Jim Hall

Adventurous, eclectic and original-both in the singular way he improvises but also the scope of his musical activities-Hall is a guitarist who challenges himself at every turn. This time out, he welcomes into his core group (bassist Scott Colley and drummer Terry Clarke) a number of guest musicians, several of whom he had really never played with before. It all takes place live onstage in the context of his own tunes for the most part. ~Jim Ferguson, jazztimes.com

Long acclaimed for his understated lyrical approach to the guitar, Jim Hall's diverse arrangements on this CD are also first-class. His dazzling arrangement of John Lewis' "Django" features Hall with Pat Metheny, with both men on acoustic instruments for a change, accompanied only by drummer Terry Clarke and the occasional pizzicato accents of a 12-piece string section (violas and cellos!). Rarely has Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" been given such a fresh treatment; the brisk bossa nova rhythm, Joe Lovano's switch from clarinet to soprano sax midway in the piece, and Hall's interplay with Lovano and the strings…

A bit leery of concept records, I wondered what some of my best friends would think of Jim Hall’s latest record, Jim Hall & Basses. Given Hall’s musical philosophy of treating the bass as if it were a fellow guitar, these duets and trio tracks sustain interest throughout.

Paul Desmond - The Complete Paul Desmond RCA Victor Recordings ft. Jim Hall (1997) [5CD BoxSet] {BMG}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 1,68 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 690 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 144 Mb
© 1997 BMG / RCA Victor | 09026 68687-2
Jazz / Cool / Saxophone

THE COMPLETE RCA VICTOR RECORDINGS includes the five solo albums Desmond released on RCA's Bluebird imprint in the early 1960s: DESMOND BLUE, TAKE TEN, GLAD TO BE UNHAPPY, BOSSA ANTIGUA and EASY LIVING. Between 1962 and 1964 Paul Desmond , Dave Brubeck's alto saxophonist (and composer of "Take Five"), recorded five remarkable albums for RCA with guitarist Jim Hall. (Listeners might recall that the inimitable Hall also recorded with Sonny Rollins for RCA during the same period.) Luckily, RCA has seen fit to reissue the Desmond-Hall sessions in an attractive 5-CD box. Of these, only the first session, DESMOND BLUE, was arranged for strings. Otherwise it's just Desmond and Hall, a few good bass players and the great MJQ drummer Connie Kay, whom Desmond long revered for his subtle touch.