Al Hall (musician)

Al Hall (actually: Alfred Wesley Hall, born March 18, 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida; † January 18, 1988 in New York City ) was an American jazz bassist of the swing. He played with Teddy Wilson.

Life and work

All Hall grew up in Philadelphia. At a young age he learned cello and tuba and moved in 1932 to the bass. He played in local orchestras, before he went to New York in 1936. In the years 1936/37, he worked with Billy Hicks, 1937/38, with Skeets Tolbert and 1939-1941 in the band of Teddy Wilson. From 1942 to 1943 he played with Ellis Larkins, 1943/44, with Paul Baron. Since 1945, preferably worked in theater orchestras Hall in New York, in 1958 was involved in the music for the show Jerome Robbins' ballet USA and accompanied 1959 Yves Montand. Alongside his day job in various theater orchestras, he continued to play with jazz musicians such as Count Basie (1952 ) or Erroll Garner (1956). From 1946 to 1950 he also launched the record label Wax. Al Hall was involved in recordings of Louis Armstrong, Don Byas, Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges, Clyde Hart, Budd Johnson, Andy Kirk, Ben Webster, Dickie Wells, Teddy Wilson, and others. Although Swing musician, he took in 1946 with bop musicians such as Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt and Kenny Dorham on (The Bebop Boys on Savoy ). 1946/47, and recordings were made under his own name on the Wax label. In the 1970s he was a member of the band by Paul Gonsalves.

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