Hi, I'm Nathan from Jazz Guitar Lessons dot net, and you're listening to album Deep Dives.
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There are just a handful of musicians that I can think of that are universally regarded by the vast majority of jazz lovers. Jim Hall is one of these musicians, no doubt about it. Jim had such a unique way of playing the guitar and he was immensely influential in founding the role of the guitar as an individual and unique voice in jazz.
He was very much influenced by Wes, Charlie, Christian and Django, as well as classical guitar repertoire apart from guitar players. Jim was also very influenced by horn players such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. What is very interesting and innovative about Jim's playing is that he never really tried to sound like a horn or a piano player for that matter.
I find that a lot of guitar players, before Jim, found themselves trying to imitate these instruments in order to find their role in an ensemble. Jim sounded like a guitar player. He used the limitations of the instrument to his advantage by supporting the other instruments, but freeing up a lot of harmonic space so that the soloists could experiment with lower and higher registers.
In 1962, Jim had the opportunity to record with the jazz giant Sonny Rollins for the first time on an RCA Victor studio album. He was selected alongside Bob Crenshaw on bass and Ben Riley on drums, as well as Harry Saunders on drums for one Tune to record Sonny's first album after his three year hiatus, a now legendary album called The Bridge.
The bridge is considered a legendary record because of its boldness in consolidating a more traditional jazz sound. During a period of big transitions in the history of jazz. It was released right after Miles Davis Kind of Blue and Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to come. Both of these records were very exploratory and innovative, and although the bridge was not conceived with those objectives in mind, it served to synthesize both Sonny's and Jim's approaches to jazz.
The album opens with Vincent Youmans without a song. Rollins plays with his usual passion, drive, and rawness. His feel is that of a true master, fresh from a meditative hiatus, and Jim fills out the spaces in such a beautiful way that it almost feels like his comping figures were pre composed. This song proves what a perfect match these two players were.
Both Sonny and Hall are renowned for their motif driven solos. In this tune, they both take exceptional solos, taking the main motifs of the melody to new horizons in very distinct ways. Listen to how Jim Hall takes two different motifs and keeps making slight changes to them, going back and forth between the two. It's amazing to me that compositional capacity that he had to develop small motifs in such a masterful way on the fly.
The next tune, Where Are You? By Jimmy McHugh is such a beautiful and longing journey. Sonny's expressiveness is astounding, using almost every resource available to him to make his tenor saxophone sing. Following up on Sonny's expressive range is really difficult for a guitar player, due to the fact that the instrument has a lot of expressive limitations compared to the saxophone.
However, Jim rises to the challenge. Listen to how he uses different resources like bending, dynamic control, and chord runs in order to change the texture of his solo.
Sonny's own John's is an interesting composition. The tune is of an unusual 34 bars, and it starts with a very peculiar and disjunct section. I personally love it, especially because of the interplay in phrasing between the guitar and saxophone. Sonny, Jim and Bob all take fantastic solos, but to me the highlight of the tune is the Trading Fours section with the drums.
Pay attention to how both Sonny and Jim play very rhythmically, in order to give Ben Riley the material to work with during his drum solos. They all sound like they're paying extra close attention to each other, and that level of communication just puts a smile on my face every single time.
Next up is the title track of the record. It's also a Sonny Rollins original, and it has an interesting story behind it. During his three year hiatus, Sonny said that he focused on practicing, but that he was afraid he would disturb an expectant mother that lived really close to his apartment, and so he decided to practice outside. He went every day during those three years to practice under the Williamsburg Bridge, where he would not bother anyone.
I can hear that in his tune. There is just so much freedom in it and a very frantic atmosphere as well, which I think reflects both. Being able to practice outside, under the vast sky and alongside the busy traffic and hectic lifestyle that is typical of New York City. In this tune, you can hear both Sonny and Jim enjoy their freedom.
In his solo, Jim experiments with short bursts of notes slowly extending them into longer ideas to conclude with a chord solo.
Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog. Junior's God Bless the Child is played in a magical way by this group. Sonny and Jim have a lot of interplay in this track, and the lyricism they both achieve is breathtaking. It is yet another example of just how well these two players fit together. Rollins rawness and drama contrasts beautifully with Jim's clear and understated sound.
They're both able to put so much passion into their playing, and the combination of their different styles is immensely enjoyable to listen to.
To close out the album. You Do Something to Me by Cole Porter is treated with a relaxed and almost informal vibe that reminds me of a group of friends getting together to jam. Jim takes a beautiful solo on this track, full of motivic development and melodic ideas. He very rarely plays chords during this solo, proving that he can play single note lines as well as anyone and still maintain the listener's interest throughout.
Let's switch gears now to a completely different album showcasing a different side of Jim. As Jim progressed throughout his career. He became well known for his stellar collaborations with Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Art Farmer and Paul Desmond, to name a few. But a big part of Jim's career has also been as a leader. One of his most well known recordings, especially in Canada, is Jim Hall Live.
This record was taped by one of the members of the band, Don Thompson, at Bourbon Street Jazz Club in Toronto on June 1975. This album is very special because the trio rounded out by Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clark on drums, interact in such a beautiful way, containing only five songs. The musicians have all the space they could want to stretch out and experiment.
It's an album that showcases all of Jim Hall's strengths as a leader. We get the chance to listen to how he treats melodies, his almost compositional approach to soloing, and his grace as an accompanist, all in a very intimate setting. The album opens with the trio's smoky rendition of Angel eyes, written by Matt Dennis. Right from the get go.
We know we are listening to something truly special. Don Thompson's light touch and rich tone on the base pairs perfectly with Jim's pure sound. And Terry Clark adds such subtle and sparkly details to the mix, as well as keeping the groove strong throughout. Jim's opening statement during his solo serves as the basis for his whole improvization. It's truly inspiring to listen to him come back to it and keep developing it further.
During his four minutes of blowing, sometimes I can't even remember what I played four bars ago.
For.
Next up is their rendition of Monk's Round Midnight. Both Jim and Dawn take amazing solos, making use of different textures to build their improv. What I want to highlight from this tune, though, is to head out. The trio interacts superbly here. They are quick to jump in and out of feel changes and complement each other in every modification they make to the melody and harmony.
It feels as though they rearrange the tune prior to the gig, but it still keeps that freshness and liveliness that are the hallmarks of improv.
On Charlie Parker's Scrapple from the Apple. The group treats the tune very differently from what it was conceived as initially. This is actually the first rendition of this bebop standard that I personally have ever heard. It doesn't sound too much like a bebop tune anymore. It has a subtle sense of complexity and excitement to it. It's hard to describe.
It still swings very hard, but it sounds more modern and free.
The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern is the next track played as a waltz. It's a nice change of pace, especially by this point in the album. The group feels so relaxed and confident here that you would assume they had been playing together for years. This track ends up being the most concise recording on the album, but it still offers great playing from these marvelous musicians.
Jim's use of motifs is still present, and his solo is a lot more melody oriented compared to previous tracks.
Finishing off the album we have I Hear a Rhapsody, written by George Frangos, Jack Baker and Dick Gass. Bar. Jim's and Don's solos are impeccable, full of advanced harmony and lyricism. They have such control over every standard they play in this album, and they very liberally re harmonize and reinterpret them. The interaction they have during their trading with Terry Clark on this particular tune is amazing.
It sounds as though each musician is soloing simultaneously, and yet it all feels like they're all working together as an orchestra. Almost.
Full.
Now. I chose these two albums for comparison, because I think it's really interesting to see the two broad faces of Jim Hall. He can be the perfect sideman supporting the soloist, but giving them lots of harmonic space so that they can shine. And yet he can put the audience on the edges of their seats when he takes center stage.
His compositional approach to soloing and his sensitivity as an accompanist are some of the characteristics that make him so revered by jazz lovers. I would encourage you to do some listening of your own, as this artist has an incredible collection of records. If you want to dive even further into his collaborative role, you can check out his duo albums with Bill Evans, Inter Modulation and Undercurrent.
The latter one has one of the most inspiring and extraordinary piano and guitar duets on My Funny Valentine. If you're interested in his more modern works, check out Jim Hall and Pat Metheny or Charlie Haden. Jim Hall as a leader. There are a lot of amazing records to choose from. Selections include Concerto Jazz Guitar, Jim Hall Trio, and if you're interested in his more modern work both as a player and a composer.
Check out textures and by Arrangement. Sadly, Jim passed away in 2013, but his legacy will always be with us. He is and will continue to be a huge influence to every jazz guitar player. Thanks for listening to this episode of album Deep Dives. Once again, I'm Nathan from Jazz Guitar Lessons dot net. If you're looking forward to more album deep dive episodes, be sure to stay tuned on learn Dot Jazz guitar lessons dot net.
Until then, happy shredding.
