AOTW: Jim Hall - Commitment (SP-715)

[Captain Bacardi]

Jim Hall
COMMITMENT
A&M Horizon SP715

Released 1976

Format: Vinyl/CD

Produced by John Snyder

Musicians:
Jim Hall - Guitar
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
Art Farmer - Flugelhorn
Ron Carter - Bass
Allan Ganley - Drums
Don Thompson - Piano
Terry Clarke - Drums
Errol Bennett - Percussion
Joan LaBabara - Voice
Jane Hall - Voice
Don Sebesky - Arranger (1, 3, 8 )

Songs:

• 1. Walk Soft (Jim Hall) 7:13
  2. One Morning In May (Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish) 3:30
  3. Lament For A Fallen Matador [Based on "Adagio in G Minor"] (Don Sebesky) 11:44
  4. Down The Line (Jim Hall) 3:20
  5. When I Fall In Love (Edward Heyman/Victor Young) 1:50
  6. My One And Only Love (Guy Wood/Robert Mellin) 5:48
  7. Bermuda Bye Bye (Jim Hall) 5:58
  8. Indian Summer (Victor Herbert/Al Dubin) 6:38

Recorded and mixed at Generation Sound Studios, N.Y.C.
Engineer: Tony May
Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Stan Evenson and Phil Shima
Cover Painting: Charles Schorr
Photography: Beverly Parker and John Snyder

Liner notes by J.R. Taylor

CD digitally mastered at Van Gelder Recording Studio, November 1988. Rudy Van Gelder, engineer. Digital Producer: John Snyder



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Wow, I can't believe no one else has this album. It's pretty nice, actually. Jim Hall is in different settings on each song, and for the most part it stays within the confines of some mellow, laid-back swing. I find the better songs are the ones that feature Art Farmer on flugelhorn, especially "Walk Soft". I feel like I'm listening to a Sergio Leone soundtrack on "Lament For A Fallen Matador". It would fit in perfectly on something like The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. There is one lone vocal track, "When I Fall In Love", with Jane Hall on voice, which is significantally brief. Hall's duet with Tommy Flanagan on "My One And Only Love" is just drop-dead gorgeous, and worthy of picking up this album alone. A strong 4 stars from me.


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Jim Hall - Commitment

 

[LPJim]

I have this on vinyl and yes it's nice. Somehow I missed the CD version, one of the digi-pack series (# 0811) and long out of print. After all these years it deserves a Verve reissue, which LIVE recently got.
JB