2010’s Conversations, recorded with drummer Joey Baron, features a looser and at times more abstract approach than one is used to hearing from master guitarist Jim Hall. Two miniatures intrigue: gestural improv marks “Pollock,” while “Monet” is a delicate web of cymbal splashes and quiet chords. On Milt Jackson’s classic, “Bag’s Groove,” acoustic guitar slices the air over Baron’s Latin-influenced groove, and the whole thing lasts a teasing two minutes. The shortest track, a 47-second version of Hall’s “Uncle Ed,” is an upbeat bit of country blues that reminds the listener that someone besides Bill Frisell has a special touch with this sort of material. The duo stretches out on the nine-minute “Travelogue,” which compels on a moment-by-moment basis, and the drumming is strikingly inventive. The Baron-penned “Pocketful of Change” is a gem; it’s the sort of ballad-like piece that Hall routinely shines on. Conversations closes with “Time,” which pretty much qualifies as free jazz until the duo breaks into a nice groove during the track’s last 90 seconds.