Biography

Jim Hall (1930-2013) earned himself a reputation as one of the best jazz guitarists around over his nearly six decades long career. Born to a fairly musical family, Hall took early inspiration from the great guitarists Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. He also credited tenor saxophonists with influencing sound, even saying that he modeled his sound after that of a tenor sax. Hall studied music theory and classical guitar, but always played jazz on the side. The drift towards jazz started when he joined Chico Hamilton’s group in 1955, and Hall decided to pursue a career as a guitarist. His playing quickly attracted the jazz world’s attention, and by the end of the decade he was working with legends like Ben Webster, Paul Desmond, and Ella Fitzgerald. Perhaps Hall’s most notable recording date came in 1962, when he played on Sonny Rollins’ comeback album The Bridge (1962). Hall’s lyrical style complemented Rollins’ grittier sound, and the contrast balanced the recorded and contributed to its idiosyncratic sound. Jim Hall continued touring and recording actively as a sideman and leader, and in his later years produced several heralded compositions. Through his melodic, pensive sound, Hall inspired guitarists like Pat Metheny, John Scofield, and Bill Frisell.