Died On This Date (December 10, 2013) Jim Hall / Jazz Guitar Master
themusicsover Jim Hall
December 4, 1930 – December 10, 2013
Jim Hall was an influential American jazz guitarist who counted no less than Bill Frissell and Pat Metheny as disciples. Thanks in part to his skill as an improviser, he was considered one of the greatest guitarists on earth during his time here. Born into a musical family, Hall began playing the guitar at 10 years old. He began playing professionally as a teenager and went on to study music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He soon headed to Los Angeles to make his mark on the cool jazz scene which was in full swing but settled in New York City around 1960. Throughout his career, Hall played worked with the best of the best in jazz history. That list includes Chico Hamilton, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Desmond, and Art Farmer to name just a few. As a leader, he released no fewer than 40 albums and remarkably, continued to perform regularly until just a few weeks before his death. He was even planning a tour of Japan for January, 2014. Jim Hall was 83 when he passed away on December 10, 2013.
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