Two Guitars, No Wasted Motion
Hall and Metheny listen to each other like they're having a conversation, not showing off.
This is Jim Hall and Pat Metheny playing together, just the two of them on guitar. No rhythm section, no overdubs, no net. It's the kind of setup that either works beautifully or falls apart, and here it works. What makes this record stand out is how comfortable they are in the space between them. Hall was already an elder statesman of jazz guitar when Metheny came along as a younger player, but there's no hierarchy on display. They trade ideas, support each other, and sometimes just play in unison like they've been doing this for decades.
The album breathes. These aren't virtuosic showdowns or technical exercises. Instead, you get Hall's precise, architectural approach meeting Metheny's more flowing, exploratory style. Hall has always been about finding the exact right note and letting it speak, while Metheny tends toward longer melodic lines and subtle textures. On a track like the ballad material here, you can hear how differently they phrase things, yet somehow it locks together. Metheny's tone is warmer, almost vocal at times, while Hall stays cooler and more understated.
If you know Hall's work with Bill Evans or his Blue Note records, this is cut from similar cloth—intimate, conversational jazz that doesn't need much to say a lot. It's not the place to start with either guitarist, but it's an essential listen once you understand what they do individually. For Hall, this is late-career work showing he still had plenty to offer. For Metheny, it's a chance to prove he could hold his own with someone from an earlier generation without sounding like an imitator. The record doesn't overstate its case, which is exactly why it endures.
Who's playing
Jim Hallguitar
Pat Methenyguitar
Where next?
More by Jim Hall
All 46 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
