Jim Hall

A harmonically advanced cool-toned and subtle guitarist, Jim Hall was an inspiration to many guitarists, including some (such as <a href="spotify:artist:3SONlwqLIP2GtaMh9pLYe5">Bill Frisell</a>) who sound nothing like him. Hall attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and studied classical guitar in Los Angeles with Vicente Gómez. He was an original member of <a href="spotify:artist:31NF3yc9DoAdh2bgR6mY04">the Chico Hamilton Quintet</a> (1955-1956), and during 1956-1959 was with the Jimmy Giuffre Three. After touring with <a href="spotify:artist:5V0MlUE1Bft0mbLlND7FJz">Ella Fitzgerald</a> (1960-1961) and sometimes forming duos with <a href="spotify:artist:4YNvbaOaqp5pzC5US5t48k">Lee Konitz</a>, Hall was with <a href="spotify:artist:1VEzN9lxvG6KPR3QQGsebR">Sonny Rollins</a>' dynamic quartet in 1961-1962, recording The Bridge. He co-led a quartet with <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a> (1962-1964), recorded on an occasional basis with <a href="spotify:artist:68l2i6GeNtwQlhKS59u5bu">Paul Desmond</a> during 1959-1965 (all of their quartet performances are collected on a <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mosaic%22">Mosaic</a> box set), and then became a New York studio musician. He was mostly a leader during the following years and, in addition to his own projects for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22World+Pacific%22">World Pacific</a>/<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Pacific+Jazz%22">Pacific Jazz</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22MPS%22">MPS</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Milestone%22">Milestone</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22CTI%22">CTI</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Horizon%22">Horizon</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Artist+House%22">Artist House</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Concord%22">Concord</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22MusicMasters%22">MusicMasters</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Telarc%22">Telarc</a>, Jim Hall recorded two classic duet albums with <a href="spotify:artist:4jXfFzeP66Zy67HM2mvIIF">Bill Evans</a>. A self-titled collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Pat Metheny</a> followed in 1999. A flurry of studio albums, reissues, and compilations followed throughout the next few years, with the exceptional Jim Hall & Basses standing out for its bass/guitar duet format. Jim Hall died at his apartment in Manhattan on December 10, 2013; he was 83 years old. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi