Hall, Jim (actually, James Stanley)

Hall, Jim (actually, James Stanley), revered jazz guitarist, composer; b. Buffalo, N.Y, Dec. 4, 1930. He spent his early years in Cleveland; his mother was a pianist, and other relatives were also musical, including his uncle who played guitar. Hall began working in local bands from the age of 13. During his teen years, he studied with guitarist Fred Sharp, who had previously worked with Red Norvo in N.Y and introduced Hall to the music of Django Reinhardt. Hall studied theory at the Cleveland Inst. of Music (1955). On graduation, he moved to L.A. and worked with a variety of ensembles, beginning with the Jimmy Giuffre Three and Chico Hamilton quintet. In 1958, Hall moved to N.Y. Hall popularized the rhythms of bossa nova in the U.S. with his collaborative album (with Sonny Rollins) What’sNew, which was produced in 1962 after Hall’s visit to Brazil in May of 1960. He toured and recorded with Rollins (1961–62), then Art Farmer (1963–65). During this time he also recorded a celebrated series of LPs with Paul Desmond, and experimented with classical “third-stream” music with John Lewis and Günther Schuller. In the 1960s Hall also worked as a studio guitarist for the Merv Griffin TV show. In 1966, he formed a partnership with bassist Ron Carter, and the two often worked together through the 1970s and 1980s. From 1978-79, Hall played with experimental trombonist Bob Brook-meyer; later, in 1984, he was featured in a symphonic work by Brookmeyer written for the Stockholm Radio Sym. Hall has continued to record and tour widely in a variety of settings; besides his own trio, he has worked with artists as wide-ranging as classical violinist Itzhak Perlman and fusion-jazz musicians like Wayne Shorter. He was the subject of a tribute concert as part of the 1990 JVC festival and won the Jazzpar Award 1998. A scholarship fund at Berklee Coll. is named in his honor. Of late, Hall has focussed his attention on composing chamber music; he teaches jazz ensemble at N.Y.’s New School. Hall is admired among guitarists and jazz sophisticates for his purity of tone, imagination, and elegant taste. He has been a primary influence on a whole school of players including Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell.

Discography

Jazz Guitar (1957); Good Friday Blues (1960); Guitar Workshop (1967); Where Would I Be? (1971); It’s Nice to Be with You (1971); Alone Together (1972); J. H. Live! (1975); Concierto (1975); Commitment (1976); J. H. and Red Mitchell (1978); Circles (1981); Live at Village West (1985); J. H.’s Three (1986); Subsequently (1990); Live at Town Hall Vols. 1 & 2 (1990); Youkali (1992); Dedications and Inspirations (1993); Textures (1997; chamber music by Hall). Art Farmer: ”Live” at the Half-Note (1963).

—Lewis Porter/Nicolas Slonimsky