Pat Metheny called him “the father of modern jazz guitar”, while Mike Stern, John Scofield and Julian Lage worshipped his playing – here's how Jim Hall revolutionized modern jazz

Jim Hall wears a brightly patterned shirt as he plays a jazz box onstage.

James Stanley Hall was born in New York in 1930 and first picked up the guitar aged 10. He began performing professionally in his teens and studied music theory and piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Initially influenced by Benny Goodman’s guitarist, Charlie Christian, young Hall also had a huge interest in assimilating the dark legato sound of saxophonists such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, along with spending a period studying classical guitar in Los Angeles with Vincente Gomez.