Cymande, the original line-up - new album, new gigs...?
Over the past couple of years I've managed to see live elements of my fav' band - Cymande.
Essentially the original drummer, Sam Kelly had managed to round up the original sax player, percussionist and one of the singers and, using musicians from Kelly's other bands had formed 'Cymande 2'. This semi-reunion band did a few gigs, playing old Cymande favourites Bra, The Message, Fug, etc.,... (if you don't know them, you may be familiar with parts of them as sampled by De La Soul, The Fugees, MC Solar, etc.,...).
At the Birmingham jazz festival a couple of years back, after listening to Cymande 2 I bumped into the charming Mr. Kelly at a burger van and got chatting to him. He spoke about his attempts to contact more of the original members and persuade them to come together for a full Cymande reunion. He hinted at some initial progress. (He really was incredibly friendly and humble. A genuinely nice guy.)
Well it seems as if Mr. Kelly has pulled it off...
http://cymande-online.com/2011/11/cymande-reunites-to-release-album-in-2012/
Apparently the live dates have been postponed to 2013, and I really hope they take place, and that Steve Scipio (one of my musical heroes) is there with his lyrical basslines. I suppose the band's average age was early 20s in their 1973 hey-day, so they're not getting any younger...
Anyway. I look forward to their new album with equal measures of excitement and terror (can it really meet my expectations...?).
Essentially the original drummer, Sam Kelly had managed to round up the original sax player, percussionist and one of the singers and, using musicians from Kelly's other bands had formed 'Cymande 2'. This semi-reunion band did a few gigs, playing old Cymande favourites Bra, The Message, Fug, etc.,... (if you don't know them, you may be familiar with parts of them as sampled by De La Soul, The Fugees, MC Solar, etc.,...).
At the Birmingham jazz festival a couple of years back, after listening to Cymande 2 I bumped into the charming Mr. Kelly at a burger van and got chatting to him. He spoke about his attempts to contact more of the original members and persuade them to come together for a full Cymande reunion. He hinted at some initial progress. (He really was incredibly friendly and humble. A genuinely nice guy.)
Well it seems as if Mr. Kelly has pulled it off...
http://cymande-online.com/2011/11/cymande-reunites-to-release-album-in-2012/
Apparently the live dates have been postponed to 2013, and I really hope they take place, and that Steve Scipio (one of my musical heroes) is there with his lyrical basslines. I suppose the band's average age was early 20s in their 1973 hey-day, so they're not getting any younger...
Anyway. I look forward to their new album with equal measures of excitement and terror (can it really meet my expectations...?).
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