Stephane Grappelli and Toots Thielemans have been considered jazz giants for so long that the uniqueness of this classic encounter may be taken for granted. For their joint recording, Grappelli and Thielemans perform seven veteran standards and a pair of then-current pop tunes on violin and harmonica. Being cooperative rather than competitive, their performance of songs such as Bye Bye Blackbird set the mood for the rest of the set, with co-leaders showing mutual respect. When Grappelli first became prominent, the only significant jazz violinists were the remarkable Joe Venuti, the up-and-coming Stuff Smith and the more classical-oriented Eddie South. While Grappelli at least had Venuti as a possible role model, Toots Thielemans had no real predecessors in jazz. The harmonica had been relegated to blues and novelty music, so Thielemans had to carve out his own musical path. Grappelli and Thielemans long ago transcended their instruments, taking their place next to the greatest soloists.