Jazz artist pursues 'first love'

March 19, 2007 —

Like any good jazz saxophonist, SVSU artist-in-residence Jeff Hall began his musical career at a tender age playing the...violin?

"I didn't like it too much," he joked.

Before Hall even picked up a saxophone, he had experimented with violin and piano, the latter of which he actually enjoyed.

The next chapter in Hall's career begins with a scholarship to Interlochen, Michigan's renowned fine arts academy. As might be expected of Hall, the scholarship wasn't for the sax.

"That was for the bassoon," he said, maintaining a straight face.

Hall had one more trip left in him before leaving for college, although this one took him out of state - and it directly concerned the sax.

"I got a scholarship to attend a camp in Pennsylvania," he said. "The camp was directed by Phil Woods, who was a great alto jazz saxophonist."

Hall nurtured his abilities for two months at the summer camp. With that experience on the books, he prepared himself for his next big trip - to college. And not just any college: Hall attended the Berkeley College of Music.

Berkeley proved to be an eye-opening experience for Hall, which is perhaps unsurprising, given his small-town roots.

"When I was in Saginaw, I was the top dog, you know. My head was up in the air," he recounted. "When I got there...I called my mom in the first week."

Jazz had been Hall's favored subject before Berkeley, and his experience there only helped to strengthen the attachment by way of treating it like any other subject.

"They applied music theory and musicology to jazz," he explained.

Hall eventually found his way back to Michigan.

"I started here in the 70s, and at that time I was just doing applied lessons, and I was doing them at my house," he said.

He would eventually wind up working part-time in the music department proper, thanks to the efforts of the late Charles Brown, former head of the department.

Then, just two years ago, SVSU decided to expand the music program to include artists-in-residence.

"And then, I think it was about two years ago, Gilbertson says 'well let's expand our music program, and part of this expansion will be these artists-in-residence," he said.

While in residence, Hall performs regularly, gives applied lessons and teaches a piano course. He performed on Saturday with a Latin jazz group called RITMO; the photo accompanying this story was taken during the show.