The Kim-Project recently performed for the Santa Barbara Jazz Society at SOhO Music Room in Santa Barbara.  The personnel for this performance was Kimberly Ford, vocals, Kim Richmond, saxophones/flute; Will Brahm, guitar; Adam Hersh, piano; Cooper Appelt, bass; Kevin Vandenelzen, drums. The band played to a full and enthusiastic house.

Mark McDonald took some excellent photographs, and there was a good review (see both below).

Kim Project, group shot

The entire Kim Project, onstage.

Our lovely Kimberly Ford, vocals

Kim & Kim, co-leaders

Conference

Kim R, saxophone

Drummer Kevin Vandenelzen

Guitarist Will Brahm, letting it fly!

Grooving with it.

Kim $ on soprano

Kim & Kim with flute

Flute solo

Kevin and Will

Cooper Appelt, bass

Kimberly

Kimberly, emoting

Kimberly, shouting!

Natalie Wilson (Santa Barbara Jazz Society president) and Kimberly

A packed house at SOhO

Kevin, listening

Adam Hersh, pianist, playing a great solo. Kim digging it.

....and reading great too.

Student bassist Harry Sneddon, (recipient of the Santa Barbara Jazz Workshop scholarship given by the Santa Barbara Jazz Society) left, sitting in with the Kim Project, being encouraged by pro Cooper Applet.

The Kim Project Review July 2019

Playing to a full house, vocalist Kimberly Ford and Kim Richmond and his band of “young lions” from LA captivated an audience of local jazz fans last Sunday combining the music of jazz giants, Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock. The energetic group pulled out all the stops to make their performance truly memorable. The music was complex, to be sure, but with Kim Richmond’s amazing arrangements the tunes seemed to flow from one composer to the other seamlessly.

Devoted to the music of Joni Mitchell, Kimberly belted out the unusual and difficult melodies perfectly and also added her lovely voice to the band’s instrumental passages. The combination of Hancock’s Cantaloupe Island pared with Mitchell’s Dreamland was a great opener followed by I Had a King (Mitchell) and Dolphin Dance (Hancock). On Hancock’s Maiden Voyage the band was joined by 16 year old bassist Harry Sneddon, the Santa Barbara High School student sponsored by the SBJS to attend the Santa Barbara Jazz Workshop this month.

A blusey Goodbye Pork Pie Hat written by Mitchell and Charles Mingus featured bassist, Cooper Appeit and a soulful vocal by Kimberly. Band leader, Kim Richmond showed his immense talent playing solos on alto and soprano sax and flute on all the selections. Guitarist, Will Brahm had some wonderfully lyrical solos all afternoon as did the far out pianist, Adam Hersh. Drummer, Kevin Vandenelzen was featured on the timeless, Watermelon Man. These young, dynamic players recruited by Richmond are the jazz stars of tomorrow and we are so fortunate that he could introduce them to us.