JD Allen; Love Letters (The Ballad Sessions)

If, like me, you are forever enamored by the treasures of The Great American Songbook,  you really need to check into tenor sax man JD Allen. He and his very connected rhythm section treat us to eight tender and beautiful ballads on these “forever” tunes. With Brandon McCune, piano; Ian Kenselaar, bass; and Nic Cacioppo, drums, Allen's quartet reminds us of the exceptional quality of such winning melodies as “You Are Too Beautiful”, “I Get Along Without You Very Well”, “Don't Go To Strangers”, My Buddy”, and more. Allen's big, rich tenor tone reminds me a bit of Gene Ammons and it doesn't get much better than that. All said, this recording delivers classic songwriting and first rate playing. Get your ears on it!

Savant; 2025; appx. 45 min.