James William Chappell, known professionally as Jim Chappell, was born in Michigan in 1955 and is an American jazz pianist. His first album, Tender Ritual, a collection of piano solos, was released in 1985 on his own Unspeakable Freedom label. In 1986, Chappell signed with Music West Records and released Dusk, which peaked at number 19 on Billboard's Top New Age Albums chart. His subsequent albums, including Living in the Northern Summer (1989), Saturday’s Rhapsody (1990), and Nightsongs and Lullabies (1991), also appeared on the same chart. In 1992, Chappell switched to the Real Music label, where his music became more jazz-oriented. His album Over the Top (1993) reached Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He later released albums like Manila Nights (1994) and, in 1996, moved to Gallery Records for one album before returning to the Unspeakable Freedom label in 2002.
