This deluxe two-CD set contains a few revelations (a brief 1946 recording of "Hot House" featuring a 20-year-old
John Coltrane, an aircheck with
Dizzy Gillespie, and a rare side by
Gay Crosse & the Good Humor Six in 1952) but mostly repackages familiar material and includes nothing from
Coltrane's very important years with Impulse. Why weren't all four of the 1946 sides included, and why are only the first 90 seconds heard from
Coltrane's final performance before it fades out? The accompanying booklet is quite attractive, but this set only gives an incomplete picture of the great saxophonist and is more for casual fans than completists.
–
Scott Yanow, Rovi