Jim Chappell

Smooth jazz pianist Jim Chappell was born and raised in Michigan, initially influenced by the pop songcraft of the Beatles and Jimmy Webb. After spending the better part of his early adult years traveling across the country, he settled in Nashville and became a songwriter; finding the work unfulfilling, however, Chappell relocated to California, where he found work as an accompanist for the modern dance department at UCLA. He self-released his debut album, Tender Ritual, in 1986, selling over 12,000 copies of the record by traveling from store to store; Chappell then signed to...