Ballads (John Coltrane album)

Ballads is a jazz album by John Coltrane released in January 1963 by Impulse! Records. It was recorded in December 1961 and 1962, and released with catalogue number A-32 (mono) and AS-32 (stereo). Critic Gene Lees stated that the quartet had never played the tunes before. "They arrived with music-store sheet music of the songs" and just before the recordings, they "would discuss each tune, write out copies of the changes they'd use, semi-rehearse for a half hour and then do it". Each piece was recorded in one take, except for "All or Nothing at All". In 2008, the album was a recipient of the Grammy Hall of Fame award.

Original

 * 1) "Say It (Over and Over Again)" (Jimmy McHugh)– 4:18
 * 2) "You Don't Know What Love Is" (Gene DePaul)– 5:15
 * 3) "Too Young to Go Steady" (Jimmy McHugh)– 4:23
 * 4) "All or Nothing at All" (Arthur Altman)– 3:39
 * 5) "I Wish I Knew" (Harry Warren)– 4:54
 * 6) "What's New?" (Bob Haggart)– 3:47
 * 7) "It's Easy to Remember" (Richard Rodgers)– 2:49
 * 8) "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" (Jimmy Van Heusen)– 3:10

2002 deluxe edition
Disc two
 * 1) "They Say It's Wonderful"
 * 2) "All or Nothing at All" - Alternate take
 * 3) "Greensleeves" - Alternate take
 * 4) "Greensleeves" - Alternate take
 * 5) "Greensleeves" - Alternate take
 * 6) "Greensleeves" - Master take
 * 7) "Greensleeves" - Alternate take
 * 8) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 9) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 10) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 11) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 12) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 13) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take
 * 14) "It's Easy to Remember" - Alternate take

Personnel

 * John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
 * McCoy Tyner – piano
 * Jimmy Garrison (#1-6, 8), Reggie Workman (#7; Disc 2, #3-14) – bass
 * Elvin Jones – drums

Production

 * Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer
 * Jim Marshall – photography