MJF's Interview with
JIM HALL
Artists Who Influenced
Django Reinhardt
“Jazz attracted me because in it I found a formal perfection and instrumental precision that I admire in classical music, but which popular music doesn't have.” - Django Reinhardt
Art Tatum
"You have to practice improvisation, let no one kid you about it!" - Art Tatum
Bill Evans
"Intuition has to lead knowledge, but it can't be out there alone." - Bill Evans
Duke Ellington
"You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it." - Duke Ellington
Ben Webster
"I don't listen to my own records a lot. Once in a while - to check out my mistakes. Because you can always see a spot or two in the record where you could have done better. So you more or less study this way." - Ben Webster
Bela Bartok
"In art there are only fast or slow developments. Essentially it is a matter of evolution, not revolution." - Bela Bartok
Lester Young
"The trouble with most musicians today is that they are copycats. Of course you have to start out playing like someone else. You have a model, or a teacher, and you learn all that he can show you. But then you start playing for yourself. Show them that you're an individual. And I can count those who are doing that today on the fingers of one hand." - Lester Young
Charlie Christian
"I would urge a young player to listen to Charlie Christians' sense of time." - John Pizzarelli
Recommended Recordings
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