Mosaic records has been in business for just about 40 years and during that time they have produced a discography of jazz recordings that rank with the finest that any label has ever produced. Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie were the initial forces behind the hundreds of re-issues, newly discovered unissued material, and compilation recordings that Mosaic has made available. Their catalogue covers every style of jazz from the 1920s—present, small groups to big bands, instrumentalists, and singers. While individual jazz albums are available here, the signature characteristic of the catalogue is their box set concept where recordings are coupled with booklets that provide a complete picture of the artist(s) involved and the circumstances surrounding the recordings. All of this is done with the greatest attention to detail from the magnificent photography to the excellent liner notes. Since much of the music is leased from larger record labels, Mosaic tends to issue their box sets under a “Limited Edition” format. Once that set is sold out, it will not be made available again. Therefore, one needs to stay abreast of Mosaic’s current inventory and act swiftly. This is a label for true jazz lovers and every musician.
* Even when a box set is sold out, one can still access several audio links of that artist(s) on the site.