Life’s ever-changing weather
A bit of a lengthy post from me today (sorry). I hope you’re all doing ok. Many people have been asking me how the future is looking for Mike and I as we ease out of lockdown. As many of you know, both myself and Mike are full-time professional musicians, having given up our professional careers elsewhere a while back to follow our musical dreams. So, i’m not going to lie, our inability to earn a living for the past year has been tough…very tough. But, I wrote a song lyric in my song ‘All For You’ which was inspired by my late mum:
“When I go walking in this life of mine through it’s ever-changing weather”….
It pretty much sums up the ups and downs of life, also beautifully illustrated in the picture by artist Martyna Sabadasz from the ‘All For You’ music video.
So, I wanted to update you all on how our future is looking and also let you know about a few exciting new ventures and some great things I have coming up which give me good reason to dust off my saxes! Firstly, the chance to get out there and earn some money will be very welcome. Being reunited with my fellow band-mates and the musician way of life will be overwhelming. There will be tears! Some new ventures are keeping myself and Mike suitably entertained. We absolutely LOVE presenting our weekly radio show ‘The BIG Jazz Hullabaloo’ on JazzBites Radio. It’s such a lovely opportunity to share great music with everyone and we love it. We also love the fact that Mike is ‘The BIG Jazz’ and i’m ‘The Hullabaloo’ (can’t think how that happened). You can tune into this every Friday at 6.00pm (BST) and the show is repeated every Sunday at 9.00pm (BST). Just tune into the channel 2 player at: JAZZBITES RADIO – Home (thejazzrepository.org)
I am also enjoying writing album reviews and interviewing amazing people from the world of jazz. I am now on the team of writers for Home (kindofjazz.com) and have a very exciting interview coming soon. My review of the new album by Marta Capponi is already on the site and I am soon to be added as one of their contributors.
I have had wonderful support from my fellow sisters in jazz and I am very proud to be part of the new Women in Jazz Media team fronted by the amazing Fiona Ross. Her incredible passion and vision is a continual inspiration to me. So, I am filled with joy and feel totally honoured to also be recording with her very soon! I am a special guest on her new original track due for release on 30th April, International Jazz Day.
Talking about International Jazz Day, myself and Mike will actually be getting a little taste of a return to our ‘normal’ way of life. We’ll be loading our car with all the gear (yes, we have even missed doing that…and I promise never to moan about it again (ok, I probably will, especially if it rains) but not on 30th April. We will be over-excited to be heading to London, to one of our favourite jazz venues, Toulouse Lautrec for a live stream gig with our band buddies Mike Green and Anders Olinder and we SO hope you will join us by tuning in at 7.30pm on my Facebook profile page. We will be full of chatter and we’ll be performing some of our favourite jazz standards using the wonderful piano at the venue (the pride and joy of Nolan Regent). I might even have a new hair-do by then, I certainly hope so – Kim Cypher – International Jazz Day ‘LIVE’ Stream – Toulouse Lautrec
Between now and then though, I have an ‘Almost Live’ session coming up at 4.00pm (BST) on Sunday 25th April on K107 FM – Live & Local Kirkcaldy Community Radio ‘The Jazz Lounge’ with Grace Black. It is wonderful to be working with four superb guitarists Denny Ilett, Chris Cobbson, B.D. Lenz, and Alban Claret.
During lockdown, Mike and I were approached by The Rotary Club to perform live sessions for some of their regional groups. We are enjoying this and it has given us an opportunity to continue raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity as part of my ‘For Mum’ project. It is great to be able to help charities at this time. The Rotary Club Annual Conference going out across the UK has also decided to use our ‘Crazy Times’ music video as the basis for their conference. They’ve even called it ‘Crazy Times’. Well, I suppose it sums up the past year perfectly. I am excited that my video will be part of this.
I’m also excited that some of my original music is now featured in a fantastic new audio book. The music really sets the scene well. This is something I would like to do more of as I love the power of music and how it can really enhance a story or a visual. Anyone looking for some atmospheric sax music please give me a shout!!!
I have lots of new music written and ready to go. I will just need to manage my frustration at not being able to contemplate the prospect of funding any new projects just at the moment. However, there is one very special song that I will get recorded soon by hook or by crook!
In terms of live gigs, I have already mentioned our live stream on Friday 30th April. We are also part of a radio ‘virtual’ festival coming up end of May so i’ll keep you posted on that.
Actual ‘live’ gigs with an audience are:
Thurs 3rd June – launching a new jazz venue in Bath
Tues 22nd June – Chapel Arts Cheltenham – Jazz at the Chapel | Kim Cypher’s Big Jazz Kickstart (thechapelarts.com)
Fri 3rd Sept – Live At Zédel, London – Brasserie Zédel | Restaurant – Bar – Cabaret – Café (brasseriezedel.com) (which I know many of you are planning to come along to as a lovely group get-together). I will keep you posted when tickets go on sale.
Sat 13th Nov – Tetbury Goods Shed (always a great night…and my birthday weekend!) – Tetbury Goods Shed – Arts Centre – Music, Theatre, Exhibitions & Performances (shed-arts.co.uk)
Of course, this is all subject to how everything pans out. We are also provisionally booked for a fab festival in the summer, but it’s early days yet isn’t it? So, thank you to all of you for your amazing ongoing support and for your kind messages caring about our future. We appreciate it so much. We are all in this together. Mike and I are incredibly thankful and we are so looking forward to seeing you all. In the meantime, keep safe and keep smiling through life’s ever-changing weather.
Much love x