The John Coltrane Quartet Ballads Japanese Import SHM-SACD

A giant of modern jazz, Coltrane was one of jazz's greatest ballad players and his lyrical gifts are in sharp relief here. They're transmitted through one of the most beautiful tones that jazz has ever produced! Coltrane inspired and influenced many younger musicians with his distinctive and often adventurous playing. This quartet, formed in 1961, included McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones.

SHM-SACD (Super High Material SACD) is the ultimate Super Audio CD that utilizes the materials and technologies that were developed for the SHM-CD to further enhance the audio-resolution. These discs are made with polycarbonate developed for the screen of the liquid crystal display. As it has a higher transparency, players can read the signal more faithfully. Also, it excels in fluidity, which enables you to cast a more accurate pit. What works wonders for a low resolution format such as CD should offer even greater sonic improvements in a real high resolution format such as SACD.

With Ballads he looks into the warmer side of things, a path he would take with both Johnny Hartman (on John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman) and with Duke Ellington (on Duke Ellington and John Coltrane). Here he lays out for McCoy Tyner mostly, and the results positively shimmer at times. He's not aggressive, and he's not outwardly. Instead he's introspective and at times even predictable, but that is precisely Ballads' draw.