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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One of the most influential bassists of all time, Jaco Pastorius was arguably the greatest modern jazz bass player of all time. Regarded as a gifted athlete growing up, Pastorius began to focus on his second love, music following a football injury to his wrist at the age of 13. At the time he was playing to drums, but the injury was bad enough that he had to give up the sticks and find another instrument to excel at. It was then that he picked up the bass. As he developed, his interests began to lean toward jazz and R&B. He began playing with then-unknown Pat Metheny, with whom he made his first recordings. He got is break in 1975 when Bobby Colomby, then of Blood, Sweat & Tears helped him get a deal with CBS Records who released his self-titled solo debut in 1976. With a stellar cast that included David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, many consider Jaco Pastorius to be the best bass album ever recorded. Shortly thereafter, Pastorius was invited by 
