The three albums recorded by the iconic bassist Ron Carter and the late guitar master Jim Hall between 1973 and 1985 rank among the most beloved duo recordings in the annals of jazz. More than half a century after the pair embarked on their landmark collaboration, Carter – still tirelessly creative as he prepares to celebrate his 89th birthday on May 4, 2026 – engages in a new session of intimate musical conversations with the Israeli-born, New York based guitarist Yotam Silberstein.

Duets was conceived in part as a tribute to Hall, but the fact that it was recorded on the guitar legend’s birthday, December 4th, was a complete coincidence, albeit one that seems to lend a sort of preternatural blessing to the occasion. The album captures an organic and deeply sensitive musical encounter in which the two musicians weave a sonic tapestry that is simultaneously melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic—one where the absence of drums does not preclude swing, but rather opens up space for a dialogue full of finesse and elegance, built upon a latent pulse.

This summit with Carter is far from the first time that Silberstein was entered into musical communion with his elders. He considers these cross-generational collaborations to be a way of paying personal tribute to his forebears as well as honoring their notable careers while these greats are still active. Prior to this outing with Ron Carter, Silberstein has performed with such illustrious names as pianist Hank Jones, saxophonist George Coleman, and drummer Billy Hart. While Silberstein has crossed paths with Carter on various New York sessions in the past, Duets marks the first opportunity the two have had to match wits in a duet setting.

“I’ve known Ron for two decades,” the guitarist says in the album’s liner notes. “He’s a superpower. Thinking about those legendary collaborations of his with guitarist Jim Hall, I always knew that recording with him would be a dream come true, if we could make it happen.”

The Duets session was the brainchild of JOJO Records label head Simon Belelty (himself a guitarist who has collaborated with the likes of Kirk Lightsey, Billy Hart, Asaf Yuria, Jason Brown, and John Betsch) and avid fan of Carter’s meetings with Hall. Belelty and Silberstein have forged a close friendship and fruitful partnership through their past collaborations for the label, a pair of albums dedicated to classic tunes (Standards Vol. 1 and Standards Vol. 2). The repertoire was conceived by Silberstein and Belelty, who also served as artistic director and producer for the project, to echo the mix of standards and originals from the Hall-Carter albums without revisiting identical material. Instead, they chose to focus on lesser-known favorites, specifically pieces rarely performed by guitarists.

In a further link with the music’s storied history, Duets was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. This famed studio is one for which Ron Carter holds a particular fondness and an intimate familiarity, having recorded in the hallowed space on literally hundreds of occasions, both as a leader and as a sideman, including the album Maiden Voyage with Herbie Hancock almost 60 years ago.

Of the eight tracks on the album, two are original compositions penned by Yotam Silberstein. The soulful “Blues for Brother Malone” serves as a tribute to guitarist Russell Malone, who passed away in August 2024 at the age of 60 from a heart attack while on tour in Japan with Carter. Malone had performed extensively with Carter as a longtime member of the bassist’s acclaimed Golden Striker Trio (alongside Mulgrew Miller or Donald Vega on piano). He was also a close friend of Silberstein’s, offering the younger guitarist significant support during his early days in New York City.

The second Silberstein original, “Rain Again,” is a beautiful, melancholic, and poignant waltz. Performed here as a tender instrumental specially arranged for the duo, it shines with a poetic lyricism that hints at the lyrics that Silberstein crafted for the song.

Duets opens with a song that reflects the artists’ shared adoration of Brazilian music. “Nova Ilusão” was written by Claudionor Cruz and Pedro Caetano—a major figures in Música Popular Brasileira (MPB)—and is performed here in a particularly melodious and seductive arrangement for guitar and double bass. Belelty suggested the standard “Love Letters,” composed in 1945 by Victor Young and Edward Heyman, once recorded by Jim Hall in a staggeringly beautiful rendition rivaled by the elegance and delicacy of Carter and Silberstein.

The familiar “The Lamp Is Low” breaks with the pattern of more obscure selections. Silberstein had previously performed the piece, based on Maurice Ravel’s famous Pavane pour une infante défunte, with the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove and was eager to explore it further for this project. It is performed here in a counterintuitive uptempo arrangement.

The standard “What Is There to Say” was composed in 1934 by E.Y. “Yip” Harburg and Vernon Duke. Silberstein has long been captivated by its wistful melody and rich harmony, especially when performed by pianists. Topping six minutes, it is the longest track on the album, granting ample space for a stunningly eloquent Ron Carter bass solo.

“They Say It’s Wonderful” is a 1946 composition by Irving Berlin, taken from the musical Annie Get Your Gun. The piece holds a special place in Belelty’s heart, stemming from a long-cherished memory of witnessing a breathtaking version performed live in concert by Sonny Rollins. Silberstein, for his part, especially admires the version recorded by Johnny Hartman with John Coltrane.

Finally, the album concludes with a simmering run through the rarely reprised bop burner “Mil Dew.” The uptempo composition was composed by saxophonist Johnny Griffin for his 1956 Blue Note album Introducing Johnny Griffin, and sends listeners out on a blistering, prodigiously swinging note.