9 Ballads That Made Me Love Jazz

From John Coltrane's 'Naima' to Dexter Gordon's 'Ernie's Tune'

For those who aren’t fully familiar with jazz, there’s nothing like an instrumental ballad to make you swoon. When I started exploring jazz in the early 1970s, the following nine original ballads stopped me in my tracks. I’m sure they will win you over as well. Each song below is played by its composer:

V Here’s tenor saxophonist John Coltrane’s Naima, in 1959, written for his then-wife, from the album Giant Steps, with Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Jimmy Cobb (d)…

Here’s Benny Golson playing his I Remember Clifford, from Benny Golson and the Philadelphiana in 1957, with Benny Golson (ts), Lee Morgan (tp), Ray Bryant (p), Percy Heath (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d)…

Here’s Horace Silver playing his Lonely Woman, from Song for My Father, in 1965, with Silver (p), Gene Taylor (b) and Roy Brooks (d)…

Here’s tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter playing his Infant Eyes, from See No Evil, in 1964, with Shorter (ts), Herbie Hancock (p), Ron Carter (b) and Elvin Jones (d)…

Here’s Art Farmer playing his Wisteria from Art Farmer: New Jazz Stars, (the 12-inch reissue was Early Art) in 1954, with Art Farmer (tp), Sonny Rollins (ts), Horace Silver (p), Percy Heath (b) and Kenny Clarke (d)…

Here’s tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley playing his My Sin from The Turnaround!, in 1963, with Barry Harris (p), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Paul Chambers (b) and Billy Higgins (d)…

Here’s Mobley again with his No More Goodbyes, from Hi Voltage, in 1967, with John Hicks (p), Bob Cranshaw (b) and Billy Higgins (d)…

Here’s Herbie Hancock playing his Maiden Voyage, from the album of the same name, in 1965, with Hancock (p), Freddie Hubbard (tp), George Coleman (ts), Ron Carter (b) and Tony Williams (d)…

Here’s Dexer Gordon playing his Ernie’s Tune, from Dexter Calling…, in 1961, with Gordon (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d)…