Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings are giving Miles Davis and John Coltrane’s music a full centennial treatment. The label has announced a reissue of Miles Davis & John Coltrane — The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961, scheduled for release November 6th. The collection marks 100 years since the births of both musicians, who were born in 1926.
The set originally came out in 2000 and now returns in updated form, available as a 9xLP or 6xCD box. It spans Davis’s early work through the mid-1960s, pulling together tracks from albums like ‘Round About Midnight, Milestones, Jazz at the Plaza, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Kind of Blue. It also includes Davis and Coltrane collaborations from Miles and Monk at Newport, Birth of The Blue, Basic Miles, and Circle in the Round.
What The Collection Contains
The reissue adds 18 tracks that had never been released before the original 2000 edition. Those tracks are not available anywhere else, making this the definitive statement on the pair’s Columbia catalog.
The vinyl set comes with individually designed jackets in a slipcase, plus a 60-page book adapted from the original release. That book includes photographs and essays by original producer George Avakian and Kind of Blue drummer Jimmy Cobb, along with liner notes by critic Bob Blumenthal and the original Kind of Blue notes penned by pianist Bill Evans.
The CD edition ships with a 116-page book and six individually designed mini-jackets housed in a slipcase. Both formats keep the same tracklist, though the physical presentation differs.
The set won best boxset and best liner notes at the 2001 Grammy Awards. It was produced by Michael Cuscuna and Bob Belden.
The Tracks And Their Albums
The collection runs deep. Here is a taste of what shows up across the nine LPs:
- ‘Round About Midnight, Milestones, Jazz at the Plaza, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Kind of Blue
- Davis and Coltrane collaborations from Miles and Monk at Newport, Birth of The Blue, Basic Miles, and Circle in the Round
- 18 previously unissued tracks
- Alternate takes throughout the set, including versions of ‘Two Bass Hit,’ ‘Ah-Leu-Cha,’ ‘Budo,’ ‘Dear Old Stockholm,’ ‘Bye Bye Blackbird,’ ‘Tadd’s Delight,’ ‘Sweet Sue, Just You,’ ‘Straight, No Chaser,’ ‘Milestones,’ ‘Sid’s Ahead,’ ‘Dr. Jackle,’ ‘On Green Dolphin Street,’ ‘Fran-Dance,’ ‘Stella By Starlight,’ ‘Love For Sale,’ ‘Freddie Freeloader,’ ‘So What,’ ‘Blue In Green,’ ‘Flamenco Sketches,’ ‘All Blues,’ ‘Someday My Prince Will Come,’ ‘Teo,’ ‘Introduction by Willis Conover,’ ‘The Theme,’ ‘If I Were A Bell,’ ‘Oleo,’ ‘My Funny Valentine’
The full tracklist runs through multiple LP sides, each carrying its own alternate takes and false starts.
The New Material
The 18 previously unissued tracks are not available anywhere else, meaning this box is the only place to hear them.
The set also includes false starts and Davis’s own commentary. The ‘Sweet Sue, Just You’ sequence runs through a first version, a false start featuring Leonard Bernstein discussing the song with Davis, and multiple alternate takes. The ‘Flamenco Sketches’ section includes a false start and Miles Davis’s own commentary.
These moments give the collection a documentary quality alongside its musical value. Listeners can hear the pair working through arrangements and hearing Davis’s own thoughts on the material.
The Packaging
The physical presentation matches the scale of the music inside. The 9xLP slipcase holds each individual jacket, and the book adapts the original release’s essays and photography.
The CD edition trades the slipcase for a separate book, but it keeps the same 116 pages of notes and images. Both versions share the same tracklist, so the choice comes down to format rather than content.
The liner notes carry significant weight. Bob Blumenthal contributes new writing, while Bill Evans’s original Kind of Blue notes remain part of the package. Avakian and Cobb add context from their roles on the original recordings.
The Double Highlights Set
For listeners who want a smaller entry point, Columbia is also releasing a double LP highlight set. The Best Of Miles Davis & John Coltrane (1955-1961) draws from the full box, bundling key tracks into a single collection.
The double LP covers familiar ground, including ‘Two Bass Hit,’ ‘Dear Old Stockholm,’ ‘Bye Bye Blackbird,’ ‘Round Midnight,’ ‘Straight, No Chaser,’ ‘Milestones,’ ‘So What,’ ‘Blue In Green,’ and ‘Someday My Prince Will Come.’ It is a condensed version of the larger set.
The Centennial Context
This reissue arrives as part of a broader wave of Davis material. Earlier this year, Miles Davis — The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 was reissued, marking another milestone in the label’s ongoing archive work.
The centennial reissue is the latest in a series of Davis releases that have kept his catalog visible. Each box has added new material to the public record, and this one continues that pattern.
The Bottom Line
This is a substantial reissue from two giants of jazz. The 18 previously unissued tracks are a major addition to the record, and the packaging — the individual jackets, the expanded book, the Grammy-winning history — gives it a special place in the genre’s archival canon.
The double LP highlight set offers a gentler entry point for listeners who want to dip in without committing to the full nine records. Both releases are scheduled for November 6th.
The collection is available for pre-order now in both formats.
Key Facts Box
– Release date: November 6th
– Formats: 9xLP and 6xCD
– Previously unissued tracks: 18
– Grammy Awards: Best boxset and best liner notes (2001)
– Producers: Michael Cuscuna and Bob Belden
The reissue is a fitting tribute to two musicians whose work shaped jazz in the mid-20th century. It honors their centennial year with the most complete collection yet assembled.
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