Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane

By TERRY TEACHOUT

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.

--By Terry Teachout