Kymaera

INTO THE RAINBOW Review Smoothjazz.com Feb 2007

A lovely tribute to the late visionary/founding member of the UK Smooth Jazz sensation Acoustic Alchemy. Kymaera is comprised of Webb’s original partner, Alchemy co-founder Simon James, along with guitarist Shane Hill and a handful of highly accomplished British musicians including bassist Dave Markee, percussionist Michele Drees, trumpet and flugelhorn player Dick Pearce and saxophonist Dave O’Higgins. The group has been recording since 1997 and has released five albums to date with INTO THE RAINBOW marking the ensemble’s U.S. debut on Sheridan Square Records. Nick Webb was a fantastic songwriter and had an incredible knack for melody. Alchemy fans will enjoy this tribute, as there are some wonderful pieces that Webb was able to contribute to prior to his passing in 1998, such as the project’s title track and earlier tunes that he co-wrote with James during their collaboration. In addition, Nick Webb’s long time writing partner and current AA band leader Greg Carmichael guests on INTO THE RAINBOW, while two of his contributions are included (the Carmichael/James offering “Desert Rose” as well as the Webb/Carmichael classic “Hearts In Chains”). Plus, you’ll discover several outstanding Kymaera originals, such as the Latin-tinged “Rosina,” and the smooth and inviting “The Last Resort.” It’s not surprising that Simon’s Kymaera is cut from a similar cloth as Webb’s Alchemy in that a melodic, soulful guitar is front and center. INTO THE RAINBOW is a beautiful dedication from one guitar player to another. ~SANDY SHORE

- Smoothjazz.com

Friday, November 14, 2008, 16:00

4 stars

I didn't know what to expect at this gig but certainly not an introduction from Sylvia Syms, the actress that you remember best from Ice Cold in Alex. She was obviously a fan of Simon James, a guitarist of beguiling dexterity, singer Lynieve Austin and guest percussionist Job Verweijen and after their concert I could understand why.

The Warehouse was full, with an audience that appreciated the evocation of Southern Spain from a guitarist who while looking like most suburban Brits had far greater expertise than the four chords of many pop groups.

His partner Lynieve Austin had composed many of the songs with James and obviously her heroine was the great Ella Fitzgerald, when she gave us a superb A Night in Tunisia. We started with flamenco, the music from Andalucia, and then on to an original composition, Wedding Singer, based on gypsy dances at wedding festivals. Lynieve then sang in Spanish, the beautiful Una Pena Quita Pena, which translated means 'a sorrow may cure a sorrow' - sounds much better in Spanish. We had a Samba, a Rumba and I liked the composition The River, a sort of journey of our lives, first softly and then violently like a mighty flood.

There is a tendency to think of percussion as crash, bang, wallop, but the equipment of Verweijen gave lie to this, producing rhythms often gentle but certainly hypnotic - the rustle of trees, bird cries, the lap of water, or was it simply my imagination.

We had improvisations from Since You Went Away, The Autumn Leaves and I loved the catchy 1,2,3,4,5 chorus. The well-deserved encore at the end was Nature Boy. My conclusion was this is a very talented group that love to make music.

Peter Steptoe
- The Croydon Advertiser