www.amazon.com/dp/B01M5HK26D?tag=mfconvert-20

Does anyone know more about this release?
Origins, quality, reviews?

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Product Description
"This 5-LP set compiles the three complete albums, Ella & Louis (Verve MGV4003), Ella & Louis Again (Verve MGV4006-2 [2-LP set]), and Porgy & Bess (Verve MGV4011-2 [2-LP set]), plus, added as a bonus to the Porgy & Bess album, the two duets Ella and Louis performed during a 1956 Hollywood Bowl concert which marked their earliest collaborative recordings for Granz.

Also contained here are their eight Decca studio master takes from 1946-51 on an exclusive 10″ album.

Comes with a 16 page booklet."

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Can't shed any light on this release but looks very intriguing. Especially as I only have Ella & Louis on vinyl, and its very average.

They're talking about a grey market Euro production H'ART or such.

Damn, I'd like this one.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

everything points to another no-name euro public domain re-issue ?

albeit one that seems to be above the norm for this type of release ?

confusing the matter is that legit label universal music europe have released a series of Complete Masters boxsets fetauring armstrong and fitzgerald et al

theseconddisc.com/2011/11/universal-europe-offers-complete-masters-for-armstrong-fitzgerald-bechet-parker-holiday/

who's going to be first to bite the bullet on this box ?

I'll let you know when it arrives

we have a winner ...

or loser...

Not a new release, obviously, but pertinent to this thread - I picked up a double album set "Louis Armstrong - star portrait" on the Verve label, at my local Op Shop for $2 last week. Features seven tracks with Ella. Very tidy set, you can see by the faint marks around the spindle hole they are used, but the records look near mint. Haven't played them yet.

Boxset arrived today.

Played the first lp and nice clear warm sound, well pressed cf my Back To Black version which is crisper, more sibilant and probably digitally sourced.

Art work is not that crisp, but they used nice heavy weight card stock. They also come in poly lined sleeves, rather than the ubiquitous paper trash.

I bought mine from CCVinyl via their Discogs seller (US$70 shipped cf Amazon (US$87 shipped).

hi C,

so is it a public domain box or a real verve box ?

How do I tell that?

record labels, name of of issuing company.

verve is now part of universal music group.

post photos

I'll have a look when I get home

Apr 22, 2017 13:07:21 GMT 12 Citroen said:

How do I tell that?

A lot more obvious than I thought!

Didn't even notice the Jazz Track label, so public domain and therefore most probably from a CD.

www.discogs.com/Ella-Fitzgerald-Louis-Armstrong-Complete-Studio-Master-Takes/release/10092343

I found this on Hoffman forums, from someone who also bought it just recently:

" It's a EU set on the 'Jazz Track' label, which I've never heard of. The vinyl is lovely, looking at the dead wax it looks like it's pressed by GZ, there's no handwritten text in the dead wax suggests to me a digital source - also, no mastering credits in the accompanying booklet.

My fear is this is a very well produced, but not entirely legitimate collection - i.e. a very elaborate 'grey label' release. No year of release appears on the record labels, in fact the copyright text is very odd - "all rights of this production and the composers are reserved. Unauthorised copying of this record is prohibited."

Sound-wise, I haven't really had a chance to give it a proper listen as I've only just unboxed it - a quick listen to the first track on the Ella & Louis album 'Can't We Be Friends' sounds good, if a little polite. The vinyl is flat and the surface is dead silent. "

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

I've got Louis and Ella and Louis and Ella again as Verve Mono's. Both in pretty fine nick. I didn't bother with this re release as I wasn't that taken with these LP's when I first heard them. Had a brief chance to listen to Louis and Ella at the weekend, really good. A lot jazzier than her songbook stuff, which might be why I didn't take to it first time round. Nicely recorded too.