About Me
Bob Funk's Latest Project as a trombone player, producer and arranger
What critics are saying about The Jazz Explorers, Bob Funk's collaboration with composer Tim Duffy:
"Jazz My Soul' [is a] stunning cd ... stylish ...filled with passion...extremely well crafted... subtle yet powerful and emotive...passion for the music...compositions wonderfully melded into your very special sound..."
Peter Merrett, PBS FM Melbourne Australia
" Dig. The Jazz Explorers is an all-star collective who'll take you on an incredible exploration of contemporary and classic jazz...
'Jazz My Soul' offers funky smooth rhythms, driving hard bop, and sensuous vocal cuts, featuring the delicious voice of Carmen Lundy... an excellent soundtrack for sophisticated coolouts and upscale hangouts..." Rafe Gomez, The Groove Boutique
"... this CD rates in the top 5 of my all-time jazz CD favorites." Denise Squier, Indie-Music.com
"This is one of the finest releases of 2007...outstanding artists...just fantastic!" Jacques Edmond, CKCU-FM Ottawa, Canada
Buy Jazz My Soul at CDBABY.COM
Buy Jazz My Soul on iTunes!
The Jazz Explorers first release, "Jazz My Soul" features special guests George Cables, Sonny Fortune, Dave Liebman, Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, Carmen Lundy and Victor Lewis.
To hear some of this music, please visit
http://www.jazzexplorers.net
http://www.myspace.com/thejazzexplorers
For the last 27 years, as an original member of The Uptown Horns, Bob Funk has performed live and/or recorded with the following artists: The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, BB King, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Alicia Keyes, James Brown, Tom Waits, Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, Albert Collins, Robert Plant and The Honeydrippers, Al Kooper, Trisha Yearwood, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Keith Richards, Shemekia Copeland, Wyclef Jean, Sam Moore, Billy Preston, David Sanborn and many more.
Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Bob's first influence was his father, a professional musician who played both classical and popular music. Seeing Jack Teagarden, Duke Ellington and Count Basie play live, as well as the local symphony in which his father played, gave him a broad musical perspective. Bob studied the trombone from the age of 9 and attended the prestigious Interlochen Music Camp for two years where he was principal trombone in the World Youth Symphony. After high school, his teachers included Tasso Harris at the University of Denver and Per Brevig at the Aspen Festival.
Bob performed in Colorado in groups such as the Colorado Brass Quintet, Colorado Springs Symphony, and Aspen Festival and Chamber Orchestras. Regional performance groups appearing in Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, Boulder, Telluride and Denver included The Ophilia Swing Band, Wave, Bazuka and The Orchestra of Clouds.
Major influences include Miles Davis, John Coltrane and JJ Johnson.
And a special shout out to Willie Dixon, who let Bob sit in, a long time ago.
In 1979 Bob arrived in NY where he took classes at Julliard and played in the Mozart Opera Orchestra. In 1980 Bob met up with sax players Arno Hecht and Crispin Cioe; together they formed the Uptown Horns, joined in 1990 by Larry Etkin on trumpet. Their recording credits on over 200 albums include James Brown's Grammy Award winning "Living in America", "Love Shack" by the B52's, "Unchain My Heart" as done by Joe Cocker and "Hot, Hot, Hot" as done by Buster Poindexter.
Bob has appeared in concert in North America, Japan and Western Europe. His performance/recording credits also include G.E. Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Tee, Marcus Miller, Booker T. and the MGs, The Ohio Players, Johnny Copeland, Sammy Davis Jr, Buster Poindexter, Howard Tate, Omar Hakim, Peter Allen, Don Dixon, Dave Stewart, Patty La Belle, Joan Osborne, Bernard Fowler, Chuck Leavell, Greg Allman, Shelby Lynne, Dan Hartman, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra Jr, Martha Reeves, Rufus Thomas, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Ronnie Specter, Joan Jett, Dave Edmunds, Jon Paris, Willie de Ville and REM. Over the years, there have been many informal jams with various legends, including Les Paul, Willie Nelson, The Neville Brothers, Paul Simon, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jack Bruce and Jimmy Page.
He has appeared in the films "Live to the Max" with the Rolling Stones, "The Giants Of Rock and Roll" and "Candy Mountain". Appearances on national and international television include the Tonight Show w/Johnny Carson, Late Night w/David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brian, The Today Show, as well as recordings for major motion picture soundtracks, including the Oscar winning "When We Were Kings" and the critically acclaimed CD The Uptown Horns Revue. Bob also played on the original cast album and live production of the legendary "Gospel at Colonus".
profile edited with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
