Miles Davis

6CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
8LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP (Discs 7-8 from box): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Two years after its last entry, Legacy Recordings revives the Miles Davis Bootleg Series with a deep dive into some early '60s live recordings that showcase the birth of his second great quintet. Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 brings together five sets on six CDs or eight LPs: three performances from the Festival Mondial du Jazz in the summer of 1963 and two performances over a day at the Paris Jazz Festival in October 1964. (The 1964 material - which features the unbeatable line-up of Davis on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams - will also receive its own standalone 2LP release on vinyl colored to look like the French flag.) Marcus J. Moore pens new liner notes for the set, housed in a slipcase box that includes the discs in their own gatefold jackets (three for the CD and four for the vinyl), a booklet (32 pages on CD, 20 on vinyl) and wrapped with a die-cut O-card. As always, the package is produced by Steve Berkowitz, Richard Seidel and Michael Cuscuna (one of the final projects he completed before his passing earlier this year) and mastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in New York City. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.