Live [Live, Original recording remastered]

Jim Hall, Jim Hall | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 25, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1975
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live, Original recording remastered
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B00007KMS6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,614 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've been waiting for this one!, April 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

This was the first Jim Hall album I bought many years ago - I still think it's one of his best - and I've waited many years for it to be released on cd. Jim Hall is now in his early 70's. Hall is frequently listed as a major influence on the large number of jazz guitarists a generation younger than him, including Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Mick Goodrick and Mike Stern.

This recording catches Hall in his prime with many lengthy solos; something you don't often hear from him. It's from a 1975 club date with Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. The record starts with a lengthy version of the minor key standard Angel Eyes. Halls improvising is exploratory and inventive - you never feel that he's falling back on cliches or familiar patterns. His solos are frequently chord and rhythm based rather than just single note phrases for verse after verse. He keeps flashiness to a minimum but his playing is complex. Scrapple From the Apple, the Charlie Parker bebop tune, is also of note. Hall veers away from a typical bebop solo and works with dynamics; contrasting single note versus chord phrases and moving from a duet section with Clarke to the full trio again.

This should be "required" listening for any student of jazz guitar but will also be rewarding for all lovers of jazz.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable recording, November 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

This is in my opinion his greatest recording (I have every other one as well). First, it's a live recording and it has a freshness and spontaneity that is sometimes missing in studio recordings. Hall's playing is relaxed but incredibly sophisticated. He works these standards in subtle and clever ways. His lines/solos are melodic and story-like, but gently push the outer edge. Rhythmically there's pushing forward and holding back in ways that excite and engage the listener. This is subtle stuff, and it can be listened to for years while still discovering new elements and nuances. Much of the album's success is due to interplay between the three musicians (Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums). They are all equal players, not just a rhythm section with a soloist. Don Thompson, in particular, is almost like a guitar player playing duets with Hall. The feel of the trio reminds me of Bill Evans w/ Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. I very much wish Mr. Hall would play more often in this sort of context.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz guitar trio at its best., July 11, 2003

By 

Jazz Hermit (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

This is Jim Hall's forte. A trio with bass and drums allows him to really shine. A word of warning however, this is hard-core jazz, not likely to receive airplay on the local smooth jazz station. Dark and woody sounding, this CD is perfect if you like Jim Hall and want to hear him in a most uninhibited setting.