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James Westfall

James Westfall is a multi-genre instrumentalist, composer, and arranger living and working in Nashville. He performs most regularly on keyboards, piano and mallet percussion.

Though Westfall now performs, records, and composes in contemporary commercial music styles, his background is in jazz – where he spent fourteen years living and working in the lush music scene in New Orleans. While living in New Orleans he attended The University of New Orleans where he was able to perform and be mentored under Harold Battiste, Ellis Marsalis, and Steve Masakowski.

One of James’ first honors in the jazz world was when he was invited to participate in the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. In 2003 James was accepted as the first vibraphonist in the history of The Thelonious Monk Institute. While attending the Monk Institute he was able to perform at venues like Tokyo Jazz Festival, Blue Note, and Blues Alley with artists such as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, and Clark Terry.

In 2007 Westfall formed ‘The Wee Trio’ while living in New York. This collaborative band continues to perform across the country at high caliber venues like The Green Mill, Jazz at the Bistro, and Yoshi’s as well as major festivals including The New Orleans & Heritage Jazz Festival, Discover Jazz Festival, and Rochester Jazz Festival, and have taken up artist residency at several Universities. The Boston Globe declared their first album, Capitol Diner Vol. 1, to be a “winning debut.” Westfall also released Independent, his own record around this time – Jazztimes quoted it as being “uplifting and distinctive.” Around this time he was also was able to gain sideman experience performing with artists such as Nicholas Payton, Terri Lyne Carrington, John Ellis, and Gretchen Parlato.

Westfall prides himself on continuing the tradition of breaking tradition. Whether he is performing with The Wee Trio or his solo projects, “Westfall continues to incorporate elements of rock and hip-hop.” – Jazztimes. As well as a performer, Westfall is also a music educator. From 2011-2014 he was employed as an adjunct professor at The University of Southern Mississippi teaching piano and vibraphone. He was also employed by the Thelonious Monk Institute to teach the “Thelonious Monk Combo” working with high school students at NOCCA.

Today Westfall resides in Nashville, TN working as a keyboardist and mallet percussionist in several genres of music. Most recently he has performed with BJ Thomas, Steelism, and Pat Coil.

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10
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Wee +3

Read "Wee +3" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The Wee Trio delivered quite a bit of variety over the course of its first four albums. The first two--Capitol Diner, Vol. I (Bionic Records, 2008) and Capitol Diner, Vol. II: Animal Style (Bionic Records, 2010)--established the musical ground and syntax that are part and parcel of this three-way partnership; Ashes To Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective (Bionic Record, 2012) demonstrated much of what can be done to mutate and honor David Bowie's music, almost foretelling the growth of Bowie-inflected ...

2
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Live at the Bistro

Read "Live at the Bistro" reviewed by Luigi Sforza


La bella copertina dell'ultimo CD del Wee Trio--in puro stile fumettistico pop art, alla Roy Lichtenstein, comprensivo di onomatopee--rappresenta i tre musicisti nell'atto di suonare. La musica poi è un'esperienza dinamica sfaccettata, in sintonia con le possibili declinazioni di una società in continuo movimento. L'accostamento tra pop art e Live at the Bistro -disco che fotografa la performance del gruppo nell'omonimo locale di St. Louis ad un paio d'anni di distanza da Ashes to Ashes: a David Bowie ...

129
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Ashes To Ashes - A David Bowie Intraspective

Read "Ashes To Ashes - A David Bowie Intraspective" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Vibraphonist James Westfall participated with several New Orleans-based musicians to cover the music of pop icon David Bowie and took the concept further by using this premise for The Wee Trio's third album. The band projects youthful vigor along the lines of The Bad Plus and Medeski, Martin & Wood; firmly rooted in the jazz vernacular, the trio adheres to Bowie's famous melodies and song forms, all enacted with jazzy variations and plentiful doses of improvisation. “1984" is ...

310
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Capitol Diner Vol. 2: Animal Style

Read "Capitol Diner Vol. 2: Animal Style" reviewed by Mark F. Turner


Based loosely in New York, The Wee Trio's origins form a cross-section of the United States, with drummer Jared Schonig from Los Angeles, vibraphonist James Westfall living in New Orleans and bassist Dan Loomis hailing from St. Louis. Notwithstanding that there isn't an abundance of vibraphone-centered recordings such as Joe Locke's For the Love of You (E1 Music, 2010) and Stefon Harris' Urbanus (Concord Music Group, 2009), The Wee Trio holds high the mallet-based banner in good form, showing itself ...

296
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Capitol Diner Vol. 1

Read "Capitol Diner Vol. 1" reviewed by Troy Collins


Jazz has a long history of up and coming musicians attempting to incorporate the popular music of their time into the standard repertoire. Some acts have made such ideology their calling card. For example, both the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Sex Mob regularly include contemporary pop songs in their set lists. As such, the cover of Nirvana's early underground hit “About a Girl" (complete with hyper speed “Rhapsody in Blue" interjections) that opens the Wee Trio's debut album Capitol ...

627
Album Review

The Wee Trio: Capitol Diner Vol. 1

Read "Capitol Diner Vol. 1" reviewed by J Hunter


"Lightning in a bottle" is an excellent metaphor for The Wee Trio's Capitol Diner Vol. 1, given how the music crackles like high-tension wires in a rainstorm. But it's the level of electricity that is the surprise. On its face, TWT's instrumental makeup--vibes with a rhythm section--doesn't seem to lend itself to any kind of aggressive musical behavior. That's an assumption and, like most assumptions, it's dead wrong.

James Westfall's disquieting opening to Kurt Cobain's “About a Girl" is the ...

217
Album Review

James Westfall: Independent

Read "Independent" reviewed by Mark F. Turner


Given the vast amount of new releases these days, much of recorded jazz turns out formulaic. While following in the footsteps of forerunners and standards of the past, many musicians are hard pressed to create their own identities. But younger players like vibraphonist James Westfall exhibit potential in conveying their own ideas. An active musician in New York, Westfall (who's in his twenties) has had the opportunity of studying and playing with a number of iconic jazz ...

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"With all of the clone-like music in today’s jazz environment, it is nice to hear fresh and developing recordings like Independent". —Mark F. Turner, All About Jazz

"Westfall's style is distinct and uplifting...incorporating elements of rock and hip-hop". —Forest Dylan Bryant, JazzTimes

"Independent proves that this band of musical mavericks has indeed arrived and is here to stay". —Geraldine Wyckoff Offbeat

"His composition chops appear to float atop a deep well, and we can look forward to his next journey." —Andrea Canter The Jazz Police

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Wee +3

Bionic Records
2016

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Live At the Bistro

Bionic Records
2013

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Ashes To Ashes - A...

Bionic Records
2012

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Capitol Diner Vol. 2:...

Bionic Records
2010

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Capitol Diner - Vol. 1

Savannah Jazz Festival
2009

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Capitol Diner Vol. 1

Bionic Records
2008

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