Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane

1	Say It (Over and Over Again) 6:03
2	You Don't Know What Love Is 5:38
3	Too Young to Go Steady 5:43
4	All or Nothing at All 6:50
5	I Wish I Knew 4:22
6	What's New? 5:55
7	It's Easy to Remember 6:03
8	Nancy (With the Laughing Face) 4:46
9	Naima 6:38
10	Why Was I Born? 3:42
11	Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 6:01

Barnes & Noble

When thrilling to the John Coltrane Quartet's classic Ballads album, many listeners will undoubtedly have wondered how that classic collection of standards might fare in more traditional form, with a vocalist front and center. Forty years down the road, Karrin Allyson provides a satisfying answer with Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane. Allyson embraces the eight songs from the original album with a strong and limpid voice that relies upon a silky undertone to convey emotional nuance. She maintains a tenderly romantic mood on most of the tracks, such as "Say It (Over and Over Again)," "Too Young to Go Steady," "It's Easy to Remember," and "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)," but reveals a dramatic intensity on "You Don't Know What Love Is," moving convincingly between anguish and resignation; and when she gets her teeth into "All or Nothing at All," she shows that she can swing in a sultry vein that conjures up tropical nights and dangerous liaisons. Allyson gets fine support throughout the album from a group who must have felt like volunteers on a suicide mission, what with the all-but-incomparable work of Coltrane, Tyner, Garrison, and Jones so easily accessible for comparison. In a prudent move, producer Nick Phillips divided the saxophone duties between Bob Berg and James Carter on tenor and Steve Wilson on soprano -- all three make distinctive contributions on their allotted tracks, without provoking the Master's ghost to rise up and devour them. James Williams (piano), John Patitucci (bass), and Lewis Nash (drums) also acquit themselves splendidly, with an added assist from Allyson, who jumps in at the keyboard for "I Wish I Knew." Concluding the disc are three tracks not found on the Coltrane release: a gorgeous rendition of "Naima" in which Allyson layers shimmering, wordless vocals over a vivid instrumental counterpoint, followed by affecting versions of "Why Was I Born?" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye." From start to finish, Allyson and company give jazz fans their money's worth and more, offering a set that stands firmly on its own while offering a fresh perspective on Coltrane's genius. -- Philip Koslow

All Music Guide

Jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson strikes a sentimental chord with this super fine 2001 release, inspired by tenor sax titan John Coltrane's infamous Ballads LP. The diva exhibits her near flawless phraseology and alluring vigor throughout these wonderfully executed pieces. Allyson also receives exemplary support from what some might consider an all-star band, featuring bassist John Patitucci; saxophonists Bob Berg, Steve Wilson, and James Carter; pianist/educator James Williams; and drummer Lewis Nash. All told, the musicians inject their distinct musical personas into these moving portraitures amid Allyson's trance-like renderings of pieces such as "You Don't Know What Love Is," "All or Nothing at All," and others. The singer's wordless incantation of "Naima" bespeaks poignant imagery as Patitucci and Nash generate a grooving samba beat atop Williams' shrewdly placed lower-register ostinato motifs and the saxophonists' breezy lines. Basically, Ballads is a very special occurrence, one that provides yet another mark of distinction for this extremely talented artiste. Highly recommended. Glenn Astarita