Some of these have their own threads already, here we go...

October 23
Taj Mahal/Complete Columbia Albums Collection (# discs not known yet)
Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums Collection (9 discs)

October 29
Louis Armstrong/The Complete Columbia/Okeh & RCA Victor Recordings 1925-1933 (10 discs)
Charlie Christian/The Genius Of The Electric Guitar (4 discs; presumably his complete 1939-1941 Columbia recordings with the Benny Goodman Sextet, plus rarities)
Duke Ellington/Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 (9 discs)
Bessie Smith/Complete Columbia Recordings (10 discs)

October 30
Blue Oyster Cult/Complete Columbia Albums Collection (16 CDs plus the Some Enchanted Evening Legacy Edition DVD)
Johnny Cash/Complete Columbia Album Collection (63 discs!)

(Still waiting for the long-rumored Herbie Hancock box... make it happen!)

From what I've read, the Johnny Cash box will have 63 CDs.

The Bessie Smith box may -- finally -- be reissues of her series of 5 double-LPs that came out in the earliest 1970s. They were done in a unique way, the earliest and last recordings made up the first set, with the 5th volume being the middle. They also had fantastic cover art, lost to the ages if Legacy just reissues the 5 volumes of "The Complete" CD series. I'm hoping for repros of the original 2 LP sets.

This is a different series, but the "Original Album Classics" box for Louis Armstrong has the complete CD version (from 1997) of The Great Chicago Concert, but it comes in a reproduction of the 1980 LP release.

So maybe for Bessie they'll use the same CDs but in the old LP sleeves.

There were rumors a couple of years back that a complete Dylan box was forthcoming.

Of course, such a set likely is indeed forthcoming at some point in the next 184 years.

I'm in for Satchmo, Duke and Bessie. Also coming in October on Hip-O Select will be "Complete Satchmo at Symphony Hall", the first time that concert's ever been released in its entirety. And released last week as an iTunes exclusive, (I think) "A Day With Satchmo", his session with Oscar Peterson on August 1, 1957. Lots of nice alternate takes if you're into that sort of thing from Pops.

I'll be in for the Taj Mahal if the price comes down. $152 is more than I need to spend on this.

The Johnny Cash is interesting - I have nearly all on LP or cd or (most both) in the Bear Family boxes - but still interesting...

As i wrote in the DE thread, want/need more info on that. Same with the Charlie Christian.

I updated the initial post with official titles, disc counts, and new release dates. A lot of the boxes now have detailed information on Amazon, and some of them have nice new product shots. The only really elusive one is the Taj Mahal.

I saw Taj in concert tonight and asked one of his people about the box. He said it was the first he'd heard of it.

For those who are interested in the Taj box. I spoke with the owner of my indie today and he says it's listing as $123 retail, and he thinks it will get down to about $107 or 108. His listing doesn't say anything about how many cds it is though.

Up on Popmarket now:

Louis Armstrong:
http://www.popmarket.com/louis-armstron ... s/27732990

Bessie Smith:
http://www.popmarket.com/bessie-smith-t ... s/27654824

Charlie Christian:
http://www.popmarket.com/charlie-christ ... s/27732995

If anyone buys the Christian, I would be interested to know both about exclusive or htf tracks & about sound quality compared to previous releases (including European).

The Taj set is bumping back to 2013.