Jim Hall

Jim Hall was a guitar god, but not in the sense that he could blaze through a zillion notes a minute. He was worshipped by guitarists around the world, but you'd never know it from talking to him.

"I don't really have all that much technique anyway, so I try to the best with what I have you know," he said to me earlier this year.

The best he had influenced half a century of jazz musicians, earned him the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master honor and widely designated him as one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. It was also enough to be named one of the 25 guitarists "who shook the world," along with Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, according to Guitar Player magazine in 1992.

Jim Hall died in his sleep early Tuesday (12/10) morning, according to an announcement from his daughter, Devra Hall Levy. His death came less than a week after celebrating his 83rd birthday. [NPR]

Rest in peace, Jim. You'll be missed.

Watch a video below...

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Jim Hall on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1992

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