Django - 15 CD box set

Mark

Hi all.

In my search for more Django recordings (I've got the 8 Disc Naxos Series which seems to me to be very good value and quality) I found a 15 CD box set for as little as US$27.76 - new!

Here is a link...

http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?c ... meta_idEQ2

There were 4 copies at the time of me writing this post.

I also noticed a company in New York on eBay selling the same set for US$32.99

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :1:2v_home

What I want to know is - does any one have this box set and what is the quality like?

If these recordings are any good, why would you bother with the Integrale series?

Cheers Mark

MichaelHorowitz

Mark wrote:

If these recordings are any good, why would you bother with the Integrale series?

Hi Mark.....if you're into Django for the long haul then you'll be way better off with the Integrale series. The remastering is excellent, and most important, the Integrale series has EVERYTHING Django every recorded in chronological order. When you're talking about a guy who made thousands of recordings, that's saying a lot. Everything is included, radio broadcasts, out takes, live recordings, home recordings, interviews, film soundtracks, etc. If you buy smaller collections you'll inevitably have HUGE holes in your collection. Also, you'll end up buying Django CDs that have 12 songs you already have on other CDs. So you end up wasting a lot of money. And then you have to dig through a pile of CDs to find that one version of the song you're looking for. The Integrale makes it so much easier...just have volumes 1-20 sitting on your shelf and pull out the year you're looking for.

Personally, I think the Integrale series blows away everything else out there. I sold all my django CDs and just investd in the Integrale and have never regretted it.

'm

Barengero

Michael Horowitz wrote:

I sold all my django CDs and just investd in the Integrale and have never regretted it.

'm

Hi,
that is exactly what I did not! Because I still love hearing some Django CD´s from the start to the end just to enjoy it or to listen a little while I am working. And this doesn´t work with the Integrale series CD´s because there is too much hard-to-listen stuff.

Of course the Integrale series is a must have.

Best

Barengero

Mark

Sorry, guys. I did not mean to belittle the Integrale series - obviously it is the ultimate in aural Django resources. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare US$690 at the moment.

The point I was trying to get across was that for less than the cost of one 2-disc Integrale set, you could buy a 15-disc set! It seems to me that the value of this 15-disc set is outstanding.

And even if I did decide to take the plunge and buy the Integrale series, I'd still be left with a comprehensive resource to take to work or on the road - I don't think that's really a waste of money, Michael.

MichaelHorowitz

Hi Mark,

Sorry, I didn't look at how big that collection is. 15 CDs is a lot for less then $30. If you end up buying it let me know how it is and maybe I'll stock it. Seems like most of the retailers are selling it around $50. One Integral set is $24.50...so you could get two volumes. And you'd get lots of photos and detailed notes and discorgraphic info which I'm sure you won't get with that other collection. Also, depsite it's size, that 15 disc set is missing lots of classic performances.

However, something seems really strange. I know a lot about the the business end of CD production, and it's damn near impossible to make a profit at that price on a set that big. The song licensing alone would be astronomical. There have been some semi legit looking boot leg type of CDs and books out of Germany from the past. This could be yet another...or maybe it's a clearance sale?

-Michael

Tom Landman

Hi Mark,
I've owned that 15 CD collection, and it is a good deal for few $$, but the sound quality isn't great. It sounds as if the recording engineer was a little heavy handed in his/her application of noise reduction, and consequently, some of the some of the higher frequencies were sacrificed.

A friend and I once compared several tracks from the JSP, Mosaic and Integrale sets. Based on this brief test of only several tracks, I seem to recall that we ranked the sound quality of the JSP set as best, followed by the Mosaic and then the Integrale sets. Nevertheless, I've since completed my Integrale collection (thanks Michael) and have given away that 15 CD collection.

I thought the cheap price of that 15 CD collection was possible because the recordings were over 50 years old...and European copyright protection only covers the first 50 years. Somebody correct me if wrong, please.

-Tom

MichaelHorowitz

Tom Landman wrote:

I thought the cheap price of that 15 CD collection was possible because the recordings were over 50 years old...and European copyright protection only covers the first 50 years. Somebody correct me if wrong, please.

That's only for the recordings....they still have to license most of the songs. Also, the 50 year rule doesn't apply in the US, so it's actually illegal to import a collection like that. However, it's not enforced very much.

'm

Mark

Thanks for the review, Tom.

Good to know that the old adage 'you get what you pay for', still holds true!

I am a bit of an audiophile so I think I'll give it a miss and keep saving for the Integrale set!

Mark