Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane

By Terry Teachout Sunday, June 17, 2001
    • Some great ideas are so obvious that nobody thinks to carry them out. Songbird Karrin Allyson, for example, is the first jazz vocalist ever to record a CD devoted to the songs performed by master saxophonist John Coltrane on Ballads, his classic 1961 album. Hers is a deliciously moody collection of still-fresh standards like It's Easy to Remember, in which Allyson's slender, sunny voice is dappled with dark shadows of rue. Perfect for late-night listening, with or without a like-minded companion.