Kim Jennings

Folk Songstress ~ Indie Edge

June 3, 2019
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on The Great Molasses Flood – “100 Years” CD Release in Framingham, MA

The Great Molasses Flood – “100 Years” CD Release in Framingham, MA

On Saturday, June 15, 2019, my band The Great Molasses Flood is putting on a CD Release show!

You’re all invited, obviously.

Event: “100 Years” CD Release Party with The Great Molasses Flood!
Date: Saturday, June 15
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis Street, Framingham, MA 01702
Special Guests: Pearl & Steph
Tickets/More Info: call 508-405-2787 or purchase online ahttps://amazingthings.org/event/great-molasses-flood/

cd-release-FB-graphic w venue

 

This is our band’s debut CD – the live recording from Club Passim on January 15, 2019 – the 100th Anniversary of the Boston Molasses Disaster.

I hope to see you there!!

~Kim

December 28, 2018
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on Passim – on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Boston Molasses Flood

Passim – on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Boston Molasses Flood

My band The Great Molasses Flood is playing Club Passim on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Boston Molasses Flood – Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

I’m kind of emotional about it, having just re-read the fantastic book “Dark Tide.” It’s an amazing historical recounting of events leading up to the flood, and the years-long civil suit that followed – it’s very “the people vs. big business,” and many other themes still relevant today. We have author Stephen Puleo’s permission to do a reading from the book at our show…but I’d also highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself

Speaking of the show at Passim, we’re recording it for a live album.
And we’ve added bass player extraordinaire Mike Lachance to the band!
And we’ve won a prestigious Passim Iguana Music Fund grant too!
And we’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the rest of the recording project. Kickstarter named it a “Project We Love!” Come join the fun!

GMF is really on a roll! 🙂

We’d love you be a part of this live album recording…click here for tickets

Here’s to a wonderful 2019!

GMF at Passim 1-15-18 v2

Iguana winners

November 9, 2017
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on A New Song, after the Latest Mass Shooting (and the discomfort of art)

A New Song, after the Latest Mass Shooting (and the discomfort of art)

I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know what to say.

This is why I write songs. The words and the stories come so much easier to me that way.

All year, most of what I’ve been writing has been social or political commentary. I’ve never been so overcome with so much to say with so much hurt for what is happening in the world around me.

I see the backlash of people who *don’t want to hear it* from artists, songwriters, performers, actors…that we are only here for entertainment, and to make people feel good.

Respectfully, I disagree.

I’m here to say what I have to say. And so are you.

Sometimes we’ll feel good. Sometimes we’ll escape through art. But, other times, we need to be real about what’s happening around us. So let’s be civil about it, and hear each other, and see each other.

If you feel something as a result of my chosen artistic expression, well, I hope it makes you think. And then I hope that maybe, just maybe, it makes you take action too.

Sorry for being so new at this. And I’m sorry that it took me so long to get to this place of noticing, and being compelled to write about it. I’m fumbling along, trying to find my way.

Here’s my latest new song, written this week. It’s about how I felt when I heard about yet *another* mass shooting, in a church, AGAIN. Thoughts and prayers just aren’t enough to make it stop. And I’m *not* talking about taking away all guns. I’m talking about gun safety, and responsibility, and accountability, and improved regulations. I’m looking into Everytown (https://everytown.org/). What are you doing?

Here’s to art that compels us to contribute something meaningful while we’re here.

Thanks for listening.

Hugs and music,

~Kim

June 2, 2017
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on Just Added: Lisa Bastoni & Friends at Club Passim ~ THIS SUNDAY, June 4

Just Added: Lisa Bastoni & Friends at Club Passim ~ THIS SUNDAY, June 4

THIS IS A BIG DEAL!

I’ve played Passim’s campfire. festival. I’ve played Passim with other bands. This is my first show at Club Passim as a solo act. 

This is a big deal. And Lisa Bastoni is a top notch songwriter with a gorgeous voice. YOU WILL LOVE HER. Trust me.

Hannah Siglin and Gillian Grogan are new voices to me. I’m looking forward to playing in the round with them!

Click here for tickets. We’d LOVE to see you.

Club Passim: Sunday, June 4: Lisa Bastoni with special guests Hannah Siglin, Gillian Grogan & Kim Jennings

March 17, 2017
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on What About Your New Year’s Resolution?

What About Your New Year’s Resolution?

Yikes, that headline though.

I can honestly say that the *only* resolution I’ve ever come close to really keeping is my 12-week songwriting challenge: write a new song a week for 12 weeks, starting in the first week of January.

This is my third year doing it. I think I will make it this time. 

For Year 1 – Before I started, I remember being SO stuck. So lost. Just wandering around in my musical mind, trying to remember – why am I doing this anymore? Setting a resolution wasn’t so much about “you’d better” or “you should” or any of those pressure-induced trappings of what most resolutions are about. It was my kick in the pants to set a goal, and remember what it’s like to have a creative process again. I wrote 9 songs. I was pretty pleased. Some of them I kept. 

For Year 2 – last year. It was harder, even though now I felt like it was more important to do it again. I had just left my day job and started my own consulting business (another day job, but I use my girl geek superpower – and I do really love it!). Now I had to prove that I was still committed to this part of myself. I knew last year that I’d have to pull back in terms of how many solo performances I could pull off – but no matter how busy I get, I can still make time to write, because I want to. I wrote 10 songs. I love some of them. Others – meh. It’s cool.

For Year 3 – this year. Right now. In the middle of it. I just wrote song 10 this week, on my birthday. I play each of these songs at the Amazing Things open mike (my songwriting home), at least once for each song – it’s part of the resolution, and an important one. It’s what keeps me accountable. I’ve been going to open mike every week talking about this challenge, and man oh man I don’t want to show up and feel like I’ve quit. But I realized something: week 10 is always around my birthday, and that’s likely why I’ve petered out at 9 or 10 over the past couple of years. I don’t know what it is – probably something about the retrospecting that happens around birthdays, where I just can’t dig into anything, it’s too personal, it’s too blatantly cliche, and on and on.

Whatever it was, whatever it is, it’s just my inner critic telling me I should shut up. So last year, and the year before, the critic won, I got tired, and I stopped.

No one was looking down on me because I stopped. Except for me, of course. Or – rather, my inner critic looked down on me. As much as it was hounding me to stop because the songs would suck, it then turned on a dime and criticized me for not following through. WHAT IS THAT?!?

I’m at the point, right now, where inner critic will try to take hold. “You can’t finish,” it will say. “You never finish anything,” it will say. Why? I finished 10 songs already, for crying out loud. I can finish something. And I will.

2 weeks to go.

And then what? I don’t know. A stranger who heard my song last night asked me if I’m making an album. I don’t have a specific recording goal in mind, though I do make crappy phone demos of each song so that I don’t forget any of them! Who knows. All I know is that I’ll have at least 12 new songs by the end of the year, even if I don’t write anymore all year long…which won’t happen. A song a month is a pretty good average too.

As I think about this compulsion I have for producing things, for setting and meeting goals, for “DONE” and whatever that entails…what I’ve enjoyed most this year is that I’m getting more into the process. I’m asking more about “what am I going to write now?” instead of internally screaming “OH MY GOD NOW I HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING.”

No pressure, of course. That feels pretty good.

Thanks for listening, cause I know I’m rambling…
Kim

P.S. I’m playing my first solo set in 6 months at Somerville Songwriter Sessions, on Saturday, April 1 with Beth DeSombre and Dan Cloutier. We’ll do solo sets and play in the round. One of the rounds will be Antarctica-themed songs. Come out and hear some of my new stuff!

 

November 9, 2016
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on NERFA 2016

NERFA 2016

Hello, dear music friends.

I’m heading to NERFA (that’s the North East Regional Folk Alliance conference, for those of you not in the folk world 24/7) this weekend. There will be lots of hugs, and tons of good, good music.

I’ll come home inspired. I need it.

I’ll be playing some late-night showcases, and will also some harmony with friends – Beth DeSombre, Phil Henry, and Lori Diamond & Fred Abatelli. I adore singing harmony. Feels like heaven.

I need it.

Here’s my schedule:
Thursday Night – 2am – Room 2028
Friday Night – 11:45pm – Room 2043
Saturday Night – 1:15am – Room 2104

Kim Jennings NERFA 2016 Late Night Schedule

I’m also singing harmonies with Beth DeSombre at her Twenty Oaks Presents Showcase,
Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm:

Beth DeSombre NERFA Schedule

And with the Phil Henry Acoustic Trio at his Acoustic Live in NYC Showcase,
Friday late night at 2:15 am:

Phil Henry NERFA Schedule

And with Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli at their Mountain Spirit Showcase,
Saturday late night at 2:00 am:

Lori Diamond & Fred Abatelli NERFA 2016 Schedule

Can’t wait to share inspiration with you when I get back.

So many hugs and even more music,

Kim

September 16, 2016
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on What’s Up…!?

What’s Up…!?

It hasn’t exactly been a quiet summer. It’s just been quiet solo-performance-wise. But there’s been a lot going on!

1. I’ve been hard at work with Dan Cloutier, helping him out with his upcoming new album: The Battle of Greenland. Noteworthy: I play synthesizer, keyboard, melodica, and am singing on it (a whole bunch!). Even more noteworthy: he’s doing a Kickstarter project for it, and it’s really doing well! The campaign ends on October 1 – so now is the time to be a part of it, if you can. Trust me, you’ll want to – that’s not even a question! 😉 Check it out here! And watch his awesome project video too!

My new band: The Great Molasses Flood!2. THE NEW BAND. As if Dan and I weren’t doing enough musically, helping each other with our solo work…We have also officially started a band, along with our good friend and FANTASTIC musician Ricardo Barraza. Our name? THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD. Yup, it’s cool. We are excited. We’re just getting started, and we have a couple of shows booked in October – check us out when you can!

3. As far as solo work goes, I’m playing the Pepperell Fall Festival this weekend, and also going to attend the NERFA Conference this November, after taking a couple of years away. I’m booking myself into some late-night guerilla showcases – and really looking forward to the new conference location too.

4. I’m backing Beth DeSombre in her upcoming CD Release on Friday, September 23 in Wellesley, MA. Beth’s latest is called I Was Here – and it’s just fantastic!

5. I just recorded an interview for Jacob Haller‘s podcast Tell Me About Your Song. We talked about Here Now, the title track from my last album. This was a *great* conversation – look for it in a few weeks! 

And how are you~??

Thanks for listening…

**hugs and music**

March 29, 2016
by Kim Jennings
Comments Off on Personal Songwriting Challenge/Amazing Things Feature Set

Personal Songwriting Challenge/Amazing Things Feature Set

I’ve been in a self-imposed songwriting challenge since January 1. It’s becoming an annual tradition, like a New Year’s Resolution. One I actually try really, really hard to keep.

The challenge, part 1: write one new song a week, every week, for the first 3 months of the year. I should end up with 12-13 new songs.

The challenge, part 2: play the new song at my musical “home away from home”: the weekly Amazing Things Arts Center Open Mike.

The challenge, part 3: Reserve any judgment about the song until completing part 2. This is THE. HARDEST. PART. (Then it’s okay to kick any song to the curb.)

The point: just keep writing without any attachment to the “is it good” question.

Last year, I got up to 8 new songs. I was pretty happy about it. This year, I have 10 new songs. I’m pretty happy about this too!

Amazing Things Arts Center - www.amazingthings.org

And in a fun twist of fate, my next show is playing the 1/2 hour featured set on Thursday, March 31, **at Amazing Things**, my super-favorite open mike of all open-mike-dom. Seriously, if I’d never tapped into this community, I don’t think I’d be a songwriter. Show info is here in my calendar.

I love that it just so happens to be the last date of my annual songwriting challenge. So, my plan is to play all completely new songs, all written this year. I’ll be nervous, I’ll talk about writing, and it might be a bit messy, but still glo-o-o-o-rious in all my art-in-progress-ness.

Click…click…click…that’s the sound of the roller coaster approaching the tippity-top of a super-high drop. All new songs!? Look Ma, no hands! Look out below!

Keep making – and thanks for listening.