Jim Hall appreciation thread!

[Jake Hanlon]

it's a great book

[mr. beaumont]

Worth it if just to get the "Hall-approved" lead sheets to some of his great tunes.

A very interesting read...like hanging out with the man for a few hours...

[andyhoey1]

Well that certainly sounds like a good deal of positive feedback. I wouldn't mind "hanging around Jim Hall" for a few hours for just under $20 bucks. Sounds like a win, thanks fellas!

[hallpass]

I know this is an old thread, but worth extending I think.

Jim Hall is a player who didn't jump out at me initially. But I've come to really like his playing and absolutely love his tone.

The albums I have: Across the City, Undercurrent, Power of Three, Trio: The Complete Jazz Guitar, Alone Together, Concierto, Live!, and Interplay. Oh, and I have the Bridge album somewhere....need to find that.

I think Concierto is my favorite, followed by Live!. I'll need to get These Rooms. The duo albums with Bill Evans and Ron Carter are fantastic too.

[AlsoRan]

Fep's posts turned me on to Mr. Hall. For some reason, he did not make into my collection earlier. I had tried a few samples in the past and was not hooked.
But as I mature as a guitarist, I can really appreciate Jim Halls and a couple of others that I had overlooked.

Alone Together, with Ron Carter really, really has me right now. It is so relaxing and I would love to be able to interact wtih a Bass plalyer like that. I have since bought Concierto and Jim Hall Live! I absolutely love them both.

He does not bowl you over with long, fast runs, he caresses your ears. Great tone, too.

[jmstritt]

Jim Hall is one of my all time favorites. He is one of the few that is truly free of cliches. His improv is always fresh sounding and he comps with beautiful voice leading.

If you ask most non guitarist musicians who THEIR favorite guitarist is, in my experience more often not they will say Jim Hall for those very reasons.

I was actually just relistening to Concierto last night. I love his playing on, "The Answer is Yes," especially the different approaches on the main and alternate takes. The Bridge of course is a landmark album. I love his version of "Angel Eyes," off of the Live! album. The duo stuff with Bill Evans, Alone Together with Ron Carter, I could go on and on.

[gcb]

My JH discography is limited to:

4 old vynil records:

Berlin festival. Guitar Workshop. (Plays Careful, 14 bars blues, and You stepped out of a dream in duet with Barney Kessel)

Commitment (like his version of Indian summer)

Concierto (Concierto de Aranjuez my preferred)

Circles (with Don Thompson, Terry Clark and Rufus Reid)

and 3 CDs:

All Across the City
Alone Together
Jim Hall and Friends Volume I

Also two of his videos, and the book "Exploring Jazz Guitar"

This thread provides useful info to further listening of this master. Thanks.

[Jazzpunk]

Glad to see this thread is still going! I'm still listening to Hall pretty much daily and trying to absorb as much as I can.

[setemupjoe]

I can't believe I had to scroll down the bottom of the first page before someone mentioned "Undercurrent", his duet record with Bill Evans. I bought it second hand over 30 years ago and was transfixed. My Funny Valentine still floors me every time I hear it. I was lucky enough to take a lesson with Jim back in the 80's and I remember talking to him at length about that very recording.
Another favorite that I no longer have but would love to find again is "First Edition" with George Shearing.

[Newport]

Concierto is by far my favorite. "The answer is yes" maybe one of my all time favorites.

[BlueMiles]

I have loved a lot of Jim Hall's work. He was one of the first mainstream jazz guitarists I heard, way back in the early 80s. I heard some duos with Hall and was not all that impressed, but I came from a rock background and didn't appreciate the subtlety. But then I came to love his subtle approach. And I find it fascinating that guitarists like Frisell, Metheny, and Stern consider him a major influence and inspiration.

I really liked his Telarc period. He introduced a lot of new material, and each record was distinctive. The solo record is a bit to take in all at once, but then I loved Dialogues, especially the tracks with Frisell and Lovano. There were the high-energy live records, the duo with Metheny (a perfect matching), and two of his most unusual and creative records: Textures and By Arrangement.

[BlueMiles]

I think my favorite Jim Hall tune is "Bimini," and I particularly love the performance on Power of Three.

[Synchro]

Commitment has been a favorite since it came out in the '70s. Lament for a Fallen Matador moves me like few other pieces. Live was my first Hall album, originally purchased on 8-track , and I think it showcases his playing to great advantage, likewise for the live recordings from Japan.

I got to see him in Denver last October and he played beautifully in spite of his health problems. Beija Flor was a standout at that performance and it's one of my favorite from his repertoire.

[HighSpeedSpoon]

It's nice to see a thread about Jim Hall resurrected after a forum newbie like me arrived not that long ago. Jim is one of my all-time favorites, along with Barney Kessel and Johnny Smith. I never got to thank them, and it's nice to have a chance to thank Jim now and show some appreciation and respect.

I only have four Jim Hall Albums, although thanks to this thread I just downloaded These Rooms from Amazon for $8.99. My next stop will be to check out more of Jim's work with Bill Evans, but as it is I would have to give the nod to Live and Concierto.

Thanks Jim. If anyone is Mr Taste, it's you!



HighSpeed

[yazzoo]

I got almost all Jim's albums. First time I 've heard him when I was 17, some 35 years ago...
After all those years I shared my love to Jim on Guitar-Tube site, by uploading Jim Hall's best videos I could find:
Jim Hall - on GuitarTube

My fav Jim's CD is "Commitment" originally released in 1976, shortly before I've heard Jim ever first time.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by yazzoo

I got almost all Jim's albums. First time I 've heard him when I was 17, some 35 years ago...
After all those years I shared my love to Jim on Guitar-Tube site, by uploading Jim Hall's best videos I could find:
Jim Hall - on GuitarTube

My fav Jim's CD is "Commitment" originally released in 1976, shortly before I've heard Jim ever first time.

Thanks for putting those up. I'll be watching them all.

[yazzoo]

Originally Posted by Synchro

Thanks for putting those up. I'll be watching them all.

Welcome.

Another funny story connected to Jim Hall is about his piece "Lament for a Fallen Matador" from mentioned "Commitment" CD, Jim's version of Albinoni's Adagio.

It was first time I've heard jazz version of this famous classic tune then. I loved it much, bought vinyl record, wrote some dedication and gifted my future wife.
After many years, when one day my wife saw me in some cafe with other woman, she smashed Jim's vinyl on my head when I came back home....

It's ok now after more years, she is still my wife and she still keep this broken old vinyl, hidden somewhere in her wardrobe

[Synchro]

Great story!

[whiskey02]

I went to Guitar Tube but the vids don't play???

[SammieWammie]

The only Jim Hall albums I have are Undercurrent and Intermodulation, the ones with Bill Evans, and from just these two I came to the conclusion that he's my favorite player, really need to get some more of his stuff, and THAT TONE! <3
I've been transcribing Darn That Dream, only problem is his feel is so spot on it's impossible to replicate, easy to copy what he's playing but not how he's playing it. Just can't get enough of him.

[TruthHertz]

Originally Posted by SammieWammie

his feel is so spot on it's impossible to replicate, easy to copy what he's playing but not how he's playing it. Just can't get enough of him.

It's the sound of space and the sound of listening. It doesn't come without practice and awareness. Listen and be aware even when you practice; you might find it's not so much a feel you can copy as much as a way you can play.
The aforementioned duos with George Shearing and with Red Mitchell are also rich in that great sound. The trio Live in Toronto- you have to check that out.
David

[Jazzpunk]

I'm just starting to get into 'Intermodulation' with Hall and Bill Evans. Another great record!

[daveg]

JimHall and Paul Desmond did it for me back in 1963 - what a wonderful year that was for Jazz Guitar fans!!

DaveG

Jim Hall Page

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I have nothing more to add, other that that I can't stay out of a Jim Hall thread! I have to jump in and give him a big

[Jazzpunk]

Originally Posted by daveg

JimHall and Paul Desmond did it for me back in 1963 - what a wonderful year that was for Jazz Guitar fans!!

DaveG

Jim Hall Page

The albums with Desmond are among my favorites as well.

[Synchro]

Jim hall is one of those artists that becomes his own brand name, like Elvis Presley or Chet Atkins. It would be hard to mistake him for someone else even after as little as one or two measures.

[gcb]

Commitment

[hallpass]

I've really been enjoying the album 'Complete Jazz Guitar' lately! Anyone else have and enjoy this one?

[Dark Star]

Here's a very cool pic:
http://www.jazzhouse.org/jpg/gmp/Jim...Mike_Stern.jpg

[medblues]

Has this link been already posted ?:
PBS Legends of Jazz - Jim Hall & Pat Metheny | Video Youtube - NMETV Latest Music Videos and Clips | - NME.COM