Biography of Jim Hall

Guitar. Admired -- even revered -- by guitarists and jazz sophisticates for his purity of tone, imagination, and elegant taste in melody and harmony, Jim Hall remains as respected a presence in jazz today as when he emerged in the 50s. His early work with Chico Hamilton and Jimmy Giuffre led to many fine small-group recordings with the likes of Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, and Paul Desmond. Intermodulation with Evans stands out as a gem of the empathetic duet playing of two masters in their prime, while the sessions with Paul Desmond show him in quartet work at his best. His recordings often have a chamber-music-like feel, but his deep immersion in the blues and swing make his music pure jazz. Later recordings with Ron Carter, George Shearing, and even classical violinist Itzhak Perlman point out his effectiveness in small groups. His recordings with younger players such as Don Thompson and Terry Clarke show him moving in a more modern direction while keeping his strong sense of melodic beauty. Highly influential on a whole generation of guitarists, Hall's presence in the world of jazz has been a bit like one of his solos: understated, gentle, and expressing real musical values. ~ David Nelson McCarthy