Jim Hall: A Life in Progress

There are times when this film biography of the great jazz guitarist Jim Hall (who turns 68 on December 12) risks turning into an infomercial for his latest Telarc release, By Arrangement. In fact, the producer of that session, John Snyder, is co-executive producer of the film with Hall's wife, Jane. There are somewhat empty testimonials from some of the guest stars on the album (Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, and others), and there's footage from the recording session. But as the details, and the period footage, from Hall's extraordinary career accumulate, the film takes on breadth and texture. From John Lewis and Chico Hamilton, we find out about Hall's early role in what would be called "chamber jazz" with Hamilton's band and Jimmy Giuffre's. Nat Hentoff talks about the acceptance of the white Hall into the black jazz world. And there's priceless vintage TV footage of Hall playing with Hamilton and Sonny Rollins, interviews with Bill Evans and Art Farmer, and Hall's own self-effacing humor. By the end, we have a fair portrait of one of jazz's essential guitarists -- and one of the music's great lyric improvisers on any instrument.

-- Jon Garelick