Jim Hall On Guitarref=avxhm.se

Don’t rush for those Blue Suede Shoes just yet, the Carl Perkins sitting in with Jim Hall on our first of his featured albums “Jazz Guitar” is the piano playing Perkins. Alliteratively speaking! Born in New York in 1930 this first album for Jim Hall as leader, also features Red Mitchell on bass. “Folk Jazz” under the leadership of Bill Smith, finds Jim alongside clarinettist Bill Smith with Monty Budwig on bass and the legendary Shelly Manne behind the drums. The album is somewhat of a reflection of the traditional folk background of Bill Smith. “Good Friday Blues” introduces us to the “Modest Jazz Trio”. Jim Hall on guitar of course, Red Mitchell on piano and Red Kelly on bass on a date from 1960.you could almost call it the Reds meet the Blues! All three albums have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality.

A magnificent set from the team of Art Farmer and Jim Hall - one of those rare pairings in jazz that somehow comes off sounding even way better than the sum of its parts - and that's saying a lot, given that the parts here are already pretty darn great! Farmer's flugelhorn and Hall's guitar create these wonderful shapes in sound - softly coming together with a vibe that's very modern, yet also soulful - gently swinging while still experimenting - with a combination that's completely wonderful! Think of Bob Brookmeyer and Clark Terry, or Bill Evans and Jim Hall - and you'll be somewhere in the territory of these magically unique sounds - augmented with some gentle rhythm work by Steve Swallow on bass and Walter Perkins on drums.

The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies, and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.

A magnificent set from the team of Art Farmer and Jim Hall - one of those rare pairings in jazz that somehow comes off sounding even way better than the sum of its parts - and that's saying a lot, given that the parts here are already pretty darn great! Farmer's flugelhorn and Hall's guitar create these wonderful shapes in sound - softly coming together with a vibe that's very modern, yet also soulful - gently swinging while still experimenting - with a combination that's completely wonderful! Think of Bob Brookmeyer and Clark Terry, or Bill Evans and Jim Hall - and you'll be somewhere in the territory of these magically unique sounds - augmented with some gentle rhythm work by Steve Swallow on bass and Walter Perkins on drums.

This recorded, intimate document was recorded at Jazz Beat during the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1990 and sees its first official release on this Impulse! volume. Bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Jim Hall played a number of duet concerts together over the years, but this was certainly among the very earliest. Given their respective careers up to this point, both men had nearly perfected the artistry of playing in this particular chamber jazz setting. That all said, it does not prepare the listener for the canny, intimate, yet absolutely electric interplay on offer here. From readings of standards such as "Bemsha Swing," "Body and Soul," and Skylark" through to Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround" and excellent originals by both men - including Haden's bookends, the tenderly dissonant "First Song" and the knotty "In the Moment," and Hall's sprightly melodic Latin waltz "Down from Antigua"…

One of a pair of recordings made during a tour of Japan for Paddlewheel (a subsidiary of King), the Jim Hall Trio, with bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke, is in top form during this 1976 concert. The opener, Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce," is an introspective interpretation, though played with plenty of fire, while "Twister," a duo performance credited to both Hall and Clarke, may very well be an improvisation. A quiet piece like the excerpt from Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjeuz" is tailor-made for Hall's often subtle, rather understated approach to his instrument. First-rate versions of "Chelsea Bridge" and "St. Thomas" round out this highly recommended live set.

The Jim Hall Trio, on this occasion, finds the guitarist joined by two veterans, bassist Steve LaSpina (a veteran of many of Hall's sessions) and drummer Akira Tana. Hall, as usual, solos in his unique economical style and leaves plenty of breathing room for the music. "Skylark" is initiated with a very sparse yet lyrical Hall solo before LaSpina and Tana eventually join him; he takes a similar approach to "Poor Butterfly," but he remains unaccompanied throughout this masterful performance. A time tested standard like "All the Things You Are" is given a facelift with the leader's roller coaster arrangement, which is full of sudden turns…

Guitarist Jim Hall is the sort of musician who displays such technical expertise, imaginative conception, and elegance of line and phrase that almost any recording of his is worth hearing. Still, Concierto ranks among the best albums of his superb catalog. For starters, the personnel here is a jazz lover's dream come true. Paul Desmond (saxophone), Chet Baker (trumpet), Roland Hanna (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Steve Gadd (drums) are on board, creating – along with Hall – one of the highest profile lineups ever put to tape. Yet Concierto is not about star power and showboating. As subtle, nuanced, and considered as any of Hall's output, the ensemble playing here demonstrates great group sensitivity and interplay, giving precedence to mood and atmosphere over powerhouse soloing. Conductor and arranger Don Sebesky evinces a chamber ambience from the sextet on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," the smoky "The Answer Is Yes," and the Hall centerpiece "Concierto de Aranjuez".

Other than four piano solos from April 4, 1962, this set was pianist Bill Evans' first recordings after a hiatus caused by bassist Scott LaFaro's tragic death in a car accident. The first of two meetings on record in a duo format with guitarist Jim Hall, the collaborations are often exquisite. Both Evans and Hall had introspective and harmonically advanced styles along with roots in hard-swinging bebop. There is more variety than expected on the fine set with some cookers, ballads, waltzes, and even some hints at classical music.