Search - Jim Hall, Bob Brookmeyer :: Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival, 1979

The lucid and luminous guitarist Jim Hall is no stranger to the duet setting: over his career, he's waxed duo albums with piano (Bill Evans in the 1960s), bass (Ron Carter in the 1970s), and second guitar (most notably on 1999's record with Pat Metheny. Hall's also no stranger to valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, a co-collaborator in Jimmy Giuffre's late-1950s trio. On this 1979 date, the pair seems liberated by the absence of a rhythm section--twisting and turning the songs at a moment's notice--yet shows great discipline in being able to maintain cohesiveness. On "I Hear a Rhapsody," the two weave stunning improvisations around each other, while on "In a Sentimental Mood," Hall leaves Brookmeyer sufficient room for his rippling runs. They challenge themselves with Sonny Rollins's "St. Thomas," a tune that relies heavily on its rhythmic impulse, and they succeed thanks to Hall's miraculous chord work, which deconstructs and rebuilds the song piece by piece. --Marc Greilsamer