JSP Records and Proper box sets, S/D

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Both JSP Records and Proper Records have released a large number of cheap box sets. I own a few JSP sets (Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Sevens, the Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and the Charlie Parker sets). I really enjoy these four box sets, and in the case of the Armstrong and Patton sets, I understand that they rival the other, more expensive sets put out by Columbia and Revenant (respectively) (and are a third of the price, or something like that).
So I'm wondering if anyone can recommend other box sets on JSP worth owning, and I'd also like to know if the Proper Box sets are as good as JSP and which ones are worth owning.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

The "Legends of Country Blues" box looks promising. Skip James, Bukka White, Son House, etc 5 cds for 28 bucks? Muthafuck a Revenant.

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, totally. The Patton box set has a number of sides by Son House as well, which are nice.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

The 5-CD "The Carter Family 1927-1934" on JSP is superb. They also put out a good one on Django.
One 5-CD JSP set that disappointed me was the Louis Jordan. I think the two single-disc MCA CDs sum up his heyday pretty well and have better sound, too.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I also love JSP's Jelly Roll Morton set (also 5 CDs).

― Jazzo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

This looks interesting:

ihttp://www.jsprecords.com/db5/00452/jsprecords.com/_uimages/norleansBox1.nn.Ad-2.jpg

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post
Jazzbo, which Django set do you recommend? JSP has put out three of them.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, that New Orleans set does look interesting.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Holy shit, does it ever.

Thanks for the heads-up jazzbo.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The Proper box of Johnny Hodges is superb - small group work, many tracks with Ellington on piano.

The Lester Young Proper box, I hear, is splendid, too.

I'll also lob in my praise for the JSP Charlie Patton and Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens sets.

― paul c (paul c), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I assume they are able to do this because all this stuff is public domain nowadays? What are the sleevenotes like in these things? Are they comprehensive? Good discographical info, good writing? I've yet to pick up anything on the labels, but I have a ton on my Amazon wishlist.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"I think the two single-disc MCA CDs sum up his heyday pretty well and have better sound, too."

Really? I thought JSP was well known for their restoration efforts. MCA likely used more noise reduction, but that's usually at the cost of reducing the amount of... um, music, if you know what I mean.

― todd (todd), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

The Proper boxes come with informative booklets and session info. I don't the JSP boxes come with booklets, but I may be misremembering.

― paul c (paul c), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Regarding Django, I have two single-disc JSP comps, both concentrating on his very earliest work. I don't own any box sets, but I would recommend the earlier stuff.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Todd: You're right; JSP is known primarily for quality sound and that's why I always try to seek them out. But to my ears, the Jordan set is one of the exceptions. (Some may disagree.) I also wasn't bowled over by all the extra material, as much as I love Jordan.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

BTW, has anyone heard JSP's Bix & Tram set? I have a couple of Columbia comps which I think sound pretty good, but I wonder how dramatic the improvement is.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 2 December 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Regarding liner notes, JSP is pretty poor on this front. Every CD in my sets has just a two page booklet with notes on the music on that CD, so if you're looking for comprehensive info on the artist or the music, you'll have to go elsewhere. Also, on the Charlie Parker CDs, they don't even tell you what label the songs were originally released on except for the label numbers in the track listing.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a lot to be said for the packaging of the Charlie Patton Revenant set. If it's just about the music, it's all public domain, right?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Charley Patton, too.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 2 December 2004 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

six years pass...

man, i love these things. so cheap, so much music. especially good for the jazz dudes who hit their peak in the less album-oriented days. you'd have to buy a bunch of random CDs to collect all of the stuff on, say, the young charles mingus box. but I think i bought it for $8.
other really good ones:
bebop spoken here
young miles
charlie parker complete studio chronicle
clifford brown joy spring
bud powell tempus fugue it

― tylerw, Tuesday, 16 August 2011 19:40 (fourteen years ago)

I borrow these from the library all the time.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 16 August 2011 20:18 (fourteen years ago)

Apex is another cool box set label. I want to get this:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=jimmie+noone+box+set&x=0&y=0

― bamcquern, Tuesday, 16 August 2011 20:25 (fourteen years ago)

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