THE GIG

All the Things

Chad Batka for The New York Times

Jim Hall Quartet

Blue Note, April 17

What If?

Critics’ Choice: New CDs

Jim Hall & Joey Baron, “Conversations”

Like Sonny

The epic birthday extravaganza has come and gone, and I’m sure we’ll continue to see commentary from those who were lucky enough to be there. Some detailed early responses came, blogospherically, via Jason Crane & Howard Mandel, among others. I avoided reading those until after I had filed my own review, but was glad to catch up later. Likewise with a blog post by Marc Meyers, who also did an excellent job coaxing reminiscences from Rollins in a WSJ preview. [Update: See also Fred Kaplan at Stereophile.]

 Space constraints in the official review meant that I had to elide a few things, and shortchange others. I would have liked to devote more than a passing nod to Roy Hargrove, for instance: his sober caress of “I Can’t Get Started,” his feinting aggression on “Rain Check.” On some other night, this would have been a bigger part of the story.

All the Things

Jim Hall Quartet

Birdland, Nov. 10