Ram "Minor" Hall was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 drummer active on the New Orleans jazz

New Orleans Jazz

New Orleans Jazz may refer to:*Dixieland, a style of jazz music*New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park*Utah Jazz, a professional National Basketball Association franchise that was previously based in New Orleans and known as the New Orleans Jazz, in recognition of the jazz music of New Orleans*A...

 scene. He was the younger brother of Tubby Hall

Tubby Hall

Alfred "Tubby" Hall was a jazz drummer.Hall was born in Sellers, Louisiana; his family moved to New Orleans in his childhood. His younger brother Minor "Ram" Hall also became a professional drummer...

.

Minor Hall studied at New Orleans University

New Orleans University

New Orleans University, was a historically black college that operated between 1873 and 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church and affiliated with a number of preparatory schools located in various parts of the state of Louisiana...

 until 1914, then began playing with Kid Ory

Kid Ory

Edward "Kid" Ory was a jazz trombonist and bandleader. He was born in Woodland Plantation near LaPlace, Louisiana.-Biography:...

 in the middle of the decade. He played in various New Orleans ensembles such as the Superior Band, then moved to Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 in 1918. He took his brother's spot in Lawrence Duhe

Lawrence Duhé

Lawrence Duhé was an early jazz clarinetist and bandleader. He was a member of Sugar Johnnie's New Orleans Creole Orchestra....

's band briefly before serving in the U.S. Army during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. By the time he returned, King Oliver was leading Duhe's band, which Hall rejoined in 1921. In 1926 he played with Jimmy Noone, and then moved to California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 for an extended run with Mutt Carey

Mutt Carey

Thomas "Papa Mutt" Carey was a New Orleans jazz trumpeter.Carey was born in Hahnville, Louisiana, and moved to New Orleans with his family in his youth. His older brother Jack Carey was a trombone player and bandleader; Mutt was playing cornet in his brother's band by about 1912. Carey toured the...

's Jeffersonians (1927–32).

He played in the Winslow Allen band in the 1930s, but took a hiatus from music for part of the decade, and served briefly in the Army again in 1942. In 1945 he rejoined Ory in his Creole Jazz Band and became one of his most longstanding members, remaining with Ory's ensemble until 1956, when he retired on account of poor health.

Minor Hall never led his own recording date, though he recorded extensively with Ory and also did some recording with Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

in the 1940s.