Jim Talley is a lifelong pianist, keyboardist and piano teacher who started playing piano before the age of four! After studying classical music into his teenage years he studied jazz at Cabrillo College in Aptos, Ca. and began playing in many different bands in the 1980's. Since then he has performed on various stages in the Bay Area and up and down the west coast of California with a wide variety of artists including Bob Weir, Stu Allen, Eric McFadden, Dan Hicks, Kortuzi, members of Monophonics, Vinyl with Mark Karan, Achilles Wheel, Barry Sless, North Beach Brass Band, LZ Phoenix, Lumanation, the Beautiful Losers & many others. 

 

       His groups have opened for Michael Franti & Spearhead, Moonalice, Kermit Ruffins, Steve Kimock, Merl Saunders, George Benson & Natalie Cole, Vinyl, Tommy Castro and many others. 

 

       He has appeared at many of the finest venues in the Bay Area including the Warfield Theatre, Great American Music Hall, Concord Pavilion, the Regency, Slim's, the old and the new Sweetwaters and at festivals ranging from the Haight St. Faire to the Oregon Country Faire. 

 

       His diverse musical tastes have led him into many different groups including the funk of LZ Phoenix and the Kortuzi jam band, his original jazz-funk project Tres Mojo, the eclectic rock stylings of Eric McFadden & the Faraway Bros., the dub rock of Lumanation & the pop-rock of the Beautiful Losers. 

 

       Currently he is unveiling his latest band "Talley Up!"is an original + covers funk band featuring some of the finest players in Marin including Jim Talley on keyboards and vocals, Tom Finch (Tom Finch Group, Big Brother & the Holding Co.) on guitar and vocals, Michael Pinkham (New Monsoon) on drums, Jen Rund (Lumanation, Stu Allen) on bass as well as special guest vocalists and artists. 

 

       "Talley Up!" mixes  New Orleans and jazz-funk originals with funky New Orleans covers from the Meters and Dumpstaphunk along with a slew of vocal and instrumental funk songs to fill the dance floor! With irresistible rhythms and memorable tunes "Talley Up!" is starting to hit stages all over the Bay Area…..coming to a dance floor near you soon!!   

 

       "Jim Talley is a great keyboardist!  It's a damn pleasure to play with him!!" 

    --- Eric McFadden (Parliament/Funkadelic, Eric Burdon.