John Coltrane – The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview Of The Mythic Recordings
Record Store Day 2026 Exclusive – Impulse! – Mono 12" EP
Few names in jazz carry the historical weight of John Coltrane, and The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview Of The Mythic Recordings offers something very different from another carefully polished reissue of one of his classic studio albums. This is an archival document — a glimpse into Coltrane in performance, preserved on tapes that survived outside the conventional recording studio.
The recordings were made at The Showboat in Philadelphia by saxophonist Frank Tiberi using a Magnavox TR-100 recorder. Rather than presenting pristine studio sound, the tapes capture the atmosphere and immediacy of a live performance and preserve a fascinating fragment of Coltrane history. 
This special Record Store Day 2026 release presents two extended Coltrane compositions: a remarkable 13:40 performance of “Giant Steps” on Side A and an 11:38 performance of “Satellite” on Side B. 
Both titles have deep roots in Coltrane's development as a composer. Here, removed from the controlled environment of the studio, the emphasis is on the performance itself: Coltrane stretching out, interacting with the musicians around him and exploring material that became central to his musical identity.
The personnel information preserved with the release identifies McCoy Tyner on piano, with Steve Davis probably on bass and Pete La Roca probably on drums, while Coltrane plays tenor and soprano saxophone. Importantly, the release itself treats the bass and drums identification as probable rather than certain — a small detail that underlines the archival nature of these recordings. 
The story of the tapes
What makes The Tiberi Tapes particularly compelling for a serious Coltrane collector is not audiophile perfection, but provenance.
These are historical live recordings made by Frank Tiberi, and for this release the original tapes were transferred, restored and mastered by Kevin Reeves, with additional restoration and mastering by Hayden Tumlin. The lacquer was cut at East Iris Studios, and the European edition was pressed by GZ Media. 
And that distinction matters.
This should not be sold as an audiophile recording. The surviving source is challenging, with considerable room and audience noise. Contemporary listener comments specifically mention conversations and laughter being audible around the music. Its attraction is therefore much closer to discovering a rare historical document than hearing Coltrane in immaculate studio fidelity. 
For dedicated Coltrane listeners, jazz historians and collectors of previously inaccessible live material, that imperfection is part of the context. It allows us to hear a performance that otherwise might simply have disappeared.
Record Store Day 2026 edition
This is the European Record Store Day 2026 exclusive, released by Impulse! on April 18, 2026 as a mono 12-inch EP. 
Edition details
Artist: John Coltrane
Title: The Tiberi Tapes: A Preview Of The Mythic Recordings
Label: Impulse!
Catalogue number: 00199957257138
Format: 12" EP, Record Store Day, Mono
Country: Europe
Released: 18 April 2026
Media condition: Mint (M)
Sleeve condition: Mint (M)
Track listing
A1 – Giant Steps – 13:40
B1 – Satellite – 11:38
Genre: Jazz
Style: Avant-garde Jazz / Modal / Bop 
Every record at Mr. Hansen Records is conservatively graded according to the Goldmine Standard and securely packed with collector-grade care. Sealed records remain unopened to preserve their original collector condition.
Every record has a story — and few records demonstrate that better than this one.