DCist Interview: Kris Funn
Kris Funn, photo by Ronald Weinstock.
Whether it's something in the water, or another force, all of these bassists share certain common traits: a rich sound and deep knowledge of jazz tradition, with a willingness to look to the future. Kris Funn is another talented musician that is part of this lineage. Although just in his early 30s, he carries the résumé of someone beyond his years.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Funn grew up with instruction from his father, Charles Funn, a trombonist and longtime music teacher in the Baltimore City public school system. The younger Funn originally played trumpet along with his brother, but switched to bass in high school. In college, he earned a degree in computer science at Howard University while spending two years playing with the school's famed jazz ensemble. Funn also became recognizable to D.C.'s jazz fans through his weekly gigs at the now-defunct Cafe Nema with DCist fave, The Young Lions, an experience that he has described as "like going to church."
After graduating from Howard, Funn's talents earned him a spot playing with Grammy winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Beginning at age 23, Funn spent four years touring the world, playing major festivals and venues on six continents. He continues his travels today with trumpeter Christian Scott, who is emerging as one of the finest players of his generation.
The next logical progression for any musician in Funn's position would be to form an ensemble. Kris Funn's Corner Store made its debut earlier this year at one of CapitalBop's jazz lofts. The buzz this generated led to two performances at this year's D.C. Jazz Festival, an intimate loft performance opening for Orrin Evans' Tarbaby and a bigger show on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Simply put, the band killed it each night. If there's any justice, we will be hearing much more from Corner Store in coming months and years.
Hoping to grab an early seat on the bandwagon, DCist interviewed Funn to get his thoughts on the local jazz community and his career up to this point.
First, tell me a bit about yourself.
I grew up in Baltimore not too far from where they filmed The Wire, Season 1. I only mention this because whenever I'm overseas and mention I'm from Baltimore, this is the first thing that comes up. My dad is a musician and teacher, and started my brother and I on trumpet at very young ages. I remember hating it! Mostly because my older brother was so much better than I was. Then again, he was also four years older than me. When I got to high school there were no open trumpet seats in the jazz band, only bass. So my dad taught me bass one summer and I had my first gig a few months later. It was fate because although jazz was constantly in my ear, I never fully understood or had a passion for it until I picked up the bass.
How did growing up in Baltimore affect your outlook on music?
I hate to sound cliché or keep repeating this, but nothing had a bigger influence on me as a grown man than the city of Baltimore. My dad would take me to every gig, no matter how late or how young I was. It was a part of life. I didn't know any better. It all seemed so very natural. I can't imagine growing up in another household. What did other kids do while my brother and I were running around at jazz gigs acting a fool while a band is on stage swinging their brains out? As I got older I found myself knowing the melodies to songs without knowing the titles simply because I heard them all my life. That is an invaluable resource for a young musician.
Do you see any differences in the jazz aesthetic between D.C. and Baltimore?
There are differences, but not many. I will say that there are a lot more opportunities to perform in D.C. than Baltimore, but that's about it. A lot of the players from each city work up and down 295, so the players are generally the same.
You've been a busy sideman in the area for years. What made you decide that it was time to lead your own group?
It seems like a natural progression, but my wife, Paige, who is an amazing actress, teacher, and choreographer, pushed and inspired me to create something of my own. The music I was playing with others seemed to either be too rooted in tradition or too forward thinking. I was really just trying to balance out my playing opportunities. I wanted something in the middle. I also wasn't worried about "respecting the tradition," like a lot of the banter going around these days. If a musician has done his homework and learned and listened to everything, those experiences and influences will be in their own music no matter how hard they try to mask them.
Did you have a sound in mind when you formed Corner Store? If so, what was your vision?
The whole concept of the Corner Store was more with less. I wanted to create simple music that is less complex with more emotion and groove. In its infancy, the band also had less instruments. I always had problems creating my own music, and it wasn't until I stripped it down and composed from the bottom up could I really get going. Throwing the melody in the bass or drums really got me going. I have a bunch of recordings of songs I started composing which were just mostly bass and drums. When I put it all together It reminded me of that store on the corner of my block growing up in inner city Baltimore. It's like a stripped down market with just enough stuff to get you by. This store would have things you want like candy -- the groove and emotion -- and less of what you really need like fresh produce -- melody and complex harmony.
Who are the musicians in Corner Store and why did you choose these particular players?
I never had any particular musicians in mind when I was developing the concept. It kind of just fell in place. I don't want to put together a band because it's way too hard to keep it together. I just want to have a sound. When you come to a Corner Store gig, the musicians and even the instrumentation may be different, but the sound has to remain... I hope.
The guys over at CapitalBop kept asking me to do a jazz loft gig, and I kind of chickened out of showing up with just bass and drums, so I added Samir Moulay on guitar because I wanted to introduce a chordal instrument that could also take over the bass lines during a bass solo or melody. Samir can go in any direction, but whatever direction he goes in it's usually soulful. I also know that if I want to do a classic soul song or some Hendrix, Samir can jump right in.
On the drums I have been using Quincy Phillips or John Lamkin, III simply because they have the sound and feel that I'm looking for. It may be because they are both from Baltimore and I pretty much grew up with both of them, but I will say first and foremost that they are just ridiculously talented drummers that can also go in any direction. I will give credit to John because we actually were in a situation a couple years ago where we had to do an entire gig almost with only bass and drums. That put the bug in my ear for the concept.
Recently during the D.C. Jazz Fest, I added Tim Green on alto saxophone. Tim is an amazing musician and really brought the sound to another level. I've also known Tim since high school and he was ridiculous then too!
How did you approach the composing process? How did the original material come about?
Growing up I was confused at the jazz my dad would play, but I could always hold on to the groove and the feeling of it. The bass and drums always pulled me into the song. I put most of my focus there and compose from the bottom up. I'll start by composing just the bass and drum parts of a song and move on to the next song until a melody grabs me. Sometimes a melody never comes and the song is what it is.
For inspiration, I usually go to my childhood. For me, painting a musical portrait about a
relationship, a place or a person is always inspiring. For example, I wrote a song called "Gemini" for my brother, Kyle. The first thing that pops in my head is love and hate. Good old sibling rivalry! There is no person I know that I have hated and loved more than my brother. So for the song, I focused on opposites and tried to write a song that was a major and minor blues at the same time.
relationship, a place or a person is always inspiring. For example, I wrote a song called "Gemini" for my brother, Kyle. The first thing that pops in my head is love and hate. Good old sibling rivalry! There is no person I know that I have hated and loved more than my brother. So for the song, I focused on opposites and tried to write a song that was a major and minor blues at the same time.
What are your plans for the group in the coming months? Do you have any plans to record?
I would love to find a venue to play in every week to cultivate a sound and a relationship with an audience on a regular basis. That's the dream! I'd also like to get in the studio and document some things in which case I hope to record by the end of the summer. The hardest parts of recording are picking what music to showcase, what studio to record in and what sound you want to have. I haven't really answered these questions yet, but the one thing I am sure of is that I want it to sound different. Please keep an eye on cornerstoremusic.com. I plan to document the recording process there.
Do you have any notable gigs coming up?
Unfortunately, nothing with the Corner Store because I'm about to go on tour with Christian Scott in the summer. Consider the Store closed for a few weeks for renovation. Please keep an eye out for Christian's next CD which should be released in August in the U.S.
What are your thoughts on the local music scene? What are its strengths and what can be improved?
I love the D.C. jazz scene and it's really progressing at the moment. D.C has always been a place where you could actually make a living playing jazz. From jazz clubs to private gigs, you could really stay busy here without the stress of New York, and the players here have always been top notch. We just need more places to perform. There will never be enough places to perform.
Who are some of the area players you most admire?
I actually admire any musician who is passionately committed to expressing himself through this art form. There are some musicians in the area who absolutely amaze me every time I hear them. I won't name them because they know who they are and this interview would be 20 pages long if I started.
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