Jim Hall on Autumn Leaves - Can it get any better?

To me Jim Hall is like the reluctant super hero of Jazz Guitar. In this video I am going to show you some of the ideas he uses on the song Autumn Leaves, both in terms of changing the chords, using poly rhythms and melodies. In my opinion this solo is an understated gold mine of musical ideas.

The devices that Jim Hall are things that you can incorporate into your playing and use to re-interpret the harmony of songs while you are playing them or add more rhythmical variation to your solos. In that way this solo is a really clear take on how you can do a lot with a very simple and famous jazz standard.

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[williamj]

What a great way to start my day here in Wisconsin! Coffee, Autumn leaves and Jim Hall...Thanks for sharing this Jens. Take care.

[zoog]

i just started playing guitar a couple of months ago and your videos are amazingly helpful. i still barely understand but every day when i play and watch i understand a little bit more... thank you so much!

[robertgannon]

This is The best, Jens Larsen video I’ve ever seen. Awesome work!

[jumemowery]

Thanks Jens for another interesting and thought provoking lesson!

[jakemf]

More like this a great tune solo and analysis

[evinobrien]

Really beginning to appreciate Jim Hall's genius this past year. I transcribed his solo on Billie's Bounce from "Live in Tokyo."
Very interesting how he reharmonizes a blues in a trio context.
This video really offers greater insight in to what he might be thinking. thanks again!

[nicohauptmentalist]

I listened to the "glad to be unhappy" on a long train ride, and while the landscape rushed past me, I had several perfect moments - especially with regard to his comping and how he dives from there into solos and back again. every note is right, every idea is coherent, as if his solos were fully composed melodies. i have never heard or perceived that in this density, technical cleanliness (with montgomery the unclean intonation in fast runs always bothers me a lot) and creative inexhaustibility of ever and ever more bubbling ideas elsewhere (maybe it was partly due to the gliding along with the express train). anyway, you have to make more videos to and about jim hall. ;)

[Shuzies]

Fun....this is Great....love how you think....Thank You

[astrojazzman]

He was my pal.He signed my Vinyl RIP Jim Hall....

[jamesbarros]

What parts of this I do not understand, I am inspired to learn because of this video. Thank you

[shauryasingh]

Thanks for the insight Jens,
Can you do a video on Jazz guitar intros and outros for standards?
in respect to harmony and theory involved.

[DojoOfCool]

One of the most open minded guitarist ever, he'd played it all Bop to solo and duo free improv. Jim was a true Master.

[xl]

Hi Jens, would you be able to do a video on relatively unknown great jazz guitarist of the past to now?— and, can you do an evolution of jazz guitar playing highlighting different players who innovated playing styles, who influenced who and etc from past to now? Love your work!!

[bobrumpf]

Jens Larsen-thank you for this great lesson
I am working on this tune and am having trouble with the licks that are using repeated notes-they don’t seem to be sweeps, I wonder if you have mastered them
The first is based from a d flat 7 arpeggio with the notes g and b seemingly doubled -thank you

[eternalrainbow-cjiu]

Interesting insights Thank You very much, I also like the aibersold approach...and maybe mostly Chick Corea's reharmonising...

[DizzyKrissi]

Jens, I have a question. In one of your last videos I found the very useful application of the 7th mode of harmonic minor to play over diminished chords. Now I am looking for the correct name of this mode. The confusing thing is that many people call it "super locrian" while other people refer to "super locrian" being the 7th mode of melodic minor - which to me is the altered scale. What is the proper name??? (I've also seen mixolydian #1 just to be compared to the major modes which - imo is somewhat of misleading.

[krishkrush]

I'm revisiting this lesson as my lockdown project for this week is to transcribe this whole tune (both bass and guitar parts, I play both). I'm struggling with the 3 chords Jim plays in the head (bars 22-23). I'm hearing F-Ab-Db-F for the first chord (1-#3-b13-1 of F7), Eb-Gb-Bb-Eb for the second chord (b7-b9-11-b7 of F7), and D-F-Bb-D for the third chord (3-5-1-3 of Bb Major). Is this correct? If I am correct, I think it's a brilliant way to harmonize the melody!

[aussiechiro]

But why not just listen to who Jim himself said was "the best at what I do". Ed Bickert! And Ed said in an interview that Jim was not really into the altered chord grips that I was.

[NumHeavymetallic]

Thank you for sharing!
You discovered the hidden truth of His playing.
Please share more ! Like Peter Bernstein, Gilad Hekselman and etc

[krishkrush]

I'm looking for albums that are just guitar and bass duos, here's what I have so far. Anybody have any good ones to add?

Epistrophy (Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan)
Beyond the Missouri Sky (Pat Metheny & Charlie Haden)
Live from Montreal 1990 (Jim Hall & Charlie Haden)
At The Garden Party (Ed Bickert & Don Thompson)
Alone Together (Jim Hall & Ron Carter)
Chops (Joe Pass & NHØP)