Bassist, DJ, Bandleader, Session player, and Writer of 30 years, with a passion for improvisation, and mixing genres... You'll catch him on stage with some of the country's finest musicians - playing everything from Drum n Bass, to Funk, with a bit of classic rock thrown in there, plus a huge pinch of Avante Garde.   One fan said "If Parliament Funkadelic, Frank Zappa, and Particle could somehow have a child, that would be you."
We'll take that.

Anti-Professional. Inconsistent. Musician.

The Stop, one of Birmingham, Alabama's most popular bands, has spent the last 10 years developing a sound all their own. The founding members, Joel Kauffman and Beck Hall, have managed to created a unique & tight chemistry, successfully mixing the extensive and versatile stylistic backgrounds each brings to the stage. Many fans call The Stop's unique jam style "Rumble Funk,"  as even the group's most exploratory moments are often still deeply rooted in danceable funk.

Originally formed as a power trio, the group now performs in ever changing arrangements; anywhere from a trio to a sextet, depending on the show. Joel and Beck have featured many nationally & regionally renowned musicians from all over the country, and continue to hand pick their other band-mates to most appropriately fit each venue/crowd. The list of featured players includes members of The Jimmy Herring Band, Oteil and The Peacemakers, HoneyBaked, Pioneer Chicken Stand, The Black Jacket Symphony... as well as several university level music professors and local music teachers. 

The music created by The Stop has a sound all it's own, varying from funk, trance, and rock n' roll, to beautiful soundscapes able to change dramatically at any moment. Incorporating software instruments, samples, live looping, and effects, the unusual sense of free improvisation created by The Stop is truly one of a kind.. as is their continuous crowd interaction.

Followers of The Stop