Edmond Hall
SWEETHEARTS ON PARADE
Edmond Hall is one of my favorite New Orleans clarinet players and a relatively recent discovery for me. His solo lines are always clear and lay exceptionally well, a testament to his technical precision and excellent rhythm. His sound is soulful, passionate and swinging. Hall was blessed with not only a father who played clarinet, but two brothers as well. Even by New Orleans standards, where many musicians grow up in musical households, this is extraordinary. His career would span from 1920, when he got his start in New Orleans, all the way to 1965, during which he would became an ambassador of sorts, touring the world with various ensembles, perhaps none greater than Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars.
While many New Orleans musicians made the move to Chicago in the late 20’s, Hall would choose New York City instead, joining the Claude Hopkins orchestra in 1928. His first recording would be noteworthy, accompanying Lester Young for a Billie Holiday session in 1937. Shortly after, Hall’s career would flourish. In 1940 he joined Red Allen’s group at the Café Society in the West Village, and during the decade would record with everyone from Teddy Wilson to Roy Eldridge.
This track comes from a new 2020 reissue called Say Something, on the Nagel Heyer label.
I’m guessing the tracks were pulled from some of the Blue Note sessions Hall recorded in the mid-40’s with Paris on trumpet and James P. Johnson on piano, but I’m not certain. Regardless, this recording instantly became one of my favorites, with its joyful renditions of classic New Orleans songs and high sound quality.
One of the most interesting choices Hall makes is his line over the C7 in bar 71. It’s subtle, but I love the way Hall breaks up the C7 arpeggio in bar 72 with the 9th, D natural, essentially the implied G minor arpeggio. It just adds an extra bit of color to a line that easily could have stayed within the chord tones:
Hall had a prolific career that got better with age and experience, and in terms of sheer swing and tastefulness, there was none better. I’ll be profiling many more of his recordings in the coming posts. “Sweethearts on Parade” is a great introduction to a New Orleans master.