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Photo by Monika S Jakubowska
Kim Cypher made a triumphant return to Ronnie Scott’s on June 16th, celebrating Father’s Day and a brighter tomorrow over Sunday lunch.
Kim, along with her brilliant musicians, Mike Green (Bass) Mike Cypher (Drums) Alex Steele (Piano) and Chris Cobbson (Guitar) brought an absolute abundance of joy to Ronnie’s. Her energy is truly captivating and I’m not sure I have ever seen an audience have so much fun.
Performing a range of material from her past albums and some brand new tracks from her upcoming album, we were treated to a fantastic set of music that ensured the energy was high throughout. Starting with one of Kim’s favourite tracks ‘Recado Bossa Nova‘ the groove was set with a scintillating solo from Alex Steele on the keys, who was absolutely outstanding throughout the gig. This was closely followed by ‘I’m in the Mood to Wish upon a Star’, a wonderful track from Kim’s upcoming album Catching Moments which combines two songs ( I’m In The Mood For Love and When You Wish Upon A Star) beautifully. Kim shared that the new album features Ronnies regular Ray Gelato on the track which led to some hilarious banter with her husband Mike ( who is always beautifully poised behind the kit), who debated singing instead of Ray, but Kim quickly put a stop to this. The chemistry between Kim and Mike is just brilliant. The husband and wife jokes are a plenty but there is never a doubt of the love, respect and support they have for each other. It is a beautiful thing to see. This is one of Kim’s many inspiring qualities – engaging the audience with her behind the scenes stories that always have the audience giggling but equally inspired.
Mike Green by Monika S Jakubowska
Throughout the gig, Kim shared her musical journey with us in such a way that we felt we were – and still are – there with her. Her achievements in a relatively short period of time, are significant and performing ‘Upper West Side Blues’ she reminds of when she achieved one of her dreams, gigging in New York in 2016. Another dream was playing at Ronnie Scott’s and Kim’s love for Ronnie’s is unmistakable and returning for a second time, to this sold out performance, including a coach load of supporters from her home town of Cheltenham, was wildly celebrated by everyone in the room.
Kim performed several yet to be released songs – shout out for the bunny inspired ‘Bertie, Bertie, Bertie’ which had us all bouncing around full of energy – and an especially moving moment was opening the second set with ‘Where Time Goes’. This was the debut live performance of this track, in honour of Kim’s father and there were some incredibly beautifully moments where you could really feel Kim’s emotions. But as always, humour is not far away and this track also saw the debut of Mike’s ocean drum, emulating the sound of the waves throughout the track, which Kim explained afterwards caused much excitement.
Mike Cypher by Monika S Jakubowska
The latter part of the second set really showcased Kim’s astounding ability to entertain and the party really started. We were treated to a funk styled ‘Feelin’ Good’ and ‘Samba de Orfeu’ with audience participation a joyful requirement with some scatting, and clapping ( and this was actually in time) and Kim walked and strutted her way into the audience to truly connect with her supporters and spread some magic on her way. It is this magical quality of Kim’s that really sets her gigs apart from others and makes them so very special – the connection and love she has with the audience has a level of authenticity rarely seen and this is reciprocated in abundance. The energy and excitement after the gig was incredible. I spoke to many people afterwards and they were so very keen to share how much they enjoyed the gig and were almost bouncing off the walls. Kim is adored by so many and it was a really wonderful thing to witness.
Photo by Fiona Ross
In the promotion for the gig, we were told that Kim would ‘captivate you in a spellbinding performance, sharing positive energy through her music and audience repartee.’ They were not wrong. A fantastic gig.
Last modified: June 28, 2024
