Kim Cypher, “Catching Moments” Album Launch,  The Taproom, Dunkertons Cider Co., Cheltenham, 03/10/2024

Kim Cypher – tenor, alto & soprano saxophones, vocals,  Chris Cobbson – guitar, Richard Hughes – keyboards, Mike Green – double bass, electric bass, Mike Cypher – drums

with;

Gary Alesbrook – trumpet, flugelhorn, Ian Bateman – trombone, Ray Gelato – tenor saxophone, vocals, David Freeman – MC, the Flaming Feathers Dancers

This sold out event in the Taproom at Dunkertons Cider Co. represented the official launch of “Catching Moments”, the third album from Cheltenham based saxophonist, vocalist and songwriter Kim Cypher.

Four years in the making the new recording is largely comprised of original material and reflects Cypher’s reactions to both personal and world events, with several of the compositions having been written during the course of the pandemic.

The new recording follows the albums “Make Believe” (2016) and “Love Kim x”  (2019). Both of these contain a mix of original songs by Kim plus a selection of covers drawn from both the jazz and pop and rock repertoires. “Catching Moments” represents a more personal work, but it remains just as appealing and accessible as its predecessors.

All of Kim’s bands include her husband, Mike Cypher on drums.  The Cyphers’ story is an interesting one. Despite sharing a lifetime’s love of jazz the couple came late to the professional ranks. They first met as fifteen year olds in the ranks of the Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra. After eventually “getting together” both held professional ‘day jobs’ for some thirty odd years, Kim as a primary school teacher and Mike as an employee of one of the major banks. Throughout this time they pursued their shared love of music, performing on the local jazz circuit. I seem to recall first seeing them at one of the regular ‘Saturday Jazz Cafés’, free lunchtime events in the foyer of the Courtyard Arts Centre in Hereford, more than a decade ago now.

By their own admission Kim and Mike both felt like ‘outsiders’ in their respective day jobs and eventually took the brave decision to become professional musicians, a decision neither has ever regretted. Free to concentrate on music full time their playing and stagecraft improved by leaps and bounds. They have since enjoyed success with Kim’s two previous albums, recordings that have given their music a national reputation, and they have since toured successfully throughout the UK and performed in many of the leading London jazz venues, such as Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 Club and the Pizza Express Jazz Club.

My first encounter with Kim Cypher’s music after she turned professional was actually online  when her quintet performed an excellent set for the 2020 Wall2Wall Virtual Jazz Festival hosted in Abergavenny by Black Mountain Jazz Club. This was a highly entertaining performance filmed to the highest technical standards by 47 Studios and Productions and was one of the best livestreams that I saw during the lockdown period. My review of this online event can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/kim-cypher-quintet-wall2wall-virtual-jazz-festival-2020-abergavenny

In 2022 I finally caught up with the Cyphers at a genuine live show at a local gig for me at Pudlestone Village Hall in rural Herefordshire. A sell out audience saw another terrific show from a quartet featuring both Cyphers plus bassist Mike Green and guitarist Chris Cobbson, the small size of the venue precluding the use of keyboards. But this hardly seemed to matter as the quartet delivered another hugely entertaining show, fronted by the vivacious Kim Cypher. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/kim-cypher-quartet-pudlestone-village-hall-pudlestone-leominster-herefordshire-11-11-2022

It was at Pudlestone that I got to meet the Cyphers in person for the first time and we have since maintained regular contact,  resulting in me being asked to cover other live events, including this evening’s album launch.

I have also reviewed two shows featuring the Cyphers at Smokey Joe’s in Cheltenham, both of these featuring a special guest in the form of the American guitarist, composer, arranger and bandleader B.D. Lenz, a regular visitor to the UK and a great friend of the Cyphers. The first of these, in April 2023, saw Lenz guesting with Kim’s regular quintet. The second, which took place in July of the same year, saw the roles being reversed as Kim and Mike guested with Lenz’s regular trio (with bassist James Rosocha and drummer Joe Falcey), this event representing just one of many dates on the Lenz Trio’s UK tour. Both events were well attended, hugely entertaining and highly successful. Reviews of both shows can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/kim-cypher-quartet-with-b.d-lenz-smokey-joes-coffee-bar-cheltenham-glos-13-04-2023
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/b.d-lenz-trio-with-kim-mike-cypher-smokey-joes-coffee-bar-diner-cheltenham-27-07-2023

Tonight’s special album launch event also found the Cyphers welcoming a number of illustrious guests. The regular quintet featuring Cobbson and Green plus a new face in the keyboard chair with Richard Hughes taking over from Alex Steele. Some pieces found the core group augmented by the Bristol based horn section of Gary Alesbrook (trumpet, flugel) and Ian Bateman (trombone). The highly popular saxophonist, vocalist and bandleader Ray Gelato also guested on a couple of numbers, sharing the vocals with Kim. And this really was the promised ‘all singing all dancing show’ with the Bristol based Flaming Feathers dance troupe bringing a colourful visual element to the proceedings.

The “Catching Moments” material had already been premiered by the core quintet at two previous recent shows, including a prestigious and hugely successful appearance on the main stage at Ronnie Scott’s in June 2024. But for the official album launch Kim wanted it to take place in her home town of Cheltenham and to make it truly spectacular.

The chosen location was Dunkertons Park, a permanent tented village adjacent to Dunkertons cider works on the edge of Cheltenham that incorporates bars, eateries and the Taproom entertainment venue. The Cyphers host the regular Dunkertons Jazz Sessions so this was very much an obvious choice for them. Nevertheless tonight’s event effectively took place in a marquee and on a chilly October night it was decidedly parky in there, particularly for first time visitors unaccustomed to the layout of the place. Not that this affected the quality of the music and the entertainment.

Kim Cypher is an artist who has accrued a strong local following and family, friends and supporters were very much in evidence in the sold out and highly partisan crowd. There was the feeling that this gig represented a real home town triumph with the townsfolk of Cheltenham turning up in force to support ‘one of their own’.

The show was compered by Jazz FM DJ David Freeman and there was also a welcoming speech from the Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Paul Baker.

“Catching Moments” represents a continuation of Kim’s “Brighter Tomorrow” project which has been described as;
 “A collaborative project started during COVID lockdowns to showcase all those who work in the arts, and demonstrate their unbending passion, drive, resilience and dedication to their craft.”

The spirit of the “Brighter Tomorrow” project informed tonight’s opening number, “Uniquely The Same”, also the opening track on the new album and a song that champions individuality and condemns categorisation and conformity. A video for this track features the Bristol based Flaming Feathers dancers, who tonight made a colourful entrance as they strutted their stuff in front of the stage. I’ve never seen dancing girls at a jazz gig before! They were somewhat scantily clad and must have been absolutely freezing! Musically speaking this was a lively, uplifting number that featured Kim on alto sax and vocals and included an excellent trombone solo from Ian Bateman, who also appears on the album and helps with the horn arrangements. The recorded version includes a contribution from former Loose Tunes trombonist Ashley Slater, who also features on trumpet and vocals. 

As the dancers retreated, presumably to thaw out, the band kept the energy levels at boiling point with the swing number “All For You”, a celebration of life written in memory of Kim’s late mother and as a fundraiser for the Brain Tumour Charity. This featured Kim’s soprano sax and vocals and included a solo from Richard Hughes, deploying an acoustic piano sound on his Nord keyboard. The performance was also notable for a punchy horn arrangement featuring the sounds of trumpet, trombone and soprano sax.

The new album also features Kim’s arrangement of the classic Abdullah Ibrahim composition “Water From An Ancient Well”, which was introduced by a piano / tenor sax duet. Tonight’s performance of this delightfully melodic and evocative piece featured the core quintet plus Bateman and included solos for trombone, tenor sax and piano, with these being presented in a different order to the recorded version. The piece was also notable for Mike Cypher’s sensitive performance behind the drum kit, deploying brushes throughout.

The first of the Lockdown compositions was “Gonna Be Alright, Gonna Be OK”, which Kim described as having “smooth jazz” tendencies, although as David Freeman later pointed out she was probably doing herself a disservice with this remark. With Green switching to five string electric bass this was a funky and soulful piece that featured Kim’s voice and tenor sax and which included a wonderfully fluent flugelhorn solo from the excellent Alesbrook as Bateman sat out.

The band continued to stick with material from the new album with the reflective “Where Time Goes”, a song written to honour Kim’s late father on the first anniversary of his passing. This was an atmospheric piece featuring the wave like sounds of Mike’s ‘ocean drum’ and Cobbson’s acoustic guitar. Kim featured on tenor sax and vocals, both spoken and sung. A song about the passing of time the recording features the guitar of guest artist Antonio Forcione. Meanwhile a video to accompany the song was filmed at the beautiful Monknash Beach in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

David Freeman welcomed tenor saxophonist, vocalist and bandleader Ray Gelato to the stage to duet with Kim on the Irving Berlin song “You’re Just In Love”,  with the pair sharing the vocals and Gelato taking a tenor sax solo.

Things took an unexpected, and for me very welcome, turn with inclusion of a Carla Bley tune, “The Lord Is Listenin’ To You, Hallelujah!”. With Hughes deploying an organ sound and Green switching to electric bass this blues and gospel tinged showstopper represented a feature for Kim’s tenor sax, with guitarist Chris Cobbson also featuring as a soloist. I thoroughly enjoyed this, but was surprised that Bateman wasn’t featured at some juncture given that Bley’s original was a showcase for the great American trombonist Gary Valente. Kim’s decision to include this piece was partly due to her admiration for the Bristolian saxophonist Andy Sheppard, one of the UK’s most successful jazz exports and a musician who worked regularly with the late, great Carla Bley (1936-2023).

The band dipped into the back catalogue for Cobbson’s composition  “A Time to Reflect, A Time to Forget”, a tune that appears on The “Love Kim x” album as well as in a different form on Cobbson’s own 2022 release “My Favorite Things”.  Dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931 – 2021) it’s a celebration of Tutu’s life and work and this was a joyous performance that introduced further African flavourings into the mix, notably those of Cobbson’s native Ghana. With Green again featuring on electric bass this saw Kim soloing on soprano sax, followed by the composer on guitar, the two of them then entering into a scintillating series of sax and guitar exchanges, with a solo soprano sax cadenza at the close. Cobbson’s tune has become a favourite with Cypher audiences and this uplifting tune represented an excellent way to conclude an exceptional first set that had embraced a wide range of human emotions and an equally broad gamut of musical styles.

The second half began with an impromptu instrumental as Kim Cypher’s return to the stage was delayed by a costume change and the musicians delivered a breezy version of “Comin’ Home Baby”, song that was a 1960s hit for Mel Torme but which had begun life as an instrumental. Hughes switched between organ and piano sounds as he shared the solos with Cobbson on guitar, sounding remarkably like Wes Montgomery, and Alesbrook on flugel.

Kim returned for a speeded up arrangement of “Feelin’ Good”, a song by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse that has become indelibly associated with Nina Simone. This funky, celebratory version with Green on electric bass feature Kim’s vocals and tenor sax as she shared the instrumental solos with Cobbson. There was also some audience participation with a call and response episode towards the close.

A return to the “Catching Moments” repertoire with the instrumental “Birdie In The Grass”, written during the lockdown period when everybody, including professional jazz musicians, seemed to be re-connecting with nature. Introduced by a passage of unaccompanied tenor sax this was a bossa nova flavoured piece that saw Kim sharing the subsequent soloing with Alesbrook’s flugel. The recorded version includes contributions from guitarist Antonio Forcione, bassist Raph Mizraki and percussionist Karl Vanden Bossche.

Another instrumental “Tomorrow’s Song”, which features on the new album and which was also issued as a single, was written around the time the country was coming out of lockdown. Combining lyricism with optimism it featured Kim’s soaring soprano sax and a melodic double bass solo from the excellent Mike Green. Kim informed us that there is also a vocal version of this piece, recorded live at London’s 606 Jazz Club with pianist / vocalist Liane Carroll. Both the instrumental and vocal versions appear on the album.

Also from the new album “Bertie Bertie Bertie” takes its title from one of Kim’s pet rabbits. It proved to be a suitably bouncy piece that initially reminded me of one of Sonny Rollins’ ‘jazz calypsos’, something encouraged by Kim’s raunchy tenor sax sound. Cobbson’s subsequent guitar solo then introduced something of a West African influence.

Freeman welcomed Ray Gelato back to the stage for “I’m In The Mood To Wish Upon A Star”, an ingenious mash up of two different, but complimentary songs. Sung by Kim and Ray as a kind of Louis Armstrong / Ella Fitzgerald duet it again featured a Gelato tenor sax solo. The song appears on the “Catching Moments” album, where it also includes a contribution from pianist George Cooper, leader of the acclaimed Bristol based band The Jazz Defenders. I have to admit that the two duets were a bit too ‘showbiz’ for my personal tastes, but most of the other people in the audience seemed to love them.

The show closed with Kim and Ray singing the second duet on the recording, the song “Together”. This featured the full band, with Alesbrook and Bateman added, and also re-introduced the Flaming Feathers, more substantially clothed this time, which was probably just as well as the temperature continued to plummet. In addition to the vocals Kim and Ray were also involved in a series of lively tenor sax exchanges.

This spectacular closing number brought the crowd to their feet and demanding an encore. This proved to be a version of Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas”, with solos from Gelato on tenor, Bateman on trombone and Alesbrook on trumpet, plus a dynamic drum feature from the excellent Mike Cypher, whose immaculate playing had been at the heart of the music throughout. And the evening literally ended with a bang as a myriad of party poppers exploded covering the audience in streamers. I felt sorry for the poor bugger who had to clear them all up afterwards!

This had been a memorable evening for the Cyphers and their many friends and supporters, a hugely successful event that had truly launched the new album in style. My thanks to Kim and Mike for inviting me along to cover it and for providing me with a copy of the CD when we spoke together afterwards.

Kim Cypher is a force of nature, a glamorous and entertaining performer who is also agreeably down to earth and always happy to engage with members of her burgeoning fan base. But behind the glitz is a highly talented and focussed saxophonist, vocalist and songwriter whose hard work and commitment to the jazz cause has won her a loyal nationwide following. It’s quite a success story, with Mike Cypher right beside Kim every step of the way. 

The lavishly packaged album, with liner notes by journalist Nick Lea was almost played in full tonight, albeit in a different running order. The only piece that didn’t feature was “Tiempos Locos (Crazy Times Remix)”, an exuberant piece as its title might suggest, and a second collaboration with Ashley Slater.

Other musicians to feature on the recording and who have not been mentioned in the above review include pianists Tom Berge and Anders Olinder, trumpeter Jonny Bruce and the versatile Alan Bateman on both trumpet and baritone sax.

With twelve tracks and a running time of sixty two minutes “Catching Moments” represents excellent value for money and is an impressive piece of work in its own right, as well as being an excellent souvenir of Kim Cypher’s ebullient live performances.

 

 

 

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