Jim Lampi is a native of Los Angeles. Musically he started out playing sax , guitar, and singing in local bands. He discovered the Chapman Stick from an article in the Los Angeles Times and later took lessons from Emmett Chapman., the inventor of the Stick. He quickly became a virtuoso performer and moved up to the San Francisco music scene, performing with such diverse musicians as Tuck & Pattie , Michael Hedges, as well as opening solo for the Jerry Garcia band, and playing Bread & Roses concerts with Joan Baez and Maria Mauldar. He then headed over to Europe, playing in a variety of clubs and festivals. Jim began to teach tapping, and performed with classical, jazz, and rock musicians in Scandinavia and later Paris. Inevitably Lampi came to London playing in the new jazz scene with Phillip Bent (GRP Records), Tony Remy, Steve Williamson (all of Jazz Warriors fame) and John Etheridge, (Soft Machine).

He released his first solo album ,‘TV Weather’ in 1992. Promotion and touring of the UK followed covering TV, radio, clubs, colleges. He performed at the Summer Jazz Festival in Warsaw featuring such stars as Chick Corea, Jack Bruce, John Mclaughin , Modern Jazz Quartet, Steve Gadd. Other collaborations included a ‘Sound on Sound’ Magazine project with Courtney Pine, more studio work and tours with singer Marie Claire D’ubaldo , and with Zak Sikobi of Kenya in shows featuring Ali Hassan Kuban of Egypt at the Royal Festival Hall and the Shikamoo Jazz Band at the Astoria in London for festivals of African music. Lampi finished his second solo album ‘Young Lions’ in 1996. At this time began to perform in duo and band performances with the legendary John Martyn (Solid Air).

In 2002 Jim’s third solo album ‘Greazy’ was released. This mostly instrumental collection featured guest performances from John Martyn and Marie Claire D’ubaldo.

Jim's long standing collaboration with German producer and keyboard player Zeus B. Held led to the formation of The Held Lampi Project, a virtual band, based around the creative nucleus of Jim and Zeus, featuring collaborations with artists from around the world.

Their first album for Kissing Fish Music, Digital Dreaming was released in October 2004 and they are currently writing material for a new collaboration with musicians from Japan and South East Asia and planning a tour in 2005.