1. All The Things You Are
2. Prelude To A Kiss

Summer, 1989

 LINER NOTES

Not surprisingly, when it was decided to present a "Jim Hall Invitational" at Town Hall as part of the 1989 summer jazz festival, a program had to be assembled that would reflect both his improvisational gifts and the diversity of his associations.

The presentation, which in my view was the best of the many shows I attended during a visit to New York, began on an intimate note with two duo numbers that reunited him with Ron Carter.

"Ron and I go back at least 20 years," Jim told me. "I was on a couple of albums he made around 1968 with Helen Merrill and Dick Katz; we recorded as a duo in 1972, and for a while, when I was still on staff with the "Merv Griffin Show," we played together at a club called The Guitar on the west side."

In what could be an indication of Jim Hall's modesty, the first soloist is Ron Carter on "Alone Together," with Jim taking over for the bridge and Ron later soloing again for a chorus, notable for its long, logical lines. "St. Thomas", a traditional West Indian theme adapted by Sonny Rollins, moves from a premonitory vamp to a statement of the 16-bar head, but Jim Hall's chordings make more of this basic theme and its changes than could be detected in the original melody.

The concert changed character with the appearance of a string quartet. The first of the three compositions is entitled either "1953", for the year it was composed, or "Thesis," for the fact that this was the reason it was written, when Hall was attending the Cleveland Institute of Music. "Somewhere over the years I had copied out all the parts, but I literally never heard it played until the day before the concert."

I have not attempted any technical analysis of Jim Hall's work here. As anyone must know who has followed his career, he is at once the essence of discretion and the guardian of such timeless values as the blues and the beat. His graceful lyricism has earned him an historical place alongside Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. Had those two still been around, and able to come to Town Hall on this memorable evening, I'm convinced they would have been applauding as enthusiastically as anyone in the happy and crowded house.

- Leonard Feather

Hall has that rare capacity to bridge generations, to approach each musical encounter as both teacher and student. That he readies himself to give and to get, to support his playmates and to lead them, is no big news, really. It's merely the mark of a total jazzman-one who happens to bask in the conviction that musical self-fulfillment flowers from empathetic communion.

That's why Hall's various collaborations-with Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Sonny Rollins, Chico Hamilton, Paul Desmond-have borne such sweet fruit. He volunteers himself not just to the service of the music, but to the musical relationships between or among compatriots. That developmental process starts with people-the agents of communication, not their instruments-and it is central to Hall's design as an artist.

His models, early on, were staunchly direct in their ability to express emotion. (That has always been Hall's point of reference.) Master guitarists Charlie Christian and George Van Eps were formidable inspirations. Over the years Hall has patented a personal tone that passes through them; it is burnished and richly emotive. Critic Martin Williams calls it "the most unelectric sound of all amplified guitarists."

We hear it here. Hall never draws undo attention to it or his play, preferring instead to make contributions that are understated, though no less authoritative. The generosity of his spirit shines through. This album documents a warm and heartfelt event, underscoring the fact that few men earn the kind of universal regard Jim Hall garners just for being himself. The title "Jim Hall and Friends" tells us who attended the concert that night. The words "and admirers" would include so many more.

- Jeff Levenson