Edmond Hall

Edmond Hall (May 15, 1901 – February 11, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Over his career, Hall worked extensively with many leading performers as both a sideman and bandleader and is possibly best known for the 1941 chamber jazz song "Profoundly Blue".

Biography Early life Born in Reserve, Louisiana, United States, about 40 miles west of New Orleans on the Mississippi River, Hall and his siblings were born into a musical family. His father, Edward Blainey Hall, and mother, Caroline Duhe, had eight children, Priscilla (1893), Moretta (1895), Viola (1897), Robert (1899), Edmond (1901), Clarence (1903), Edward (1905) and Herbert (1907).

Hall worked as a farmhand, but by 1919 he had become tired of the hard work, and despite his parents' worries of him finding a decent job as a musician, he left for New Orleans. The first New Orleans band he played with was that of Bud Rousell (Bud Russell). He also played with Jack Carey (trombone) and blues cornetist Chris Kelley.

Music career In 1920, he went to a dance at Economy Hall in New Orleans where Buddy Petit was playing. Petit needed a replacement on clarinet, and he hired Hall.

Hall moved to New York City in 1928, and was a member of the Claude Hopkins orchestra until 1935. Hall had been featured on alto and baritone saxophone since 1922. When he joined Billy Hicks's band, the Sizzling Six, he had a position as a full-time clarinetist. On June 15, 1937, he had his first recording session with Billie Holiday, accompanied by Lester Young on tenor saxophone.

In 1940, Henry "Red" Allen arrived at the Café Society, and Hall became the band's clarinetist.

Private life

In April 1922, while playing in Buddy Petit's Band, Hall married 17-year-old Octavia Stewart. The marriage was prompted by the imminent arrival of their son, Elton Edmond Hall, who was born on July 20, 1922, but died as a child on December 3, 1934. Hall refused and called his union, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. Condon and the other musicians supported him, and the union insisted that either Hall appeared on screen or no one played. 1964–67 - Edmond Hall's Last Concert (Jazzology, 1996)

As sideman Louis Armstrong, European Concert by Ambassador Satch (Columbia, 1955) Louis Armstrong & Eddie Condon, At Newport (Columbia, 1956) Louis Armstrong, Louis and the Good Book (Decca, 1958) Chris Barber, Chris Barber's American Jazz Band (Laurie, 1959) Eddie Condon, Bixieland (Columbia, 1955) Eddie Condon, Jammin' at Condon's (Columbia, 1955) Wild Bill Davison, Ringside at Condon's Featuring Wild Bill Davison (Savoy, 1956) Vic Dickenson, The Vic Dickenson Showcase (Vanguard, 1953) Vic Dickenson & Urbie Green, Slidin' Swing (Jazztone, 1957) Bud Freeman, Midnight at Eddie Condon's (Emarcy, 1955) Leonard Gaskin, At the Jazz Band Ball (Prestige Swingville, 1962) Marlowe Morris, Play the Thing (Columbia, 1962) Jack Teagarden, Jazz Great (Bethlehem, 1956) Various, Edmond Hall 1941-1957 (Giants of Jazz CD, nd)