Biography
After his seventeen-year worldwide touring and recording stint with the Jazz Ambassadors, the premiere touring jazz ensemble of the US Army, Jim retired from the military in 1998 to find a variety of projects awaiting him. As a freelance musician, he has been performing in an incredibly diverse array of situations. These include a 3-year run with Chuck Brown, Washington, DC鈥檚 鈥淕odfather of Go-Go,鈥� appearances with the Baltimore Symphony Pops Orchestra, the Harrisburg Symphony and the Kennedy Center Orchestra. Jim鈥檚 recording credits include more than 50 projects as a featured soloist as well as numerous national television spots. Currently, Jim is a member of the internationally renowned Capitol Bones; and Technicolor Motorhome, voted by Baltimore Magazine as the area鈥檚 best tribute band five. He has also appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" with Thievery Corporation, a Washington, DC-based techno band, and he continues to tour extensively throughout the United States and Europe.
Today, Jim is in great demand as both a trombonist and educator. He has performed and recorded with a veritable 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of jazz luminaries to include Dave Liebman, Geoff Keezer, Denis DiBlasio, Ingrid Jensen, Clark Terry, Jim Ridl, Hendrick Muerkins, Bobby Shew, Christian McBride, Ron Blake, Lee Konitz, Eddie Daniels, Dave Samuels, Jeff Coffin, Carl Fontana, Jon Faddis, and Toots Thielemans. Jim鈥檚 unique style of teaching - combining enthusiasm, motivation, inspiration and humor - helps create an environment where students are eager to learn and unafraid to take chances. This approach helps keep Jim busy year-round, connecting musically with students of all ages. In addition to his hectic performance and travel schedule, Jim is on the faculty of the Jazz and Commercial Music Studies Division at Towson University and serves on the faculty of several summer jazz camps throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. As well as guest conducting county, district, and all-state level jazz ensembles throughout the U.S., Jim also appears at high schools and colleges nationwide as a Buffet Group-USA performing artist that plays exclusively on Antoine Courtois Paris trombones.
Select Discography
As a leader:
Caravan - The Chordless Project - Denis DiBlasio/Jim McFalls - Dreambox Media
As a sideman:
Pocono Git-Down 鈥� Rick Hirsch鈥檚 Bog Ol鈥� Band 鈥揜ick Hirsch
It鈥檚 All In the Game鈥� Doug Richards and the Great American Music Ensemble, Jazzed Media
To the Edge 鈥� Mark Taylor and the Big Band, Writegroove Productions
Let It Snow 鈥� The New York Voices, Five Cent Records
Ostrich 鈥�Crack the Sky, Aluminum Cat Recordings
Steve Williams & Jazz Nation with Eddie Daniels鈥� OA2 Records
Veronneau Band and Jazz Samba Project鈥�Veronneau Music
Magnum Opus featuring The International Concerto by Doug Richards鈥� Summit Records
Caribbean Jazz Project: Afro Bop Alliance with Dave Samuels 鈥� Heads Up Records 鈥� 2008 Latin Grammy Award Winner 鈥� Best Latin Jazz Recording
Labyrinth 鈥� Marc Adler, Marc Adler Productions
Where the Jade Buddha Lives 鈥� The Denis DiBlasio Quintet, Art of Life Records
Thinking of Gene 鈥� Mike Berkowitz and the Gene Krupa Orchestra, Sea Breeze Records
The Cosmic Game 鈥� Thievery Corporation, Eighteenth Street Records
Live at Blues Alley 鈥� The Mark Taylor/Steve Fidyk Big Band, Writegroove Productions
Scat Like That 鈥� Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, Rounder Records (Grammy nomination)
A Perfect Match 鈥� The Mark Taylor/Steve Fidyk Big Band, Writegroove Productions
Put Your Hands Up! 鈥� A tribute concert to Chuck Brown, Raw Venture Records (DVD)
A Stan Kenton Christmas 鈥� The Capitol Bones Big Band, The Capitol Bones
Anything Goes鈥� The Capitol Quartet, Summit Records
Epistrophy鈥� Matt Niess and the Capitol Bones, Sea Breeze Records
A Tribute to Hank Levy 鈥� The US Army Jazz Ambassadors
A Tribute to Stan Kenton 鈥� The US Army Jazz Ambassadors
A Change in the Weather 鈥� The US Army Jazz Ambassadors
Caribbean Fantasy 鈥� The US Army Jazz Ambassadors