Photo Credit Shore Fire Media
Six decades later, the music created over two nights in a tiny Chicago club still wows and inspires. Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) have announced the highly anticipated re-release of Miles Davis – The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965. Arriving on January 30, 2026, as a cornerstone of the year-long celebration leading up to Miles Davis’s Centennial, this comprehensive collection marks the first time in nearly thirty years that these essential recordings will be available on vinyl and CD.
The Sound of a Quintet Becoming Itself
The recordings capture the brilliance of Davis’s Second Great Quintet—featuring Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—at an electric inflection point in December 1965. Fresh off recording E.S.P., the group was solidifying into what would become arguably the most transformative small group in jazz history. What unfolded at The Plugged Nickel was more than a performance; it was, in the words of new liner notes author Syd Schwartz, a “band revolutionizing improvisation in real time.” Driven by a pact to play “anti-music,” the band actively subverted their well-trod setlist, prompting Miles to later reflect, “We found ways to make the old music sound as new as the new music we were recording.”
A Mythologized Moment in Post-Bop History
The resulting music, spanning over seven hours, is a fascinating documentation of artistic risk and freedom. Originally released as a limited edition in 1995 by Mosaic Records, the collection has only grown in stature, with The Guardian hailing it as “Maybe the best-ever representation of ‘the second great quintet’ at work.” Now, music lovers will get the chance to experience this pivotal jazz moment again. The complete collection arrives as either a 10LP or 8CD box set, featuring new packaging, archival photos, and updated liner notes from Schwartz that unpack the performances’ radical spirit.
This legendary reissue is a must-have for any serious music fan. You don’t have to wait until 2026 for a taste, though—a standalone 2LP breakout release, Live At The Plugged Nickel: December 23, 1965 – Second Set, is set for RSD Black Friday on November 28. The time to secure your copy is now. Pre-orders for both the 10LP/8CD box set and the 2LP RSD edition are open today.
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