John Coltrane Quartet - Ballads (+4 Bonus Tracks)

Besides achieving a very personal and
characteristic sound, John Coltrane opened the
way to free jazz, allowing himself to play long and
complex improvisations that increasingly strayed
from the tunes in which they were based. By the
time he recorded Ballads, He 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, 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. Whatever the critics
said and say, Ballads became an instant classic,
beloved both by Coltrane fans and by those not
so deeply concerned about jazz.