Cheltenham’s Kim Cypher is making a real name for herself in the world of jazz, and with a new album being released later this year she’s looking to the future with a real sense of excitement.

Since picking up a saxophone while at primary school, Kim has climbed to the top of the musical ladder, earning rave reviews for her skill and warm stage presence. Kim performs an eclectic mix of music spanning many genres, with a quirky, jazzy twist together with her own original material. Her performances have been praised by music critics and she’s built up a strong fanbase, both here in Gloucestershire and much further afield.

Kim’s debut album ‘Make Believe’ was released in 2016. Music from the album has been featured on BBC Radio 2 plus national and regional radio stations across the UK and the USA.

Album number two is due for release in the next few months featuring some of the finest jazz musicians in the UK and overseas including US tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis (of James Brown and Van Morrison fame), David Newton on piano (13 times winner of best pianist in the British Jazz Awards), Clive Morton on double bass (ex-tutor to Jamie Cullum and long-time sideman with Frank Sinatra and Stephane Grappelli) and New York guitarist B.D. Lenz.

Kim said: “It’s very humbling. To work with people who have been in the industry for decades gives you a real confidence boost. I’ve learned so much from them. It’s a dream come true to be performing alongside people you’ve admired your whole life.

“When I was learning music at school I started off on the clarinet, but I wanted something a bit more funky, a bit different to the norm. That’s when I took up learning the saxophone. The minute I tried it I just knew it was the instrument for me, I’ve hardly played my clarinet since!

“All I wanted to do was play my saxophone. I was playing whenever I could, I’d be out performing and busking on the streets of Cheltenham because it was all I wanted to do with my spare time. My school didn’t really regard music as a career choice, so I was encouraged to go down a different route.

“It got to the point where myself and my husband Mike (drummer) were both in full-time jobs but also dedicated to a music career, so something had to give. Together we made the decision to go for it and haven’t looked back since. It’s been a real whirlwind. The day we gave up our day jobs and pursued music professionally we’ve never worked so hard. It’s non-stop work but the difference is you’re doing something you love and you’re doing it together.

Kim, who is a regular performer at The Daffodil restaurant in Cheltenham, says the support she receives from her fans inspires her to continue to write and perform. She said: “It’s incredible, it’s easily the best part of being a musician. I’m very vocal about the support I receive, it means the absolute world to me and I’m very grateful to everyone who attends a performance or buys my music.

My second album called ‘Love Kim x’ is a dedication to my fans, they’re what makes everything worthwhile. Without the support I receive there would be no point in doing what I do.”

Some of Kim’s recent performances include a sell-out gig in London and a performance for Prime Minister Theresa May, but it’s a performance across the pond that stands out as being the most memorable.

She added: “I often get asked what my favourite performance has been and it’s a question I really struggle with. Every opportunity I get to play is special. I suppose if I had to name one it would be a show I did in New York.

“I was flown out for a private performance in Manhattan. It was a really surreal moment thinking that someone had gone to the expense to fly me out there and play. A performance like that gives you a lot of inner confidence, it was definitely a real landmark event in my career so far.”

Having forged a successful career in an industry as competitive as music, Kim says anyone looking to follow in her footsteps should possess an abundance of self-belief. She said: “I think the main thing is to believe in yourself. Believe in what you do and who you are and don’t let anyone put you down.

“If you stick to those principles and work as hard as you can you’ll be on the right path. There will be a lot of people along the way that will try and channel you in another direction or change who you are, but you’ve got to stick to your guns and stay loyal to yourself.”

Kim’s ambitions for the future are clear. She added: “I want to spend more time creating and composing music, being invited to perform at new venues and as many jazz festivals as possible. I love what I do, it’s hard work but the positive feedback and well wishes makes it all worthwhile.”

Kim’s forthcoming new album ‘Love Kim x’ is available for pre-order now on her website at: www.kimcypher.co.uk