John Coltrane Quartet Ballads Reel To Reel Tape (Ultra Tape)

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A.B. Spellman, former administrator for the National Endowment for the Arts, once described Ballads as "some of the most sensitive, heartfelt music that any lover ever sang on a horn." Put simply, most guys don't play the saxophone like John Coltrane.

And even the finest-sounding LPs can't match the fidelity and sonic detail captured by a master tape. Here, with Analogue Production's Ultra Tape 15 ips 1/4-inch analog tape copy, the music sounds its purest and most vital. The tape playback brings crystal clear fidelity to the highest and lowest frequency ranges.

The intense passionate Coltrane interpretation of standards such as "All or Nothing at All," "What's New," "It's Easy to Remember" and the Sinatra classic "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" are the essence of Ballads. When asked why attempt such an undertaking, Coltrane replied, "Variety."

While it may have been a short detour by Trane before he exploded off into the nether regions of jazz music a few years later, it is still a fantastic document of one of the premier jazz groups of the 1960s.

Recorded December 21, 1961 and September 18 & November 13, 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder Studios.

* It is standard practice in all recording studios to keep the tape "tail out." This reduces "pre-echo" and it means that the tape should be placed on the right hand side of the recorder, re-wound and then played.

My first introduction to this outstanding Rudy van Gelder recording dates back to the '90's JVC's XRCD series. Since then, I've acquired different versions on LP, each one being a step better, culminating in the 45 rpm reissue. And now we have it in the ultimate format 15-ips reel-to-tape. Here we find the aptly titled Ballads featuring a much mellower version of Coltrane, backed by the likes of McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Or as Ashley Kahn wrote, 'In 1963 had Impulse decided to title his new album something like Coltrane Plays for Lovers Only rather than Ballads, it would have been cliché, but more accurate.' Nothing could be closer to the truth and just a great demonstration of Coltrane's incredible talent.