Scott Hall began his association with Ramsey Lewis in 2007 arranging Lewis’ compositions for Ravinia Festival collaborations such as the Joffrey Ballet, Turtle Island Quartet, and the Abraham Lincoln celebration “Proclamation of Hope”. He has conducted at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., Teatro Manzini in Milan, Ravinia Festival, Chicago Theatre, Jazz Showcase, and the Conservatory Luisa D’Annunzio in Pescara, Italy.
A classically trained trumpeter, he works predominantly as a jazz conductor, performer, arranger, producer, and educator. He has conducted important Duke Ellington works for jazz orchestra such as “Black, Brown, and Beige”, “A Concert of Sacred Music”, “New Orleans Suite”, as well as Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “Far East Suite”. He conducted the Chicago Jazz Ensemble in concert with the late Buddy DeFranco in Milan, Italy for the reenactment of Benny Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. As interim music director for the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, he commissioned Slide Hampton to compose “Africa” and conducted the ensemble for the American Heritage Series featuring Jon Faddis.
He has performed at Symphony Center, Chicago Jazz Festival, Ravinia Festival, Harris Theatre, Humanities Festival, Chicago Theatre, and the Jazz Showcase. His international appearances have been at the Beijing Dance Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Conservatory of Puerto Rico, Pescara Jazz Festival, Vicenza Jazz Festival, and throughout Italy.
Mr. Hall is currently Senior Lecturer and Director of Jazz Studies at Columbia College Chicago. As an invited clinician and teaching artist he has mentored for the Sant’Anna Arresi Jazz Festival, Arcevia Jazz Festival, Pescara Jazz Festival, Illinois Music Educators Association, and the Straight Ahead Jazz Camp with the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
As producer for Hallway Records, he has recorded and released albums for some of Chicago’s finest jazz artists. His debut album Scott Hall Quartet “Strength In Numbers” received critical acclaim from Down Beat magazine and media play in the United States and Europe. It is his distinct honor and privilege to arrange and conduct music for Ramsey Lewis and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.