Hall's Quiet Trio Turn
A relaxed, unhurried trio record where Jim Hall lets melody and space do the talking.
Jim Hall recorded Something Special in 1993, well into a long career that had already given him a sizable catalogue of albums as leader and a long run as one of the most sought-after sidemen in jazz. By this point he was less interested in showing off technique than in finding the simplest route into a tune, and this record sits comfortably in that later, more reflective phase rather than marking a turn.
The group is a trio of Hall on guitar, Steve LaSpina on bass, and Larry Goldings on piano. The format gives Hall room to voice chords, lay out, and let a line breathe, and the playing is conversational rather than flashy. Nothing here is meant to dazzle. The interplay is easy and attentive, with Goldings filling space without crowding Hall's phrasing, and LaSpina keeping the harmonic floor steady.
If you are new to Hall, this is not the place to start; earlier trio and duo records show more of his sharp, angular side. For a listener already familiar with his work, though, it is a pleasant, well-played session that reads as a late-period statement of the way he preferred to play: spare, melodic, and unhurried.
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