Three into two and all from Creed Taylor's CTI Records roster. Hall needs little introduction here, his lengthy jazz career encompassing everything from Chico Hamilton's piano-less quintet to the kinds of broad-ranging collaborations re-released here on this nicely presented double-album. His limpid attack and creamy sound were allied to solo fecundity, every thought instantly translated into action, all this immediately evident on Concierto. Desmond is reflective and tonally ethereal on alto, two years before his premature death in 1977, Baker fragmentary but always resourceful as on ‘You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To’, the first of nine tracks, Carter and Hanna keeping the fires stoked, Gadd tightly bound to them. There's so much valuable interplay here, Baker (with whom Hall had never previously played) capable of all kinds of surprises, Hanna, somewhat overlooked these days, unfurling pleasurable solos at every turn. Hall plays the theme from the second movement of Rodrigo's ‘Concierto De Aranjuez’ with soft emphasis, Baker judicious and hymn-like, Desmond's alto like a perfect balm, the guitarist lyrical over Carter's tango-ish lines. Hard to imagine any of the principals playing better than this. Sublime music. I also liked Strayhorn's ‘Rock Skippin’ in two takes, welcome add-ons to the original LP release. Hall had previous with Art Farmer and their approaches dovetail particularly well. Neither was ever going to frighten the neighbours and they don't here. Big Blues opens with ‘Whisper Not’, always stately, Mainieri's vibes shadowing the theme, Hall airy ahead of Farmer's eloquence. Farmer eschews any kind of grandstand attack, a trait he shares with Baker, letting lines evolve at length. Moore's big-toned pulse is impressive here as is Mainieri, said to be an influence on Gary Burton. The title blues is nippy, as you might expect. As Ira Gitler says in his note, speaking of this music's apparent effortlessness, “It only sounds easy”. Farmer is superb on Ravel's ‘Pavane for a Dead Princess’. Baker is back for Studio Trieste, the group's version of ‘Django’, with Laws playing flute, touchingly beautiful, with Barron at the keyboard. ‘All Blues’ goes well, too, with Laws taking the lead. So, elegance, lyricism, soft textures, quiet distinction, these are the virtues on display here. Lovely sound throughout, by the way, and a valuable sleevenote essay by Charles Waring.