“Jim Funnell … makes a convincing case for quality over quantity. A lot of living goes into making each of his works.”
Geno Thackara, All About Jazz
Anglo-French pianist/composer Jim Funnell began performing at Parisian jazz clubs in his early teens. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, where he received several awards as a student, he went on to win the Composition Prize at the “Trophées du Sunside” (2011).
Besides frequently traveling to Latin America in his twenties to soak up Afro-Latin and Brazilian rhythms, Jim has toured extensively ever since (in the US, UK, Europe, and Japan) and self-produced numerous albums and singles, recently recording with musicians such as Chris Jennings, Jeff Boudreaux, Akiko Horii, Tomoko Omura, Nino Wenger, Franck Vaillant, David Fiuczynski, Asaf Sirkis, Ryoichi Zakota, Ryo Noritake, Dominique Muzeau, and Umberto Echo.
As a bandleader, Jim has appeared at festivals and venues such as ShapeShifter Lab, Rockwood Music Hall (NY), Paris Music Festival, Sunset Sunside, Baiser Salé, Jazz à Vanves, Jazz de Mars, Jazz en Touraine (France), Salt Peanuts, SOMETIME Kichijōji, JZ Brat, Royal Horse (Japan), the Malta Jazz Festival, and garnered reviews from outlets such as All About Jazz, London Jazz News, Jazz à bâbord, and Le jars jase jazz.
“Word Out … takes its name from Rainer Maria Rilke’s observation that “most experiences are unsayable.” Even so, it’s a heck of a lot of fun when they can be played instead.”
Geno Thackara, All About Jazz
“Word Out” is a musical adventure unfolding from within, a place where speech is often inadequate, where experiences are unsayable… Silence, sounds and rhythms, on the other hand, can sometimes reveal far more: Jim’s unique strand of jazz, tinged with elements of classical and world music, will take you to the fringes of post-bop (Live in Japan), fusion (Bitcorn Soup) and even, at times, microtonal territories (Aquarius Funk).
Inspiration from literary sources (Hazrat Inayat Khan, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jacques Ellul, Milan Kundera, René Guénon…) often pervades Jim’s music, in which jazz composition and improvisation are apprehended as ideal vehicles for infinite shades of emotion. His latest studio album, New Dream, was released on 8 November 2024.
Audio & Discography
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More Press & Media…
“Jim Funnell’s Word Out’s melodious and playful neo-bop blends tradition with modernity.”
Bob Hatteau, Jazz à bâbord
“This music is the singular result of a thorough reflection on rhythms, sounds, and colors.”
Guillaume Lagrée, Le jars jase jazz
“These young musicians (Word Out) are simply fresh, alive, curious, open-minded, joyful, and listening to their music does heaps of good.”
Guillaume Lagrée, Le jars jase jazz
“Led by Anglo-French charismatic pianist and inspired composer Jim Funnell, Word Out offers sophisticated yet accessible worlds.”
Basem Shalabi, L’Écho Républicain