When one assesses the greatest balladeers of the tenor saxophone, these titans immediately spring to mind: Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, and Stan Getz. And on the basis of the nine selections herein, add John Coltrane (1926-1967) to this elite company. Before he became a prime mover of the 1960s avant-garde, Coltrane worked in traditional song forms; his impassioned lyricism, diamond-hard tone, and almost-hymnal approach came to the fore in 1957-58 when he recorded for Prestige, the label on which he established himself as a leader. In extended readings of beauties like “I Want to Talk About You” (which became a personal staple), “Lush Life,” and “Stardust,” Coltrane, backed by rhythm sections keyed with velvety smoothness by pianist Red Garland, builds and sustains an overwhelmingly mesmeric mood.