Hall and family were in Berlin on holiday but Joachim Berendt made sure to record the guitarist, having first observed that he hadn’t made a ‘name’ album in the previous decade. Hall selected his bass and drum companions himself, having worked with them before and they certainly mesh together well.

Expatriate US bassist Woode was always a versatile player and he dovetails neatly with Hall and Humair. The drummer was known for his adventurous disposition and adds many distinctive touches of his own, the detail of his playing brilliantly caught by the recording engineer. But this is Hall ‘s date, and each song is given his usual unflurried exposition, single lines contrasted at times with strongly chorded figures. He takes Jim Webb’s ‘Up, Up And Away’ on a pleasing foray and overdubs on ‘My Funny Valentine’ and then plays unaccompanied, but again with an overdub on his own sweet-sounding ‘Young One, For Debra’, written for his daughter.

Trombonist Ake Persson was alongside Berendt in the studio and summed up what he was hearing as ‘just plain beautiful music. No bullshit’. He was correct in his assessment, to which view should be added sensitivity and taste, for Hall was never excessive or over-exuberant, his sound nicely centred, and content to unfold reasoned explorations of these pieces. He looks hard at ‘In A Sentimental Mood’ and ‘Body and Soul’ and finds value in their time-honoured melodies. Hall was among the greats of jazz guitar and this reissue is a welcome reminder of his creativity and finesse.