The John Coltrane Quartet: Ballads

Music CD Although some critics found Coltrane's ballads too simple, there is nothing wrong with this album. The jazz saxophonist does what he always does: explores new ways of playing with a relentless determination to grow both personally and artistically. On "Ballads", he highlights his softer side – a path he also took with Johnny Hartman and Duke Ellington. This collaboration with McCoy Tyner is neither aggressive nor sharp. Coltrane is entirely himself, sometimes predictable, yet these are the album's strengths. John Coltrane (1926–1967) created a style of playing entirely his own, characterised especially by his melodicism and unmistakable sound. He is therefore considered one of the greats of jazz history.