Final Bow: Billy Hall from Orlando Home & Leisure

My tribute has finally printed in the January 2010 issue of Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine. I imagine those of you outside of Central Florida may not know the name but you can read the article about him at http://www.ohlmag.com/ by clicking on the Online Version. Refer to pages 16 and 17.

I know I have written about Billy back in November when he passed away but he deserves an extra shout out from the jazz community. Tonight the Monday Night Jazz Jam, which he founded, will take place at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando without him. WLOQ DJ, Yvonne Coleman, will host, as always. Yvonne makes time out of her busy schedule to continue Billy's dreams of helping those in need. All tips at the jam, EVERY PENNY, goes to help feed and clothe people who are cold and hungry. With the current economy and a week of hard freezes in Orlando, the numbers are multiplying. Everybody knows that they are not immune, so those that have, give. We all have to take care of each other. That's what Billy would say.

Billy Hall, jazz pianist, dies in Orlando Florida

Orlando lost Billy Hall, one of its jazz treasures this week after a battle with "C". I remember when I was a little girl and nobody in the family was allowed to mention the word 'cancer' aloud. My grandmother referred to it as a kena herra (phonetical spelling), which was a Jewish expression that implied something like a hex, or at least that's what I understood it to mean. She and other adults referred to it simply as C, or the Big C.

Billy Hall was not afraid of the word nor of the disease. He fell ill only months ago but left the hospital feeling better. It wasn't long before he returned, was diagnosed and placed under the care of Hospice. He passed away on Monday, November 16, 2009.

The jazz community knew him quite well. He performed all over Central Florida and participated in the House of Blues School House teaching children about the origins of blues and jazz. Over one year ago, he founded a weekly event called the Monday Night Jazz Jam (a.k.a. Jazz for Jesus) which was hosted by Yvonne Coleman at Beluga, a restaurant in Winter Park. His core band played for free with a large brandy snifter for tips placed on the front of his grand piano. Each week a charity was chosen and the tips were donated to help the community. The recipients were not chosen by religion, race or background; simply by need.

Beluga closed its doors suddenly on a Sunday and the jam joined the ranks of the homeless. But not for long. The Grand Bohemian Hotel welcomed the musicians and fans into The Boheme Restaurant and they quickly picked up where they left off. Billy was a staple at the Grand Boheme's Bosendorfer Lounge.

Although his friends, family and fans will miss him terribly, Billy was a man of extreme faith. He always said “While I am here, I’m happy walking for him and when I’m called, I’ll be happy walking with him. I win either way!”