The follow-up to Proper's previous Early Trane box, this compilation chosen and annotated by Simon Spillett covers a crucial twoyear period of Coltrane's career. Being public domain material, it has music issued on both Atlantic and Impulse!, plus the ‘Exotica’ date for Roulette that constituted his first recording with Tyner. With Elvin added the following month, there's not only the six tracks from Plays The Blues but their obvious session-mate ‘Village Blues’ (from Coltrane Jazz), plus half of Olé and all of Africa/Brass, all of Live At The Village Vanguard and all of Coltrane (the ‘Inchworm’ album). For context, we also get two items with Miles's quintet, a live ‘So What’ and the studio track ‘Teo’, plus Coltrane-Dolphy versions of ‘Blue Train’, ‘Impressions’, ‘My Favorite Things’ and, interestingly, ‘Body And Soul’. Sound quality is variable, of course, and the quartet version of ‘Greensleeves’ (released as a single backed with ‘It's Easy To Remember’ from Ballads) seems to be remastered from an actual 45, compared to its previous CD incarnation. Not exactly a nobrainer – because you need brains to really appreciate the music – but, if you don't want the complete works, this is a most desirable purchase.