Herb Hall

Who was Herb Hall?

Herbert "Herb" Hall was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist.

Herb was the brother of Edmond Hall and the son of clarinetist Edward Hall. He began on banjo with the Niles Jazz Band, then settled on reeds. In 1926 he played with Kid Augustin Victor in Baton Rouge, and moved to New Orleans the following year. He played briefly with Sidney Desvigne, then played for many years with Don Albert, moving to San Antonio with him and remaining there until 1945.

After this he moved to Philadelphia, where he played with Herman Autrey; a few years later he was in New York, working with Doc Cheatham and did a European tour with Sammy Price. He played often in the New York clubs of Jimmy Ryan and Eddie Condon in the late 1950s and 1960s. In 1968-69 he toured with Wild Bill Davison's Jazz Giants, and then a stint with an off-shoot band of The Jazz Giants, called "Buzzy's Jazz Family" which included Herman Autrey, Benny Morton, Sonny Drootin, Eddie Gibbs and leader Buzzy Drootin on drums. He did work with Don Ewell in the 1970s. He also appeared in Bob Greene's Jelly Roll Morton revue show that decade.