Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Archie “Skip” Hall was born in Portsmouth, Virginia on September 27, 1909 and studied piano under his father. From the age of eight he lived in New York City and in the late 1920s he relocated to Cleveland, Ohio where he led his own band for most of the 1930s.

He worked as an arranger on contract and arranged for Jay McShann from 1940 to 1944 and during World War II played with Don Redman. In 1943 he entered military service and played in a band while stationed in England. Around 1945 Skip worked with Hot Lips Page and then joined the Sy Oliver band, who was his brother-in-law. Following this he worked with Wynonie Harris, Thelma Houston, and Jimmy Rushing before joining Buddy Tate’s group in 1948.

Hall went on to work with Tate for twenty years both as a performer and arranger. He also played in the 1950s and 1960s with Dicky Wells, Emmett Berry, and George James, as well as solo and with his own small groups. Arranger, pianist, and organist Skip Hall, who never recorded as a leader, passed away in November 1980 in Ottawa, Canada.

More Posts: arranger,bandleader,history,instrumental,jazz,music,piano