Jim Hall: 'Live at the Half-Note,' 1963

The first of five little-known 1960s albums with the guitarist featured this week

Welcome to Jim Hall Week. I love his guitar so much, and I know JazzWax readers do, too. But rather than focus on great albums by Jim that you’ve probably heard over and over, I decided to spend the next five days on a specific period of time and albums that may be new to you.

Between 1959 and 1965, Jim recorded six albums with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, and he made two duet LPs with Bill Evans, one in 1962 and the other in 1965. There also were two with Sonny Rollins in 1962. All are elegant and masterful.

So I decided to focus on Jim’s other small-group recordings during the 1960s. To read my 2010 interview with Jim, go here; to read my 2019 interview with his wife, composer and singer Jane Hall, go here.

Today, I’m spotlighting Art Farmer Quartet: Live at the Half-Note, recorded Dec. 5, 6 and 7, 1963. The group includes Art Farmer (flglhn), Jim Hall (g), Steve Swallow (b) and Walter Perkins (d). It was produced for Atlantic by Arif Mardin.

The Half-Note was located at 289 Hudson Street (at Spring Street) in what used to be known as New York’s warehouse district of southwest SoHo. Today, apartments in these renovated warehouses go for upward of $25 million. The club operated in its original space from 1957 to 1972, before moving to Midtown at 149 West 54th Street, from 1972 to 1974.

At the time of the Half-Note gig, the Jazztet that Farmer co-led with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson had broken up. Farmer and Jim agreed that they didn’t need a piano in their newly formed group. As for Jim, he was winding down one of the most prolific recording years of his career.

The tracks:

• Stompin’ at the Savoy (Benny Goodman, Andy Razaf, Edgar Sampson, Chick Webb)

• Swing Spring (Miles Davis)

• What’s New? (Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart)

• I Want to Be Happy (Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans)

• I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You (George Bassman, Ned Washington)

Jim on this album is delightfully matched with Farmer, his intellectual peer. Both were masters of beauty. Swallow and Perkins are terrific as well…

Bonus: Here’s the Art Farmer Quartet on Ralph J. Gleason’s Jazz Casual in January 1964, with Art Farmer (flhrn), Jim Hall (g), Steve Swallow and (b) Walter Perkins (d)…

And here’s the Art Farmer Quartet live on the BBC’s Jazz 625 in London in June 1964, with Art Farmer (flglhrn), Jim Hall (g), Steve Swallow (b) and Pete La Roca (d)…