Ballads

about this album

From his last days as a sideman with Miles Davis to his final recordings, saxophonist John Coltrane built a reputation for extended, explorative solos and fierce, sometimes even ferocious playing. So it’s both refreshing and illuminating to hear his quartet succinctly play eight softer standards. “Say It (Over and Over Again)” opens the album, and it's as much a showcase for pianist McCoy Tyner’s elegant chordal accompaniment and solo as the bandleader’s expressively urbane tone. Drummer Elvin Jones’ masterful brushwork is a highlight of “Too Young to Go Steady,” while his unaccompanied introduction to “All or Nothing At All” is a master class in the lyrical possibilities of the entire kit. (Bassist Jimmy Garrison doesn’t solo but is an authoritative presence throughout.) Of historical note: “It's Easy to Remember” was one of two numbers first recorded by this seminal band, back in December 1961. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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