My dear friend and legendary Jazz Guitarist JIM HALL passed away December 10th 2013. I found out late afternoon Friday December 13th and called his wife at 5:25 pm to offer my condolences and cried profusely while I spoke to her. I have been honored to know Jim Hall since I was a teenager in the 60's. I had only one long lesson with him at his apartment in the Village and he loved my playing. Over the decades we have remained in contact by my showing up at his gigs and with phone calls and letters. I was at his last public performance at the Rose Room in Lincoln Center. I phone him and told him I would be there. I had the best seat in the house as I watched and experienced this genius of our instrument work with two generations of his students : JOHN ABERCROMBIE and PETER BERNSTEIN. I have been crying every day I think of JIM! I am even in tears as I write this post. JIM is so deep in my heart because of his great humanity and searching inquisitiveness.I was at the New School when his Documentary "A LIFE IN PROGRESS" was aired. There was a tribute a couple of years ago by an incredible lineup of the great young guitarists based here in New York and I got a standing room position. Jim was too ill to attend and sent his regards. I have so much of JIMS work on cd and video including his wonderful 3 volumes of masterclasses. His trio video with Wayne Shorter and Michel Petruciani is another GEM. You should all get a copy of his wonderful and only book on Jazz Guitar Improvisation coupled with a video of the name:
Jim was also an incredible arranger always attuned to interesting instrumental combinations. There are several great videos of him on you tube that you should watch especially the Library of Congress interview which lasts about an hour!! I believe his LIFE IN PROGRESS video is also on you tube. More on Jim and Me in a series I will be posting entitled " DONNIE AND ......" . This will be a series of all my dear friends in my musical life who are so well known and appreciated by me.At that last public performance, I hugged Jim as he sat in that wheelchair and told him " Told you I would be here". I then kissed him on his right cheek Something inside told me that this would be our last time together. I needed to let him know how much I loved him and what he meant to me. In my JIM HALL and DONNIE post , I will share how I first met JIM and some beautiful moments I have been privileged to share with him over these decades.
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