Campus Five and Mosaic sets

Because I’m busy marking (up to 20 a day, mate – I am one speedy mofo), I can only blog really dull things.
Right now I’m pining after this:

for no real reason other than the fact that Trev said he was getting it, and now I want it too. Well, actually, I love Ellington a whole lot, and have a real passion for small group/combo swinging jazz. And we’re talking a Mosaic set here – 7 CDs worth of phenomenally good quality remastered hotness. That costs $US119. A little too rich for my blood, unfortunately. Especially since the scholarship ended (months ago) and the teaching paychecks are about to dry up. I do have a wad of cash squirrelled away from my DJing pay, but that $500 for a year’s worth of DJing… she ain’t going to go too far.
So I just think about that Mosaic set and then think about how I could arrange my life so that Trev lives in my house and lets me pretend that all his music is belong to me.
On other musically related fronts, I didn’t let that whole poverty thing stop me from buying myself these 2 Campus 5 albums:

I was convinced by the versions of Squatty Roo and Hop Skip and Jump on Crazy Rhythm (you can listen to them there on the site). I adore those songs (especially the former), and while the Artie Shaw and Ellington versions of these songs (respectively) are far superior, the appeal of a good quality recording of each cannot be ignored (particularly not when the issues I raised here are concerned).
If only I had some logic and didn’t impulse-purchase music in times of stress or overwork. I’d figure out that if I just restrained myself from these little splurges I’d have enough dosh to buy those sweet Mosaic sets.
But I don’t buy music sensibly. I am an artist – my musical selections are guided by impulse. Creative impulse.

2 Comments

  1. Haha – I do read this occasionally you know :)
    So here’s the plan: get together all the mad-keen lindy hop types, move to Perth, and we’ll all rent a Lindy-hop house together. Coz there will be so many of us it will be huge – so big that there is a dance floor in the middle of it, and we can have our own self-indulgent parties.
    Or, I could just wait until that uber-$ Mosaic set arrives and burn you a copy of selected highlights – for the good of Lindy Hop in Melbourne.
    See ya in 2 weeks or so!

  2. Well _yes_, that _was_ a bit of Trev-baiting.
    Brian reads this blog every now and then too – so we’ll just pretend you didn’t write that bit about burning CDs. Brian would tut-tut. :P
    Last night I was chatting to a balmaniac who was telling me about ‘this great song that’s SO fast’ – ‘Ride Red Ride’.
    The music he was playing on the car stereo was all the lovely stuff I’ve been crapping on about lately – Fletcher Henderson, Henry Red Allen, etc etc etc.
    Your Thursday MLX set at CBD (http://www.mlx6.com/archives/events/index.html#gangbusters) is eagerly anticipated. I, unfortunately, will have to ping over to the stupid Spiegeltent to start my shift at 11.30 (so I’ll have to be there by 11 and leave CBD at about 10.45… so I’m not sure how much of your set I’ll catch.
    I’m looking for a second DJ for that Spiegeltent gig – it pays well but will no doubt be to a crowd of drunken unswingers….

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