For once someone got the billing spot-on. Jim Hall wasn't employed just to strum the appropriate chords while Giuffre flitted effortlessly between clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones. Jim Hall was actively engaged as an all-important second voice, and when later Bob Brookmeyer replaced the bass on flatulent valve-trombone and bar room piano, this refashioned threesome created a truly original tapestry. Throughout his career Hall's work with Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Paul Desmond, Art Farmer among many others, affirmed that he always brought along an abundance of fresh ideas to whatever party he attended. So much so that his get-together with Jimmy Giuffre kicked off in 1956 and lasted four highly productive years. Perhaps the full extent of this trio's remarkable work has never been fully appreciated. So why not start right here! Everything about this combo was unique. Giuffre defined the approach as being “rural folk jazz” in that it conjured up timeless imagery that reached back to the early years of good-time jazz and mystic swampy blues, no more so than on their most descriptive performance – ‘The Train And The River’ – here in it's famous original form, while two further enthralling performances are present including a slightly faster take lifted from TVs The Sound Of Jazz. Though he invariably kept a low personal profile, Giuffre was always far-looking in all aspects of his craft. Like both Hall and Brookmeyer, he displayed an instantly recognisable sound – most notably on his enticing woody timbre'd clarinet. In retrospect, this irresistible canon can be viewed as a mid-period in his career which would later have him anticipating an even freer approach. Though they never appeared to break out in a sweat, this trio could still pack an almighty punch when required. Neither did they ever feel the need to up the volume. In comparison, they made the MJQ sound like Metallica! As with Sonny Rollins, this threesome's choice of non-originals revealed their impish sense of humour encompassing ‘Show Me The Way To Go Home’ to ‘California Here I Come’, while elsewhere they wore their blues sensibility on their sleeves throughout ‘I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues’ and ‘Blue Monk’. And there's more, much more: included here is The Four Brothers Sound LP where JG multi-tracked his tenor sax four times to recreate Woody Herman's ‘Brothers’ sax section with remarkable accuracy and not as some smarty-pants gimmick. Another worthy concept is JG's self-explanatory wide-open spaces saga, Western Suite. In truth there is so much innovative music crammed onto these discs that it could almost take a lifetime to fully digest. And there's more. Part Two: for your further related listening pleasure check out these two CDs: Traditionalism Revisited and The Street Swingers.