6CD:
Disc 1, 1-4: January 30, 1956, Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 1, 5-8: November 12, 1956, New York City
Disc 2, 1: February 13, 1957, Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 2: 2-6: March 12, 1957, Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 3: February 4, 1959, Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 4: July 13, 1960, Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France
Disc 5: November 6, 1961, Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 6: late 1961/early 1962, Nesuhi Ertegun's office, Atlantic Records, New York City

Original issue (year):
Disc 1, 1-4: Atlantic 1237 as "[r=732591]" (July 1956)
Disc 1, 5-8: Atlantic 1274 as Teddy Charles' "[r=4798232]" (June 1958)
Disc 2, 1,3,5,6: Atlantic 1260 as "[r=858414]" (August 1957)
Disc 2, 2,4; Disc 5, 3,4,9: Atlantic 1416 as "[r=2124452]" (June 1964)
Disc 3, 1-6: Atlantic 1305 as "[r=3496796]" (March 1960)
Disc 3, 7-10: previously unissued
Disc 4: Atlantic 2-3001 as "[r=604642]" (October 1976)
Disc 5, 1,2,5-8,10: Atlantic 1377 as "[r=708743]" (April 1962)
Disc 6: previously unissued extended interview; edited version originally appeared on CD reissue of "[r=383945]", Atlantic 90667-2 (1988)

(p) 1976 & 1997, (c) 1997 Atlantic Recording Corporation

Tracks 1 to 3, 6, 7 recorded September 20, 1963.
Tracks 4, 5, 8 recorded January 20, 1963.
Track 9 recorded July 30, 1963.

Mastered March 1997 at MCA Studios, New York City.

Edizione rimasterizzata con 3 bonus tracks

Recorded in New York, December 1954.

Digital Restoration/Mastering.

Tracks 1 to 4 recorded 1945.
Tracks 5 to 13 recorded 1946.
Tracks 14 and 15 recorded 1948.
Tracks 16 to 24 recorded 1949.

© Copyright 2000.

Mastered at Sundazed Studios, Coxsackie, New York

3CD:
CD1 1951 - 1954 "Bass-ically Speak
CD2 1954 - 1955 "Haitian Fight Song"
CD3 1955 - 1964 "Meditations"

Original issue: Tracks 1-3, 5: Debut EP-450 ("Charles Mingus Octet", EP - see cover), 7-10: Danish Debut DLP 101
Date and location: Tracks 1-6: October 28, 1953, New York City, Tracks 7-14: June 10, 1957, New York City
Discographies have listed the first date as October 27, but the tape box is marked October 28. Discographies have listed the second date as July 10, but June 10 is the correct date (both of these are according to the Complete Debut Recordings box on Mosaic).
According Per Uwe Weiler's "Debut Records Discography", Paul Bley participated at this session (tracks 1-6) as conductor.

Total Time 58,00

Tracks 1 to 4, 9: Recorded in Hackensack, N.J. October 31, 1954.
Tracks 5 to 8: Recorded in Hackensack, N.J. January 30, 1955.