Coltrane, Davis, Evans, Monk complete re-issues

[Ian Bradley]

In an email today from True Blue Music, they say the Complete Coltrane on Prestige, Davis Chronicles: Complete on Prestige, Evans Complete Riverside, Monk Complete Riverside, Tatum Complete Pablo Group and Solo Masterpieces are to be re-issued mid- July - prices in the region of $80-$180.

I might spring for the Monk. I'm interested in the Coltrane, too -but which is better sound/ completist wise? The Coltrane Complete or those three five-and six-disc sets Fearless Leader, Interplay and Side Steps? Any advice appreciated. Cheers!

[Chuck Nessa]

Don't know what masterings they will use for the "new reissues" but the Fearless Leader, Interplay and Side Steps sets sound very fine and have interesting booklets.

[Niko]

Are these (that) boxes far superior to the recent Monk, Evans and Miles boxes from Italian Universal?

e.g.

http://www.amazon.it/Riverside-Milestone-Albums-Evans-Bill/dp/B004I289FE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308780041&sr=8-1

[king ubu]

The "old" boxes contained large-format (LP sizedd) booklets with liners, discography etc., but the most important difference is that they are complete, well most are. The Evans does not included the Cannonball album with Bill (but it does have the Cannonball/Evans co-led album), the Coltrane had the Miles and all other sideman sessions included, the Rollins had the Farmer, Miles and other sideman dates.

Guess nowadays that won't make that much of a difference... I have most of these in the mini ZYX-versions with tiny booklets (some with no booklets at all, the Rollins with booklet but that booklet has no discography, how moronic is that!)...

No idea how sound compares (I have the old and new versions of the Rollins, but never bothered to compare or even check mastering information - might well be the same in all cases).

Don't know what masterings they will use for the "new reissues" but the Fearless Leader, Interplay and Side Steps sets sound very fine and have interesting booklets.

Yes indeed! Three wonderful boxes!

[djcavanagh]

The Coltrane set doesn't have the sessions with Miles.

[colinmce]

The boxes are also just a glossy photo pasted on a box, not embossed like earlier versions. And the prices are little better than secondhand. Thumbs down.

[Ian Bradley]

The boxes are also just a glossy photo pasted on a box, not embossed like earlier versions. And the prices are little better than secondhand. Thumbs down.

I didn't think the prices were up to much!

Could be a case of getting the 'fearless leader' and 'side steps' boxes for me, then.

Thanks for the responses.

[GA Russell]

Mosaic/True Blue's prices always seem high to me. Let's wait to see what the Amazon Marketplace Sellers are offering these for before we make up our minds about the prices.

What I'm wondering about is if they have been remastered. The email didn't say so, and you would think that it would have if that had been the case. But why would Concord issue the Coltrane box with the old masters after they had paid to have it all remastered for the three-box set?

[mikeweil]

But why would Concord issue the Coltrane box with the old masters after they had paid to have it all remastered for the three-box set?

If all Prestige sessions with Coltrane are available on the three boxes, why reissue the big box? I don't get it. Especially if they reissue the box as is, I doubt they will use the remasters, as the sequencing in the old box is totally different.

Edited June 23, 2011 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

the Coltrane had the Miles and all other sideman sessions included ...

No - the Miles Davis Quintet sessions were not in the big red box .... They didn't include as they had been made available on the Miles Box.

As I have the Miles Davis box only on LP, I'm tempted if the price is right - I avoided those slipcase editions ZYX used to release like the plague.

[mikeweil]

The Coltrane set doesn't have the sessions with Miles.

Yes, but if one wants only Trane, one can get the Quintet box:

[David Ayers]

Some people want those sets, there is stored demand, and the unit cost is low as long as they assess they can sell enough. I guess they figured they don't have to do any extra work so why not give it a go. Let's not forget those sets were core purchases for a long time. As GAR says some of these are likely to appear at non-fancy prices.

[Niko]

Some people want those sets, there is stored demand, and the unit cost is low as long as they assess they can sell enough. I guess they figured they don't have to do any extra work so why not give it a go. Let's not forget those sets were core purchases for a long time. As GAR says some of these are likely to appear at non-fancy prices.

but why th do they reissue them after those cheap Miles, Evans and Monk boxes from Italy? and why no Montgomery?

Edited June 23, 2011 by Niko

[David Ayers]

Some people want those sets, there is stored demand, and the unit cost is low as long as they assess they can sell enough. I guess they figured they don't have to do any extra work so why not give it a go. Let's not forget those sets were core purchases for a long time. As GAR says some of these are likely to appear at non-fancy prices.

but why th do they reissue them after those cheap Miles, Evans and Monk boxes from Italy? and why no Montgomery?

Well who knows! But I dare say the US and Euro office operate separately. I reckon they will probably produce short runs and make a little easy-ish money. Probably the Montgomery was never a great seller -?

[jazzbo]

When I read the True Blue email. . . it occurred to me that this may have been a Mocaic/True Blue reissue run? Sounds odd but that was my initial thinking. I don't see anything on the Concord pages.

Edited June 23, 2011 by jazzbo

[Big Al]

When I read the True Blue email. . . it occurred to me that this may have been a Mocaic/True Blue reissue run? Sounds odd but that was my initial thinking. I don't see anything on the Concord pages.

My thoughts exactly.

Plus, the three Concord mini-boxes of Trane have everything that is on the big box, so no need to get the "new" old big box if you have the three mini-boxes. Plus, I really dig the sound on the Concord boxes.

[DMP]

The Monk box is invaluable - and there's still stuff in there (the session with Shelly Manne, for example) that might not be available elsewhere. Probabably my favorite of the many boxes I own.