J-FUNK in short...
J-FUNK: the home of FunkaSoul. www.j-funk.com
J-FUNK combines catchy melodies, slick vocal & instrumental harmony, funky rhythms & jazz orientated chords to create his own versatile, slick and marketable style.
A solid recording artist, who also feeds off a live show, J-FUNK is an all-rounder, specialising in vocals, music theory, piano and production. These skills can be sampled on J-FUNK’s debut album “Breakthru”, released independently in June 2007.
J-FUNK has been influenced by artists who excel in the studio and in live shows: Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, The Roots, and Patrice Rushen are amongst his most influential.
J-FUNK is most comfortable on stage, always musically arranging for no less than a full, tight, funky rhythm section, a clean horn section, and a slick vocal group for tightly-knit harmonies. All of this combined makes for a brilliant and entertaining J-FUNK show every time.
Most recently J-FUNK beat out hundreds of talented submissions as the winner of the Ismael Records online talent search. A brand new J-FUNK album will be released in 2010 through Ismael Records in the USA. Stay tuned & check out www.j-funk.com for more details!
J-FUNK in detail...
Born in Melbourne, Australia, to an English father & South African mother, Justin Stephenson was raised under the influence of a very musical family & began singing and playing piano at the age of 2.
Since graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2001 (majoring in Jazz Vocal) in Brisbane, Justin has taken his talents to Sydney and Melbourne, notably the Australia Day celebrations at Hyde Park in Sydney in 2001, and at the Melbourne Jazz Festival in 2004. Both of these performances were in collaboration with his two aunts - Trude and Anastasia Aspeling who are accomplished vocalists in Sydney & Melbourne respectively. Justin has also performed with the likes of soul/funk singer/bassist Doug Williams, & master Melbourne jazz pianist Bob Sedergreen, as well as Bob's son, Stephen, also a jazz pianist.
Justin has an endless number of vocal & musical influences, including the many talented musicians he has been closely associated with over the years. J-FUNK has been influenced by artists who excel in the studio and in live shows: Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, The Roots, and Patrice Rushen are the greatest. These influences shine through in his brilliant vocal and band arrangements and compositions. Justin has the excellent ability to perform, sing, work the crowd and MD his musicians all at once!
Justin has also been able to use his vocal, composition & arranging talent for the Lords' work, having been brought up a NEW APOSTOLIC Christian, arranging for the churches' choirs & orchestras in Australia & the UK.
Since relocating to London UK in 2006, J-FUNK has created & recorded many tracks, compiling his debut album entitled “Breakthru”. The J-FUNK creations embrace the "Funkasoul" genre, blending catchy melodies, slick vocal & instrumental harmony, funky rhythms & jazz orientated chords.
In early 2007, J-FUNK made it through to the London Final of the “Live & Unsigned” competition, after competing with over 10,000 entrants and progressing through many preliminary stages. 2007 & 2008 saw many great live performances showcasing J-FUNK’s debut album “Breakthru” all over London and the UK.
But now the future is here: J-FUNK was chosen from hundreds of talented submissions as the winner of the Ismael Records online talent search. A brand new J-FUNK album will be released in 2010 through Ismael Records in the USA. Work is underway!
In the meantime, J-FUNK’s debut album “Breakthru” is available now independently on CD or mp3 (and every other download form!!)
J-FUNK: the home of FunkaSoul is at www.j-funk.com.