Jim Hall
A sensitive, versatile guitarist equally gifted in solo, trio or larger combo settings, Jim Hall was a dynamic jazz contributor from the '50s onward. His playing reflected the influences of Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, and featured blues-tinged solos, carefully crafted statements, and a rich, full tone and sound. His harmonic and rhythmic subtlety, achieved without sacrificing swing or intensity, were legendary. Hall began his professional career in Cleveland as a teen, then attended the Cleveland Institute of Music. After moving to Los Angeles and studying classical guitar with Vicente Gómez, Hall joined Chico Hamilton's quintet in the mid-'50s. He was in the Jimmy Giuffre 3 from 1956 to 1959, and made his recording debut as a leader in 1957. Hall made several sessions for Pacific Jazz and Pausa in the '60s. He worked extensively in the late '50s and into the mid-'60s, though he was also encountering severe problems with alcohol. There were sessions with Ben Webster, the masterpiece Undercurrent with Bill Evans, and a stint with Ella Fitzgerald in 1960 and 1961. Hall recorded frequently with Paul Desmond, and worked with Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, and Art Farmer. He played in the studio band for The Merv Griffin Show, worked with Evans again, and made some excellent duo records with Ron Carter. Hall divided his time in the '70s, '80s, and '90s between leading groups and doing sessions. He recorded for CTI, Milestone, Horizon, Artist House, and A&M (Japan) in the '70s, then mostly for Concord in the '80s. He recorded for MusicMasters in the '90s. Mosaic issued a comprehensive box set of his recordings with Desmond in 1987. His early Pacific Jazz recordings and much of his work with Rollins has been reissued on CD, as have some of the CTI, Fantasy, and Milestone dates. The Concord and MusicMasters sessions remain in print. Jim Hall died at his apartment in Manhattan on December 10, 2013; he was 83 years old.
© Ron Wynn & David Nelson McCarthy /TiVo
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Where Would I Be?
Jazz - Released by Milestone Records on Jan. 1, 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Guitar
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan. 1, 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ballad Essentials
Jazz - Released by Concord Jazz on Mar. 14, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Hallmarks: The Best Of Jim Hall (1971-2000)
Jazz - Released by Concord Records on Jan. 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Berlin Festival Guitar Workshop (Live)
Baden Powell, Barney Kessel, Jim Hall, Buddy Guy, Elmer Snowden
Jazz - Released by MPS on Jun. 19, 2014
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Undercurrent (Original Album plus Bonus Tracks)
Jazz - Released by Jazz Classics on Jan. 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jim Hall and Friends Live at Town Hall
Jazz - Released by Jazz Heritage Society on Jan. 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Grand Slam (Live At The Regattabar, Boston)
Jazz - Released by Telarc on Sep. 26, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival
Jazz - Released by Baseline Jazz on Aug. 11, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazzpar Quartet + Four (Remastered 2021)
Bebop - Released by Storyville Records on Mar. 19, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Panorama: Live At The Village Vanguard (Live At The Village Vanguard, New York City, NY / December 4-8, 1996)
Jazz - Released by Telarc on Jan. 1, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Downbeat Critics' Choice
Jazz - Released by Telarc on Oct. 22, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jim Hall Plays Standards
Jazz - Released by EG Jazz on Apr. 15, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jim Hall and Friends: Live at Town Hall, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Jazz Heritage Society on Jun. 26, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo