Search - Miles Davis, John Coltrane :: Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961

Not for everyone, but great for its target audience

JL | 09/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who should buy this set? Well first of all anyone interested in Miles Davis or John Coltrane and especially their interplay together will probably be interested, but this set seems to have been made for the completist or armchair jazz scholar. This is more of a personal library piece, to be treated as such rather than an introduction or overview of these two jazz "giants". This set covers Miles Davis' work with John Coltrane during Miles' time with Columbia Records. The albums that this would entail are:

'Round About Midnight

Milestones

Miles At Newport

Kind Of Blue

Someday My Prince Will Come

As well as many alternate takes and live recordings not found on these albums.

So you may have heard that Kind Of Blue is a great starting point for jazz. This colletion comprises that entire album and some alternate takes, but the disc that has that album has another song at the beginning and some Miles Davis comments as well as presenting the tracks out of order from the original album order. There is nothing like putting in Kind Of Blue for the first time, hearing the low bass strumming and the explosion of Miles' first notes of "So What". Here you would have to skip to track 4 and then back around for that experience. Or what if (like me) Someday My Prince Will Come is one of your favorite albums by early Columbia Miles Davis. Sadly Coltrane did not play with Miles on every track so the album is not included here in its entirety for obvious reasons. Many times alternate takes are placed one after the other for comparison sake. Rather than listening to these discs like albums with an overall feel, these discs should really be approached as study guides and keys to the interworking of Miles and Trane.

If you are new to jazz or at least to Miles and Coltrane then buy Kind Of Blue and explore it over and over, buy Someday My Prince Will Come and listen to "Pfrancing" and see if it does not speak to you.

If you have the aforementioned albums and you do not really care about alternate takes or the liner notes, then this set was not made for you.

If you have had the aforementioned albums for some time and you love Miles and Trane, buy this set and dig deeper. Listen to the alternate takes placed next to the takes you remember from the albums. Study Miles and Trane together, the call and response, the give and take. Read the wonderful booklet enclosed with the set and learn more about Miles and trane and the other musicians in this classic quintet."

The best of two masters

Alvernon J. Simon | 12/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is something about the sessions between Miles and Coltrane that are magical. This boxed set will appeal to many jazz fans,whether you are a student of Jazz, an aspiring musician or just some one who loves good music. This collaboration of Miles and Coltrane has something for everyone. From the muted trumpet of Miles on the classic "Someday My Prince Will Come" to the up tempo riffs on "Straight No Chaser" The two giants of jazz rise to the occasion, pushing each other to new highs in music. This is a must for a complete jazz collection."

The 4th of 8 boxes

Jim Z | 12/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well this is the one that most jazz purists were waiting for. Released in 2000 , it is the 4th of the 8 boxes covering Miles' Columbia recordings.It would be the 1st chronologically. Two men of jazz genius defining what is jazz. Is it the best of the 8 boxes ? You decide. But in order to decide , you will need to add it to your cart , along with the other 7 !"