A clear-voiced tenor singer, I play acoustic guitar and sing what I call classic pop, a lot of it British based, from The Beatles to Crowded House to Keane, very melodic songs people know, but don't hear all the time elsewhere, and that I like to sing.
A frequent comment I get is something like,'Yeah, that's a great song! I forgot about that one. How come nobody else does it?!' I can play for more than 4 hours straight without repeating a song, and I like them all.
Additional References (not in Reviews):
• Matt Piazza; General Manager, The Hopmonk Tavern, Sonoma,
James has entertained our guests at Hartford Family Winery for multiple winery events. He is always professional and our guests love his music and interaction with them. I would highly recommend him. He has worked with us also in different formats, he has done solo shows here and also with a band he assembled. Both times were perfect entertainment for what the specific events called for. We love having James at Hartford events.
Response from James Funk:
Thanks a million, Leanne, for the bookings and the good words. It's a really nice place to go sing!
Jim
I book the acts at Canyon Club Brewery and Jim knows his stuff! As a fellow musician, I look for someone who can hold a crowd, sing exceptionally and is a good human. He checks all the boxes. I have him booked through July 2024, that’s how much I enjoy his music and attitude towards playing live.
James has played my birthday party 3 years in a row now! It's a backyard BBQ and having him there live really makes the whole party vibe come together. Plus- he's a really good sport about sharing the mic with my husband and other guests. Looking forward to more birthdays with James Funk!
Response from James Funk:
Very much obliged for the good words (and the repeat bookings)!
James played my wife's birthday party and made an already memorable occasion even more special. James has an extensive playlist and works with me to customize a set list, and his voice and guitar playing put smiles on our guests faces. I'm already considering other opportunities to work with James - and in the meantime look forward to attending his local shows.
Response from James Funk:
Thanks, Brian, for having me play, the good words, and for keeping me in mind since seeing me last year in Moraga.
Hope the birthday girl had fun. Jim
We partnered with James to bring some energy, atmosphere, and fun to a corporate event we hosted at an urban winery in San Francisco, and he delivered an excellent performance from start to finish! James has an incredible repertoire that appealed to an audience of people from 20+ countries around the world, and his kindness and humor added extra special touches to the night. I highly recommend Jim to anyone hosting an event, you will not be disappointed.
Response from James Funk:
Thank you, Eric, for the booking and the good words (and taking the time to make them).
And....you're my first review here on GS! Much obliged.
Price Range: $150 - $1500
Gig Length: 30 - 240 minutes
Languages: English, Speak And Understand Some Italian.
I sing what I call classic pop, a lot of it British based. I'm self-contained and compact, playing an acoustic guitar, with a very hi-fidelity, sweet sounding PA, attractive lighting (if needed), and even power for remote settings, and need only a place to stand, and access to the playing area about an hour before I'm to start.
I can play recorded music prior to start and at breaks if desired, will dress appropriately, arrive on-time, provide multiple confirmations of my involvement, conduct myself professionally and courteously, and have several options available to make payments.
Born in New Jersey and raised outside Chicago, Jim discovered he could sing one frozen high school night at the age of 15 when a large group of new and drunken friends began singing some Beatle songs at an impromptu outdoor gathering in a field after a basketball game. Though at first a large group of singers, eventually the rest of the group got quiet, and for the final song, became an audience, and when it was over Jim had inadvertently done his first solo performance (“Yesterday”), and gotten kissed as a bonus. Owing to this discovery (and result), he taught himself some guitar & piano, and just before leaving Chicago for California, played his first professional gig, and made his first attempts at songwriting.
Moving to the San Francisco area, he began his life as a professional musician in earnest, forming his first original group, The Street of Thieves, with already veteran Bay Area guitarist Rick Lilley, and drummer Jon Archambault, as a trio patterned somewhat after The Police, taking up the bass guitar as part of that (and still playing most frequently when playing in full bands). Being a fan of The Beatles, as well as being, like Beatle Paul, a left-handed guitarist, and with the Police-type line-up (and looking, then, a bit like Sting), the bass seemed a natural position for Jim (though primarily a singer, Jim also plays guitar and some keyboards).
It was with The Street of Thieves that he did his first recordings, and in the mid-1980's Jim went to London to record with English producer Colin Thurston, best known for producing the first two albums by the English pop group, Duran Duran, as well as another Anglo group, Kajagoogoo, and as an engineer for David Bowie prior to that. He then began his life as a local working musician around the SF area, and assembled his own home recording studio where the songs on his album, “A Busman's Holiday”, were recorded.
It was on the strength of those that Jim was able to gain the interest of the Virgin/EMI music publishing company (now defunct), where he spent a few years under songwriting contract, as well as Industrial Artist Management in S.F., where Jim joined a stable of artists which included among others, then San Francisco area pop group, Jellyfish, and his very long time guitarist and songwriter associate, Tom Fleming, and led him to meet and record with guitarist and film-composer, Lyle Workman. Jim has since written, recorded or performed with other guitar aces Stef Burns and Jeff Tamelier (and co-wrote the song, 'When We Were Two', with Joe Satriani).
Jim has opened shows for Glenn Tilbrook & Chris Difford of the English pop group Squeeze, Tori Amos, The Blasters, JellyFish, and for comedians Rob Schneider (formerly of Saturday Night Live, and who did a mean Elvis impersonation), Lily Tomlin & Paul Reiser, and from 2013 to 2016, Jim was 'the Paul guy' in the SF area Beatles' tribute band, The Sun Kings, and still works occasionally with SKs' founder and 'John guy', Drew Harrison, in a Lennon & McCartney singing tribute called 'Two of Us' (all Beatles).
Currently and for the last few years, Jim and Jeff Tamelier (Tower of Power, Starship with Mickey Thomas, Eddie Money) have been working together under the moniker, 'Tam Funk Railroad', as both a duo, and lately also a trio with drummer Eric Wood (Allmond Brothers; Forejour); and once or twice a year, Jim sings and plays bass when local guitar legend Stef Burns (Vasco Rossi, Alice Cooper, Sheila E., Y&T) comes home from his base in Italy to play a local show.
• I am self-contained when playing solo. I have my own portable power, PA, lights and shade structure, though I would prefer that the venue or client provide the shade device and the electricity, if possible.
• I prefer a single-purpose (not used for diners before the musicians arrive, for example) 'stage' area, if possible, and raised is even better.
• I request that any extension cord supplying electricity to the 'stage', if needed, be already in place before I arrive on site to set-up.
The following is my current master song list when playing solo:
Beatles/McCartney
1. All My Loving
2. Blackbird
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Fixing A Hole
5. For No One
6. Here, There & Everywhere
7. Hey Jude
8. I'm Looking Through You
9. It’s Only Love
10. I’ve Just Seen a Face
11. In My Life
12. Kansas City
13. Let it Be
14. Lovely Rita
15. Michelle
16. Mother Nature's Son
17. Penny Lane
18. Rocky Raccoon
19. She’s a Woman
20. Tell Me Why
21. Till There Was You
22. When I’m 64
23. Yesterday
24. Your Mother Should Know
25. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
26. Band on the Run
27. Bluebird
28. My Love
Crowded House/Split Enz/Neil Finn
29. Better Be Home Soon
30. Don't Dream It's Over
31. Four Seasons In One Day
32. I Got You
33. Into Temptation
34. Message to My Girl
35. Now We’re Getting Somewhere
36. Something So Strong
37. Weather With You
Squeeze
38. Goodbye Girl
39. Messed Around
40. Pulling Mussels
41. Tempted
Oasis
42. Don’t Look Back In Anger
43. Hey Now
Elvis Costello
44. Alison
45. Brilliant Mistake
46. Peace, Love & Understanding
47. Radio, Radio
48. Red Shoes
Peter Gabriel
49. In Your Eyes
50. Red Rain
51. Solsbury Hill
52. When You're Falling
Police/Sting
53. All This Time
54. Message in a Bottle
55. Roxanne
Keane
56. Somewhere Only We Know
57. The Frog Prince
Paul Young
58. Everytime You Go Away
59. Wherever I Lay My Hat
60. Come Back & Stay
Gerry & The Pacemakers
61. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'
62. Ferry 'Cross the Mersey
63. How Do You Do It/I Like It (medley)
Cat Stevens
64. Father & Son
65. Moonshadow
James Taylor
66. Carolina In My Mind
67. Shower the People
68. Sweet Baby James
Bad Company/Paul Rodgers
69. Muddy Water Blues
70. Ready For Love
71. Rock & Roll Fantasy
72. Shooting Star
73. Silver, Blue & Gold
74. Soon I Will Be Gone
Stevie Wonder
75. My Cherie Amour
76. Superstition
Smokey Robinson
77. Ooh, Baby, Baby
78. The Tears of A Clown
79. The Tracks of My Tears
80. If You Can Want
Kacey Musgraves
81. Follow Your Arrow
82. Merry-Go-'Round
83. Keep It To Yourself
Guster
84. Do You Love Me?
85. Hang On
86. Amsterdam
Marvin Gaye
87. What’s Goin’ On/Mercy, Mercy Me
88. Ain’t That Peculiar
Jon Waite
89. Change
90. Missing You
Badfinger
91. Baby Blue
92. Day After Day
93. No Matter What
The Beach Boys
94. Do You Wanna Dance?
95. God Only Knows
96. Sail On Sailor
97. Sloop John B
Sam Cooke
98. Ain't that Good News
99. Only Sixteen
Justin Bieber
100. Beauty and A Beat
101. Love Yourself
102. Let Me Love You
103. What Do You Mean?
104. 10,000 Hours
The Zombies
105. Care of Cell 44
106. Tell Her No
Bob Dylan
107. My Back Pages
108. The Times They Are a Changin’
Paul Carrack
109. The Living Years
110. How Long?
111. Tempted
Glen Campbell
112. Gentle On My Mind
113. Wichita Lineman
John Mayer
114. Heartbreak Warfare
115. Free Fallin' (Petty-Mayer)
116. Somethin’ About Olivia
One-Offs (single songs/various artists):
117. Alone Again, Naturally (O’Sullivan)
118. Any Way The Wind Blows
119. As It Was (Styles)
120. A-Team (Sheeran)
121. Beauty’s Only Skin Deep (Temptations)
122. Blue Monday (Fats Domino)
123. Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith)
124. The Climb (Cyrus)
125. Doctor My Eyes (Browne)
126. Dust in the Wind (Kansas)
127. Everybody Loves Somebody (Martin)
128. Give In To Me (Hedlund-Meester)
129. Good Mornin’ Heartache (Holliday)
130. Gotta Get A Message To You (Bee Gees)
131. I Can’t Tell You Why (Eagles)
132. I Got Loaded (Los Lobos)
133. I Saw the Light (Rundgren)
134. I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick)
135. I’m Not In Love (10cc)
136. Kid (Pretenders)
137. Let it Be Me (Everly Bros.)
138. Lonely Boy (Gold)
139. Long Time (Boston)
140. Love is a Losing Game (Winehouse)
141. Manic Monday (Bangles)
142. Moon River
143. Never Take The Place of Your Man (Prince)
144. On & On (Stephen Bishop)
145. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head
146. Rich Girl (Hall & Oates)
147. Rip It Up (Little Richard)
148. Slow Hands (Niall Horan-Ricky Duran)
149. Someday, Someway (Crenshaw)
150. Starry Eyes (The Records)
151. Sunny Came Home (Colvin)
152. Sunshine (Edwards)
153. This Time (Bryan Adams)
154. Walkin' in Memphis (Cohn)
155. Washed Up (Cheat Codes)
156. What Am...Hangin' ‘Round (Monkees)
157. Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum)
158. Yellow (Coldplay)
159. You Wear It Well (Stewart)
160. Why Does It Always Rain On Me (Travis)
Melodic British Pop & Rock, in general. Specifically: The Beatles, Squeeze (Glenn Tilbrook), Crowded House (Neil Finn), Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Police (Sting), Bad Company (Paul Rodgers), Keane, Coldplay, Oasis, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Paul Carrack, Paul Young, Paul McCartney.
If playing outside, I would request that a shade structure be provided by the client or venue, if available, but have my own, if not.
Vallejo, CA 
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