Musician Guides/Current Calendar Ranking

Verified Global Musician

Dana Hall

Dana Hall is a Chicago drummer, percussionist, composer, bandleader, ethnomusicologist, and educator whose projects connect performance with historical inquiry.

DrumsPercussionComposerEducator6 current shows

Photo source · Photo: Amber Samuels, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Career Overview

About Dana Hall

Yamaha and 3Arts trace Hall's move from aerospace engineering into advanced study in performance, composition, arranging, and ethnomusicology. Their biographies place his own ensembles beside extensive touring and recording with groups led by Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Betty Carter, Maria Schneider, and others.[1][2]

Hall's project list ranges from the quintet documented on Into the Light to the improvised-music groups Polyglot and Black Fire and the large-scale Hypocrisy of Justice. His selected recordings also include collaborative Chicago groups led by Geof Bradfield.[2][3][5][4]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader, drummer, percussionist, and composer

Dana Hall leader ensembles

Hall's groups include his quintet, a duo with Nick Mazzarella, the quartet Polyglot, the Andrew Hill-focused Black Fire, Black Ark Movement, and spring.[2][1]

Composer and interdisciplinary project leader

Hypocrisy of Justice

Hall's large-scale work engages Richard Wright's Native Son through music and Black Chicago history and was developed for performance and recording.[2]

Scholar and educator

Jazz studies and ethnomusicology

The 3Arts biography documents Hall's teaching in jazz studies and ethnomusicology and his research into identity, protest, African diasporic music, and Philly soul.[2][1]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

2009 · Origin Records

Into the Light

Leader, drummer, composer, and producer

Hall's leader debut features Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield Jr., Bruce Barth, and Rodney Whitaker performing his originals and arranged repertoire.[3]

Release details

2017

Birdhoused

Drummer in Geof Bradfield's sextet

Bradfield's Chicago sextet features Hall with Marquis Hill, Nick Mazzarella, Joel Adams, and Clark Sommers.[4]

Release details

2020 · Delmark Records

General Semantics

Co-leader, drummer, cymbalist, and percussionist

The chordless trio joins Hall with Geof Bradfield and Ben Goldberg across saxophones, clarinets, drums, cymbals, and percussion.[5]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Into the Light

Hear official sound clips from Hall's leader debut on Origin Records.

General Semantics

Stream Hall's collaborative trio recording through the artist-authorized Bandcamp page.

Birdhoused

Hear Hall in Geof Bradfield's Chicago sextet with complete personnel and track notes.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Sat, Aug 22, 8:00 PM

Tim Warfield Quartet

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

Show details

Sun, Aug 23, 8:00 PM

Tim Warfield Quartet

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

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Thu, Sep 10, 8:00 PM

Clark Sommers W'Ba(SH)

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

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Fri, Sep 11, 8:00 PM

Clark Sommers W'Ba(SH)

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

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Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 PM

Clark Sommers W'Ba(SH)

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

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Sun, Sep 13, 8:00 PM

Clark Sommers W'Ba(SH)

Jazz Showcase · Chicago

Show details

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Artist biography and performance history

    Yamaha Music

  2. [2] Chicago artist, project, and education biography

    3Arts

  3. [3] Into the Light release and personnel guide

    Origin Records

  4. [4] Birdhoused album and personnel notes

    Geof Bradfield

  5. [5] General Semantics album and personnel notes

    Geof Bradfield / Delmark Records