Jim Hall has been my favorite guitarist for a long time.
He builds improvisations in a logical way, but that’s not the thing which makes him so interesting. His playing is full of surprises. He always keeps a feeling of suspense, the feeling of “What will happen now? What is he going to do next? How he intends to use that new idea he just droped into the solo?”
Such 180 degrees plot twists are thrilling.
Most of his phrases are pretty short and simple. I like to count, sometimes, the number of notes players use in a single phrase and use my fingers for that purpose. With some people you need both your hands and legs and other unusual organs. Hall’s inventivness with only three or four notes is amazing. He plays those notes, then approaches them from a different note, plays them with a different rhythm. It’s so simple one wonders what makes so many musicians play fast and pale technical lines.
Jim Hall is also the “father” of modern guitar. More than other guitarists I think. Actually it will be interesting to analyze the genetics of guitar playing. In my opinion two main branches of that tree grow from Wes Montgomery (with Benson afterwards) and Jim Hall.
I like his recordings with Ron Carter.
Right now I’m listening to the “Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Quartet with Jim Hall”.