Ballads – John Coltrane Quartet – LP – Brand New Vinyl (Arrives in 20days)

Besides achieving a very personal and
characteristic sound, John Coltrane
opened the way to free jazz. By the
time he recorded Ballads, Coltrane had
already delved into freer and longer
solos and compositions, and as a result
he had his devoted followers as well
as his detractors. This LP was more
"conventional" than its most immediate
predecessors (with the exception of the
Duke Ellington collaboration), and as
a result it received a variety of reviews.
While some applauded the fact that the
saxophonist was again playing standards,
others criticized him, stating that he was
contradicting himself by playing simple
melody lines. The fact is Coltrane had
always been a beautiful ballad player.