Ten Foot Tall Start in New York, travel up the mountains, check out the view, go to Chicago, glide down the Mississippi and flop in New Orleans. Funk in our feet, Blues in our gut, Jazz in our heart and Love on our mind. Acoustic, Electric Shout-at-the-Devil drive all night Mountain Jazz.

In the winter of 2003 Jim and Luke were performing with the jazz-jam outfit Equinox doing tunes from Miles to Metheny, Monk to Scofield, Corea and Coltrane. One night Jeff Page from Jim's old band the Electric Enchiladas sat in. It just so happened that vocalist Kyle Addison was there as well. After burning through a few blues tunes the idea to keep it rockin' was obvious. After recording a demo of covers with one original (a half finished Dickey's Lament) Ten Foot Tall was born with Addison on vocals and Ron Bengiavenga on drums. A year of gigs established the group but the direction was soon to change as Addison decided to leave to pursue a career in Medicine. The groove was too solid to let go so Clay Cassel was called in (after meeting Jim on a wedding gig!) for his expert drumming and gnarly vocals. To deepen the sound even further Pete Nardone, former bandmate of Clay's in Ripple, was tapped for keyboards. It was like Dickey Betts and Stevie Ray Vaughn with Dave La Rue on Bass formed a band with Bill Payne and a singing Bill Kreutzman. If that wasn't enough the boys recently added Jeanne Yarrow on vocals for an incredible mix of vocal harmony, funky grooves and blistering jams. 2005 saw the recording of a debut CD that has recieved condiderable airplay on New Jersey Rock stations such as WDHA, WRAT and WNTI. While maintaining a solid base of surprising cover tunes Ten Foot Tall is showcasing the original material and establishing itself as band to be reckoned with. 

James Popik Guitar, Vocals & Piano From Tin Pan Alley songs at the foot of Uncle Al's piano through Top 40 AM radio, big sisters' record collections, all-nighters wearing out the needle and professional studies Jim has tried to absorb and learn as much as possible but his sound is always grounded in the Blues, the 'live' sound and the art of improvisation. Influenced by The Allman Bros., Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, Miles,Trane, Monk .....

Jeff Page Guitar Graduate of the New York School of Commercial Music studied with Paul Plumeri, Ed Hamilton and Lou Pompillio currently working with Blues band The Pressure Cookers. Former member of Branded Roads (opening act for Southern Rock acts Blackfoot, Marshall Tucker and Outlaws), Dixie Highway and Electric Enchiladas.

Jeanne Yarrow Vocals, Percussion Former lead singer of Taproot, regionally acclaimed folk quartet. A pure singer in the Emmylou Harris school but with more power and a bluesier and more Gospel sensibility.

Clay Cassell Drums & Vocals Longtime drummer for Ripple, Clay brings a smooth yet powerful groove and growling  Allmanesque vocals to the mix. Clay has performed with Levon Helm, Vassar Clements and Buddy Cage among other luminaries.

Pete Nardone Keyboards Pete Nardone has been sited in various venues on the East Coast since 1977. Jamming with the likes of Sweetwater Lemon Jello Jefferson in his past life. On stage Pete usually has his eyes closed. Occasionally accused of peeking at young chippies he counters with, "it's just my way of communing with dead keyboardists who inhabit my body when I'm in a deep trance." Like Bob Marley...When Pete's not jamming he enjoys living on the edge, often working till he passes out, and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Luke Kessel Bass Graduate of the school of hard knocks, road campus. Toured nationally with Bluesman Lonnie Shields. Currently leads What the Funk as well as well as performing with Karl Deitel Band (Keyboards, The Samples), Screaming Nudes, The Gurus of Groove.