Lost John Coltrane Recordings The Tiberi Tapes to Be Released for First Time Ever

Fabled John Coltrane recordings that were stashed in a private collection for 65 years have been announced for release in celebration of what would be the jazz legend’s 100th birthday. As a preview of the collection, “Giant Steps” (226 BPM) has been unveiled. Stream it below.

The Tiberi Tapes will be released for the first time ever November 6th via Impulse! Records in 4xLP, 3xCD boxsets and digital formats as well as a special edition. The LP, CD and digital versions features 11 tracks of Coltrane performances recorded by Frank Tiberi during the early 1960s in Philadelphia and New York clubs. The collection comes with a booklet of essays and images of sheet music. The special edition, The Tiberi Tapes: The Complete Recordings, contains 80 performances across nearly 26 hours of recordings on a custom-designed USB drive and comes with an LP, a hardback book with expanded content and more. The Tiberi Tapes: The Complete Recordings will be limited to 750 hand-numbered copies. The special edition will ship in early 2027. Fans can pre-order all editions here; the CD version is also available for pre-order on Amazon.

“The collection offers a remarkable window into Coltrane’s musical development and the restless spirit of discovery that defined his performances,” a press release said. “More than a historical artifact, The Tiberi Tapes offers the opportunity to encounter Coltrane in the act of becoming — working through musical possibilities in front of an audience, stretching familiar material into new territory and pursuing ideas with a freedom that could only exist in the moment. The technology that captured those moments was imperfect. The music was anything but.”

Captured on a rudimentary consumer recorder, Tiberi, a saxophonist, kept the recordings to learn from Coltrane’s playing, according to the press release. Over the years, Tiberi allowed a select few music enthusiasts to hear what he put on tape. After Coltrane’s abrupt death in 1967, the legend of the recordings grew.

Coltrane was born on September 23rd, 1926. The Tiberi Tapes release is part of COLTRANE 100, a global celebration of the jazz musician in his centennial year.

Also marking Coltrane’s 100th year, a reissue of Miles Davis & John Coltrane — The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961 was recently announced. It will also be coming out November 6th.

The Tiberi Tapes Artwork:

The Tiberi Tapes 4xLP Set:

The Tiberi Tapes Tracklist:
01: “Giant Steps” (226 BPM)
02: “Giant Steps” (262 BPM)
03: “Thing in D Flat”
04: “Lover”
05: “West 42nd St.”
06: “Impressions”
07: “Untitled Original in F Minor”
08: “Satellite”
09: “Good Bait”
10: “Resolution”
11: “It’s Easy to Remember”