Over 200 tapes of Atilla Zoller discovered.

[sgcim]

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/LiveCult...oller-archives

[zdub]

Zoller is one of those names that I heard of frequently but somehow never really seriously listened to. Went to youtube and was happily surprised to find this wonderful 1-hour concert featuring him and Jim Hall (who apparently was one of Zoller's teachers).

[grahambop]

There’s also a good video of Zoller and Jimmy Raney:

[joelf]

Good news. Great guy, underrated player...

[joelf]

There’s also a good video of Zoller and Jimmy Raney:

That was excerpted from an entire TV show. Atilla played a video of if for me. He was already sick and making gigs whenever and wherever, despite the cancer affecting his hands.

Some of that show ended up in a 2 CD set, Jimmy & Me...

[jazzkritter]

Yup great guy! We met Atilla a couple of times when Tal played Zinno’s (13 St). He was
great player and what a cool gentleman!

[sgcim]

It was a wild experience taking group lessons for free from Atilla in the city, as part of the Jazz Interactions Program back in the 70s.
The poor guy had to deal with a ton of rockers, along with little HS punks like me who thought they knew how to play jazz.
Atilla straightened me out right away by making me play in position, rather than jumping all over the fingerboard to cram in my little Kenny Burrell licks whenever I could.

[joelf]

He was going out and listening to the end. I saw him 2 weeks before he died, in front of Arturo's. We hugged. His face was gaunt and leathery, but he was gonna be in music long as he had breath.

I loved him...

[Tom Karol]

That is great news!

[Little Jay]

There’s also a good video of Zoller and Jimmy Raney:

Hmm… although both gentlemen display a level of playing that I won’t reach anymore, at least not in this lifetime, I don’t really like this particular performance….

And Zoller’s tone in the first video is way too trebly to my taste (Jim Hall’s tone is great!)

Oh boy, I am obviously in a hard to please mood today……

[grahambop]

Yeah I’m more of a Raney fan than Zoller, but that video is one of the very few good quality films of Raney playing, that I know of. So I’m quite fond of it!

(It also helps to know the tune they are playing is really ‘I Love You’, it certainly sounds like it to me!)

[Little Jay]

That was Jimmy Raney, not Jim Hall.

I meant the first video posted by zdub

[garybaldy]

Hmm… although both gentlemen display a level of playing that I won’t reach anymore, at least not in this lifetime, I don’t really like this particular performance….

And Zoller’s tone in the first video is way too trebly to my taste (Jim Hall’s tone is great!)

Oh boy, I am obviously in a hard to please mood today……

I took the AZ pickup off my Fenix EER - a - like and replaced it with a cheap Artec. Much better pickup.

[sgcim]

I meant the first video posted by zdub

Uh, that's who I meant, Jimmy Hall...

[joelf]

(Jim Hall’s tone is great!)

You mean Jimmy RANEY'S tone...

[joelf]

Jimmy's time is SO perfect. He's known for those beautiful melodic lines, but---like every truly great player---his secret weapon is time. Beautiful, subtle touch too.

Attila has at times sounded daunted and intimidated by Jimmy. I know he idolized him. But on this we only hear collegial joy.

2 person contrapuntal improvising is tricky. The temptation is to mimic the other player's last phrase, but that takes the counter out of counterpoint. This performance had some nice, subtle moments, especially toward the end when they 'listened louder' and really bore down. It takes even players on this level a good few minutes to calm down, filter out mind 'noise', and really intently listen. They started out 'talking' over each other a bit, but it's a dicey and nervy proposition any way you slice it. But the trading led to more focused interplay and Jimmy had to get the soloing out of his system. And why not? He was one of the 5 percentile improvisers.

It helped that their tones are different, and that Attila was a bit bluesier and aggressive on this. It worked.

I'm sorry Jimmy & Jim Hall never recorded as a duet. The contrast and Hall's amazing listening and sensitivity would have really been something to hear. And Jimmy LOVED Jim---told me he was his favorite guitarist...

[Little Jay]

You mean Jimmy RANEY'S tone...

No with my tone comment I was referring to the first video posted, in the opening post, of Jim Hall and Zoller:

(But Jimmy Raney’s tone is great as well!)

[Little Jay]

I took the AZ pickup off my Fenix EER - a - like and replaced it with a cheap Artec. Much better pickup.

Apparently Zoller’s idea of the perfect jazz tone was a bright one!

[garybaldy]

Apparently Zoller’s idea of the perfect jazz tone was a bright one!

Mine had a honky/boxy sound and the high E string was really quiet. It could have been faulty. I still have it though.