Category Archives: press/media

albums & singles, articles & reviews

New Dream 💭

Listen to ✨ New Dream ✨ on your favourite DSP (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.)

Jim Funnell (piano, keyboards, melodica), Chris Jennings (double bass), Jeff Boudreaux (drums), Akiko Horii (percussion), Tomoko Omura (violin), Nino Wenger (alto saxophone), Max Jesion (recording, audio engineering and video editing)

New Dream n’usurpe pas son titre : avant de partir vers de nouveaux rêves, Funnell dresse un état des lieux de son art, entre be-bop, latin jazz et jazz contemporain, parfumé de funk et de blues, ou de touches extrêmes-orientales…

Bob Hatteau, Jazz à bâbord

La musique est percutante, dynamique mais jamais brutale.
À consommer sans modération.

Guillaume Lagrée, Le jars jase jazz


Very clever, lots of impressive playing … One for people who like their jazz accessible and well- played.

JMC, The Chronicle

Pokud na vás dýchne dálkami a romantikou už obal desky, věřte, že podobně zapůsobí i muzika.

Tomáš S. Polívka, Český rozhlas Jazz

Un álbum a tener en cuenta, rico en matices y estilos.

José Ramón, La Habitación del Jazz
articles & reviews

Le Barbizon concert review: Jazz à bâbord

Review of Word Out’s concert at Le Barbizon in Paris (January 2023) on Jazz à bâbord. French critic Bob Hatteau’s blog features album reviews, artist interviews, and covers live jazz shows occurring in and around Paris.

🇫🇷 “Jim Funnell’s Word Out mixe tradition et modernité dans un néo-bop mélodieux et enjoué.”

🇬🇧/🇺🇸 “Jim Funnell’s Word Out’s melodious and playful neo-bop blends tradition with modernity.”

Bob Hatteau, Jazz à bâbord

articles & reviews

Live in Japan album review: All About Jazz

Geno Thackara’s review of Word Out’s first live album Live in Japan on All About Jazz (October 2021). The award-winning jazz music database features news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts, all published by a volunteer staff.

🇺🇸/🇬🇧 “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.”

🇫🇷 “Word Out … tire son nom de l’observation de Rainer Maria Rilke selon laquelle “la plupart des expériences sont inexprimables”. Néanmoins, quelle joie de pouvoir les entendre jouées à la place !”

Geno Thackara, All About Jazz
podcasts & radio

tracks from Spirit of the Snail on Jazz non scientifiquement prouvé (Radio Robert)

Six tracks from Jim Funnell’s Word Out latest album Spirit of the Snail (2015) were aired on Radio Robert on April 30, 2020. The Parisian station, created during the COVID-19 pandemic and operated by the team at 59 Rivoli (a venue known for its exhibitions, performances, and artists-in-residence programs) offers playlists and podcasts. Their daily jazz show “Jazz non scientifiquement prouvé, la playlist du Pr Raoult” airs at 7PM GMT+2.

articles & reviews

She’s Out of My Life arrangement on Jazz Magazine staff playlist

The arrangement of Tom Bahler’s hit song “She’s Out of My Life” that Jim Funnell contributed on saxophonist Philippe Lopes de Sa‘s debut album Woandering has been featured in a monthly playlist curated by the editorial board at Jazz Magazine, France’s foremost publication entirely dedicated to jazz.

playlist Philippe Lopes de Sa / Jim Funnell
Jazz Magazine
2017-07

Philippe Lopes de Sa / Jim Funnell
She’s Out of My Life

“Not only are the eleven original compositions by this saxophone and piano duo remarkable, but this arrangement of Michael Jackson’s hyper-emotional ballad (“Off the Wall”, 1979) will not possibly leave you indifferent.”

Where? “Woandering” (philippe-lopes-de-sa.com / cdbaby.com)

articles & reviews

Spirit of the Snail album review: Le jars jase jazz

Review (in French) of Jim Funnell’s Word Out’s second studio album Spirit of the Snail on jazz critic Guillaume Lagrée’s blog Le jars jase jazz (also available on paperblog.fr).

Jim Funnell’s Word Out
“Spirit of the Snail”
Produced by Jim Funnell
Released on Tuesday, 22 September 2015
CD release concert at the Sunside in Paris at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 22 September 2015.

Jim Funnell: piano and compositions
Oliver Degabriele: acoustic bass
Thibault Perriard: drums
Isabelle Oliver: harp

“Dear cosmopolitan and xenophile readers,

As you know, the EU motto is “United in diversity.” As far as politics are concerned, it remains to be proved. On the subject of music however, British pianist Jim Funnell, Maltese bassist Oliver Degabriele, and French drummer Thibault Perriard illustrate it perfectly every time they play together. I have already praised their music in concert and in the studio. On this album, the triad is augmented with the presence of harpist Isabelle Olivier. She is nor a feminine alibi for a masculine trio, neither a classical one for a jazz trio. Her harp sounds like the kora of a Mandinka master.”

“[ Jim Funnell’s ] music is the singular result of a thorough reflection on rhythms, sounds, and colors.”

“Whether you want to stimulate your ears, your brain, or get your limbs in motion, enter the Spirit of the Snail with Jim Funnell and his band!”

– Guillaume Lagrée

articles & reviews

L’Improviste concert review: Le jars jase jazz

Guillaume Lagrée’s review of Word Out’s concert at L’Improviste in Paris (April 2013) on his blog Le jars jase jazz.

🇫🇷 “Il n’y a pas réellement de solo dans le jeu de ce trio. L’échange est permanent.”

🇬🇧/🇺🇸 “There’s no real soloing in this trio’s approach to making music. The interplay is permanent.”

Guillaume Lagrée, Le jars jase jazz

🇫🇷 “Il y a des pianistes qu’on n’entend pas assez, dont on ne parle pas assez et qui ont plein de belles histoires à raconter comme Jim Funnell. … Il faut aller le voir, l’entendre, l’écouter dès que possible.”

🇬🇧/🇺🇸 “There are pianists who aren’t heard enough, who aren’t talked about enough, and who have plenty of great stories to tell. Jim Funnell is one of them. … You have to go and see him, hear him, listen to him as soon as possible.”

Guillaume Lagrée, Le jars jase jazz
articles & reviews

Word Out album review: Le jars jase jazz

Review (in French) of Word Out’s eponymous debut album on jazz critic Guillaume Lagrée’s blog Le jars jase jazz.

Word Out
Self-produced, 2009

Jim Funnell: piano and compositions
Oliver Degabriele: acoustic bass
Thibault Perriard: drums

“Dear attentive and focused readers,

You may have noticed that I already praised Word Out in concert, when the trio gave a sneak preview of their freshly recorded upcoming album, Spirit of the Snail; I certainly will tell you all about its release in due time.

Meanwhile, since it’s never too late to do well, let me trumpet the delights and merits of their eponymous debut album Word Out, released in 2009.”

“Word Out does not claim to revolutionize the piano trio format. These young musicians are not conceited. They are simply fresh, alive, curious, open-minded, joyful, and listening to their music does heaps of good.”

“If I had to choose an excerpt from this album, it would be their version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (track no. 7). [ … ] Here, they take a classic, preserving its raw pop energy and conserving its British majesty while instilling a sense of swing typical of jazz music. A complete success from the first to last note.”

– Guillaume Lagrée