John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse)

Late night. You came back from the party exhausted. Something hadn't gone quite right. You ran into someone you didn't expect and didn't want to see (an ex-lover? a colleague from work? an obnoxiously drunk pro-life republican?). And though it wasn't a complete catastrophe, some times you just feel like life just gives you a glancing blow to remind you not to get too excited about it. Even John Coltrane can't manage his usual fireworks. But this is how it should be, just so not to get in the way of Johnny Hartman. A reminder for a bit of restraint. Maybe tomorrow you can pick up the pieces again. Tonight's not going to get any better.

Suggested Wine Pairing: The best tawny port you can get your hands on, maybe the Taylor-Flatgate Vintage Porto (doesn't matter what vintage, there's not a bad one).