Including tracks from her early-'60s period at Roulette, Ballads is a collection aimed at casual fans of Dinah Washington, one of the most bewitching vocalists of the jazz era. Granted, this wasn't the peak of her career; she only recorded five records with the label, most of them shortly before her death. Contrary to the thoughts of jazz critics, though, Washington was still singing with strength and subtlety, and the compilers deftly build the theme of an ongoing relationship with this sequence of standards. Beginning with the dreamy "Lover Man," Ballads progresses through the first blush of a love affair ("I Didn't Know About You") and takes in a few highs ("If It's The Last Thing I Do") along with plenty of lows ("He's Gone Again," "What's New?," "These Foolish Things," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home"). The arrangements are smooth and occasionally overly maudlin, but the assured voice of Dinah Washington triumphs in every setting.