THis is an excellent overview box set, good for a beginner to Coltrane or an avid fan who wants a great collection of top songs in one place.

The booklet is almost worth the price alone, containing exception art, and excerpts of Coltrane's own handwriting for poem's etc

Music of course is A+++

Sequence and concept A+++

As for the music on this collection, it is breath-taking. This set offers listeners one of the few opportunities to hear the entire scope of Trane's art. The re-vamped sound seems much better and more consistent to me than previous offerings, especially the selections from his Prestige years. The sequencing is also interesting in that it was selected by his son, Ravi. He breaks down the recordings into four categories and chooses tunes based on those categories, usually in sequential order. This allows the listener to hear the progression from raw, talented appretice with potential to the master that we all know and admire.

I can not argue with the music on this collection as it is among the most important recordings in the history of jazz, but I can argue with packaging the multi-disc collection in [inexpensive] cardboard. I understand planned obsolescence, but this is ridiculous. I have the had the set for about a week and it is already falling apart. As important as the music is, I can not forgive Impulse! for skimping on the design. Also, the track listing is only in the liner note and not on back of the box or disc sleeve. This means each time you want to figure out what you are listening to, you have to break out the liner notes. Not too big a hassle, but most box sets don't have this flaw.

In short, buy it for the music, but be prepared to watch the packaging disappear right in front of your eyes.

First off, I want to say that all of the recordings on here are beautiful. They all capture the pure genius and sheer beauty that is Coltrane, but it amazes me why they put this set together like this. Im giving it 2 stars....but dont be confused, the music is beautiful, its the set thats getting 2 stars. You Do Not Ever Ever Ever in Life Ever Seperate A Love Supreme! It is a suite, meant to be heard in its entirety. How could u leave out 2 movements? This is like one big sample set. They took pieces from all over the place and threw them on 4 cds. It isn't how the music is supposed to be heard. Pay the extra 40 or 50 bucks and buy the Classic Quartet Complete Impulse! recordings. It is a more complete and logical approach to the genius that is Coltrane. Then, buy the Complete Atlantic recordings. These two sets are the reason God put me on this earth.

Well, I am not going to say anything about the packaging, song-splitting or whatever. I just want to call to atention the fact that this set contains for the first time Coltrane's full (at least recorded) appearance at the benefit concert for the 'Black Arts Repertory Theatre and School' on March 28, 1965 - for some of the other artists appearing at this concert check out 'The New Wave in Jazz' by GRP/Impulse. Previous issues of 'NATURE BOY' were edited, omitting Garrison's solo, whereas this one is expanded from where the edited track left off into a great version of 'ONE DOWN, ONE UP', with Tyner specially on fire. Now, there is just one thing: this version is probably a second or third or whatever copy of the original master reel, once it sounds considerably worse than the edited version, although it is not that bad - regarding the resurfacing of this tape there is not one single word by the producers, shamefully enough. And last but not least, the booklet informs that this song clocks at 29:41, but there is a false start of some 40 seconds which have been left over the official cd time.

This collection is obviously geared to those who wish to discover what Coltrane was all about. Each disc has a unique running order by theme, and the tracks were all selected by Coltrane's son Ravi (who is a musician himself). Each CD runs from mid to late '50s jazz right up to the great Impulse years before his untimely death.

Who can argue about a son selecting his fathers music? I think this collection is the perfect introduction to Trane. Perhaps you've heard him on Kind of Blue and want more? Start here then, you can't do any better for a broad overview of his work.

This is well worth your time and money.