JIM HALL - Jim Hall Live! (1975-2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This fine club date features guitarist Jim Hall in Toronto with two of the top Canadian jazzmen, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. The interplay between the three players is sometimes wondrous, and although the five selections are all familiar standards (such as "'Round Midnight," "Scrapple from the Apple," and "The Way You Look Tonight"), Hall makes the music sound fresh and full of subtleties. by Scott Yanow 

Tracklist:

1 Angel Eyes 11:10

Earl Brent / Matt Dennis

2 'Round Midnight 8:02

Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams

3 Scrapple from the Apple 7:37

Charlie Parker

4 The Way You Look Tonight 6:14

Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern

5 I Hear a Rhapsody 8:40
Jack Baker / George Fragos / Dick Gasparre
Credits:
Bass – Don Thompson
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Jim Hall

THE JIM HALL QUARTET - All Across the City (1989-2003) SACD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Jim Hall's successful blend of contemporary and mainstream jazz should appeal to both camps on this well-crafted CD. Hall displays the subtle quiet lyricism that makes his guitar sound instantly identifiable. Gil Goldstein is a perfect choice on keyboards, because he uses synthesizer only to color rather than overpower a song, while avoiding schmaltz. Both "Beja-Flor" and the title track benefit from his contributions. Though his piano is frequently in the background, it matches Hall's hushed, effective guitar lines. Bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Terry Clarke frequently lay out during the introductions and then enter to add either gentle shadings or full steam, if needed. One of Jim Hall's best CDs. by Ken Dryden

Tracklist:

1 Beija-Flor 6:32

Nelson Cavaquinho / Noel Silva

2 Bemsha Swing 5:13

Denzil Best / Thelonious Monk

3 Prelude to a Kiss 4:51

Duke Ellington / Irving Gordon / Irving Mills

4 Young One (For Debra) 4:27

Jim Hall

5 R.E.M. State 5:34

Gil Goldstein

6 Jane 4:59

Jim Hall

7 All Across the City 5:32

Jim Hall

8 Drop Shot 5:33

Jim Hall

9 How Deep Is the Ocean? 3:29

Irving Berlin

10 Something Tells Me 5:00

Jane Hall

11 Big Blues 6:25
Jim Hall
Credits:
Bass – Steve La Spina
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Jim Hall
Keyboards – Gil Goldstein

JIM HALL TRIO ft. TOM HARRELL - These Roos (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1988 studio date is one of the overlooked treasures in the considerable discography of Jim Hall, possibly due to the label's low-key promotion and less than eye-catching cover art. It is easy to understand why artists like Art Farmer and Paul Desmond omitted a pianist after hearing a release such as this one, because it would only clutter Hall's soft yet complete accompaniment. Joined by Tom Harrell (heard mostly on flügelhorn), bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Joey Baron, this CD is a delight from start to finish. The interaction of the musicians in the opener, a lively, waltzing "With a Song in My Heart," makes it sound like they have been a working unit for years. The well-conceived arrangement of "Where or When," which Hall dedicated to Basie guitarist Freddie Green (who died the year prior to the sessions), proves to be the most captivating track, with its understated yet consummately swinging air. Hall contributed the tense "Cross Court," a smoking post-bop vehicle, a pulsing calypso written originally for his 1985 Montreux concert with Michel Petrucciani and Wayne Shorter, as well as the haunting ballad "These Rooms," which opens with Harrell's melancholy unaccompanied trumpet solo, and has an abstract solo by the leader. "Something Tells Me" is a lovely bittersweet ballad by Jane Hall (Jim's wife, a talented composer whose work he has often recorded), featuring Hall and Harrell. Hall's unaccompanied take of Duke Ellington's "All Too Soon" makes one wonder why he has never recorded an entire album of guitar solos. This out of print CD is destined to become a collectible. by Ken Dryden 

Tracklist:

1 With a Song in My Heart 8:26

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers

2 Cross Court 5:15

Jim Hall

3 Something Tells Me 5:13

Jane Hall

4 Bimini 9:20
Jim Hall
5 All Too Soon 4:02

Duke Ellington / Carl Sigman

6 These Rooms 11:28

Jim Hall

7 Darn That Dream 4:08

Eddie DeLange / James Van Heusen

8 My Funny Valentine 6:25

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 

9 Where or When 5:51

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers

10 From Now On 7:08
Tom Harrell
Credits:
Bass – Steve LaSpina
Drums – Joey Baron
Flugelhorn – Tom Harrell (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 10)
Guitar – Jim Hall
Trumpet – Tom Harrell (tracks: 6)

JIM HALL - Magic Meeting (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jim Hall has continued to explore new possibilities as a performer and composer late in his career, refusing to coast on his past successes. This live CD was recorded over a series of several nights at the Village Vanguard in the spring of 2004, with longtime collaborators Scott Colley on bass and drummer Lewis Nash (though they have never recorded as a trio). The leader contributed three originals, including the adventurous opener "Bent Blue," "Canto Neruda" (post-bop with a Mexican-like vamp by Hall) which showcases Colley to good effect, along with "Furnished Flats," a seemingly loping theme that is full of sudden twists. Hall conducts a virtual master class for would-be guitarists with his spacious interpretation of the standard "Skylark," suggesting just a hint of Latin flavor. It is little challenge for the veteran guitarist to find new possibilities within a venerable standard like "Body and Soul," while "St. Thomas," the traditional calypso made famous by Sonny Rollins, features a marvelous opening duet by Hall and Nash, before Colley joins the fun as the trio strays far from its original theme, though the leader adds a humorous surprise quote from "I've Been Working on the Railroad." The Village Vanguard audience and staff seem intent on not letting out a peep (though they do applaud some solos) as they obviously realize they are witnessing jazz history in the making; the engineering is flawless. Issued exclusively as a limited edition available through www.artistshare.com, this CD is somewhat pricey but well-worth the investment. by Ken Dryden 
Tracklist:
1 Bent Blue 8:50

Jim Hall

2 Blackwell's Message 13:04

Joe Lovano

3 Skylark 9:18

Hoagy Carmichael

4 Canto Neruda 6:37

Jim Hall

5 Furnished Flats 8:25

Jim Hall

6 Body and Soul 11:03

Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour

7 St. Thomas 6:49
Sonny Rollins
Credits:
Bass, Producer – Scott Colley
Drums – Lewis Nash
Guitar – Jim Hall

THE JIMMY GIUFFRE 3 - Trav'lin' Light (1958-2012) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1958, Jimmy Giuffre led one of the most unusual groups ever, a trio comprised of his reeds (clarinet, tenor and baritone), valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and guitarist Jim Hall; no piano, bass or drums. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Trav'lin' Light 4:13

Written-By – Jimmy Mundy, Johnny Mercer, Trummy Young

2 The Swamp People 5:21

Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre

3 The Green Country (New England Mood) 3:06

Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre

4 Fourty-Second Street 6:15

Written-By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren 

5 Pickin' 'Em Up And Layin' 'Em Down 5:42

Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre

6 The Lonely Time  3:52

Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre

7 Show Me The Way To Go Home 4:39

Written-By – Irving King

8 California Here I Come 2:40

Written-By – Al Jolson, B. G. DeSylva, Joseph Meyer

Credits:
Baritone Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 2, 8)
Clarinet – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 6)
Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 4)
Guitar – Jim Hall
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 7)
Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer