Ed Bickert & Jim Hall — A Deep Musical Connection

“I’ve heard about Ed Bickert,” Paul said. “Jim Hall told me about him. Jim says he’s one of the few guitar players who scare him when he sees him come into a room.” — Paul Desmond Original video of Jim Hall talking about Ed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osolDOtLuKo This video looks at the close musical relationship between Ed Bickert and Jim Hall, told through one of Jim’s most revealing comments about Ed’s playing. It’s a deep cut—not just in repertoire, but in language and lineage. Jim Hall's seminal album "Live! In Toronto 1975" has Ed's classic trio members Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Jim Hall sneakily quotes Ed’s intro voicings from “Just Squeeze Me” and even lifts the melody during the second-to-last chorus of “Scrapple from the Apple”—over a different tune, in a different key. It’s a rare window into how deeply Jim was listening, absorbing, and internalizing Ed’s harmonic world in his own way. That connection had real consequences. Jim Hall recommended Ed Bickert to Paul Desmond, which led to the Pure Desmond recordings and several years of collaboration in Paul’s final working band. Ed later recorded an intimate duo album with Jane Hall, Jim’s wife, as a deeply personal gift—closing the circle. #EdBickert #JimHall #JazzGuitar #JazzHistory #PaulDesmond #JustSqueezeMe #ScrappleFromTheApple #JazzHarmony #ChordMelody #GuitarLineage #JazzTranscription #SoloGuitar #BeyondTheFrets

Added 28 Mar 2026