(Review by Lance).
Yet another absolutely wonderful vocalist, the lyrics of The Nearness of You were delivered as emotionally as they have been delivered by any contemporary singer. She could have been singing to me (sigh). The next track, an original, Maybe, suggests that maybe she had someone else in mind! So what, I've loved and lost before and it's a great tune with lovely lyrics, some smoove soprano and a 100 watts of Dave Newton's keyboard make this as emotional an encounter as seeing a stranger across a crowded room during the course of an enchanted evening.
Comes Love, is this an overdub? Kim is singing but the tenor sax wheedles its way in during the vocal and Pee-Wee isn't officially on this track., Cobbson is and does!
Breezin' has Kim blowing sop. It's all a bit easy listening, shades of Kenny G only better.
Valerie - a vocal sung emotively, telling a story, sits nicely alongside Amy.
People Get Ready - a Curtis Mayfield number done here as an instrumental. Kim blows her pants off over a full backing with Lenz putting the groove in before sanity prevails.
Highland Mike - written by Kim in memory of Mike Carter who 'Introduced me to such great music'. Pee Wee blows some earthy tenor.
Rising From the Dust - another original by Kim full of cutting lyrics about a woman learning to live again. Some shredding from Lenz plus a backing choir!
A Time to Reflect, A Time to Forget. Cobbson wrote this one and Kim takes it around the block on sop sax over a Carribean rhythm with the composer in there pitching.
Finally, Baker Street! I suppose it had to come. Over the years, the sax test pieces have evolved (or devolved) from Body and Soul to Take 5; Desifinado; Yakety Sax and Baker Street. Before you cringe, forget Gerry Rafferty (no, don't forget Gerry because Baker Street was one of the most emotive songs of the latter part of the last century) this is a totally different take. Kim plays sop and alto, the charismatic theme isn't lost but it's surrounded by so much magical, musical, mayhem that, had he still been in residence, Sherlock would have smoked a pipe of Shanghai's finest, grabbed his violin and joined in the jam - "I say Watson, I detected a D# diminished 9th in there - the game is afoot".
Afoot it is indeed!
Lance.
Kim Cypher (vocals/flute/sop, alto, tenor sax) + (collectively) Pee Wee Ellis (tenor sax); David Newton, Alex Steele (piano); Chris Santo Cobbson, Lee Jones, B.D. Lenz (guitar); Tom Clarke-Hill, Clive Morton (bass); Mike Cypher (drums); Karl Vanden Bossche (perc.); John-Paul Gard (organ); Kentwood Show Choir).
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