE BEST VINYL SHOP |