Over the past three years, Prestige Records has released boxed sets of John Coltrane's numerous sessions from the mid to late '50s, each spotlighting a specific dimension of his tenure with the label.
Fearless Leader - released in September 2006, in celebration of Coltrane's 80th birthday - showcases his recordings as a bandleader. Interplay, released in September 2007, contains Coltrane's early collaborative recordings with a variety of stellar musicians from the same era.
Side Steps is the third and final set in this series, scheduled for release on October 6, 2009. The 5-CD set captures Coltrane in a supporting role, as a sideman to leaders like Sonny Rollins, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Tadd Dameron and others.
The collection of 43 tracks represents the entirety of Coltrane's session work as a Prestige sideman, from mid 1956 to early 1958, with the exception of his work with Miles Davis (which is featured in The Miles Davis Quintet: Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions, released in 2006).
The beautiful Side Steps boxed set features:
*24-bit remastering from the original analog master tapes
*72-page book with rare photographs, discography, and sessionography
*Insightful essays by noted music historian Ashley Kahn
*Interview transcript with Prestige founder Bob Weinstock
*Fully reproduced original album cover artwork and notes
You can pre-order Side Steps here.
