Jim Hall

Guitar

A harmonically advanced, cool-toned and subtle guitarist, Jim Hall has been an inspiration to many guitarists througout the 5 decades of his career to date. Musicians as discriminating in taste and as different from one another in orientation as Hampton Hawes, Gunther Schuller, Ornette Coleman and Itzhak Perlman, have all applauded Jim's innovative approach and contributions to the world of jazz. Yet Jim Hall is constantly refining and re-defining his craft. Perhaps that is why he continues to be a major inspiration to today's contemporary artists such as Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Chris Potter and Greg Osby. Continuously pursuing new avenues of musical expression, Jim's career has been one of ongoing experimentation, particularly with instrumental combinations. One such experience took place in the late 1950s while he was on tour in South America with Ella Fitzgerald. Engrossed with the "local" music, Jim stayed on when the tour ended, spending six weeks in Rio de Janeiro just as the Bossa Nova was coming into being. This exposure was to prove invaluable and become a part of his musical versatility as evidenced later in his recordings with Sonny Rollins ("What's New" and "The Bridge") and Paul Desmond ("Take Ten" and "Bossa Antigua"). Born in 1930 in Buffalo and raised in New York and Ohio, Hall attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and studied classical guitar in Los Angeles with Vincente Gomez. He was an original member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955-1956), and during 1956-1959 was with the Jimmy Giuffre Three. After touring with Fitzgerald (1960-1961) and sometimes forming duos with Lee Konitz, Hall was with Sonny Rollins' dynamic quartet in 1961-1962. He co-led a quartet with Art Farmer (1962-1964), recorded on an occasional basis with Paul Desmond during 1959-1965 (all of their quartet performances are collected on a Mosaic box set), and then became a New York studio musician. His affinity with the great Bill Evans was particularly strong, resulting in two classic duet albums "Undercurrent" 1962 and "Intermodulation" 1966, as well as his contribution to Evans' classic "Interplay" 1962 which also features Freddy Hubbard, Philly Joe Jones and Percy Heath. He has mostly been a leader ever since with his own projects for World Pacific/Pacific Jazz, MPS, Milestone, CTI, Horizon, Artists House, Concord, Music Masters, and Telarc. A flurry of studio albums, reissues, and compilations followed throughout the next few years. In addition to the recent focus on orchestral and choral composition, Jim remains active as a player, working and recording with a variety of ensembles. In addition to working with his trio, Jim likes to spice up the mix with various guests. From time to time you might hear Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, the New York Voices, Kenny Barron, Pat Metheny, Slide Hampton and others working for a night or two with Jim's groups. In fact, several of these guests can be heard on yet another Telarc recording "Panorama: Live at the Village Vanguard" (1997).
Go to Jim Hall' page at emusic for free MP3 downloads

   
Recommended Recordings
Concierto Sony
Undercurrent: with Bill Evans Blue Note
Paul Desmond with Jim Hall Giants of Jazz
Alone together: with Ron Carter OJC
Dig Live Verve
Bossa Nova Sessions: with Zoot Sims Westside UK
Live in Tokyo Phantom
Dedications and Inspirations Telarc
Dialogues Telarc
Textures Telarc
Telephone: with Ron Carter Concord
Ballad Essentials Concord
Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival Challenge
Intermodulation: with Bill Evans Universal
Panorama: Live at the Village Vanguard Telarc
Jimmy Giuffre with Jim Hall Giants of Jazz
 

 

 

Some of the Best Contemporary Jazz Guitarists
Larry Coryell
Bill Frissell
Ralph Towner
Philip Catherine
John Scofield
Russell Malone
Peter Bernstein