Jim Hall

Jim Hall was regarded as the leading exponent of modern jazz guitar in the latter decades of the 20th century and into the early 21st century. Jim Hall, born in Buffalo, moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s. Like Louis Stewart, he was inspired at an early age by Charlie Christian and Barney Kessel, though his greater influences were probably horn players like saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Paul Gonsalves, and Lucky Thompson. In LA he played with Chico Hamilton and Jimmy Giuffre and recorded his debut album, though he didn’t record the next until 1967. Around 1960 Jim moved to New York and performed with Sonny Rollins, Art Farmer, and Lee Konitz. Before long he established a studio relationship with Bill Evans and recorded with a host of other names like Tommy Flanagan, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, Oliver Nelson, John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Desmond etc. From the 1970s to 2010 he continued to record and tour worldwide, with band members including Joey Baron, Bill Stewart, Scott Colley, Steve La Spina, Gil Goldstein, Larry Goldings, Chris Potter, and Greg Osby. He played with emerging guitarists like Bill Frisell, John Scofield and Pat Metheny with whom he also recorded a duet album. Jim Hall was also a significant composer and arranger, garnering several awards for this work. Jim died in 2013. "Jim is father of modern jazz guitar to me, he's the guy who invented a conception that has allowed guitar to function in a lot of musical situations that just weren't thought of as a possibility prior to his emergence as a player. He reinvented what the guitar could be as a jazz instrument... Jim transcends the instrument... the meaning behind the notes is what speaks to people." - Pat Metheny

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