VI.BE

ORIGINS & INFLUENCES THE STORY OF LITTLE KIM & THE ALLEY APPLE 3 BEGINS WITH AN AD IN THE MUSIC SECTION OF “DEN ARTIEST”. BY THE END OF 2007 KIMBERLY (VOCALS) WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW MUSICAL PROJECT … IN THE TRADITION OF THE GREAT FEMALE PERFORMERS OF THE HOT JAZZ ERA, LIKE: BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLA FITZGERALD, BLOSSOM DEARIE, KAY STARR, THE BOSWELL SISTERS, BESSIE SMITH, MILDRED BAILY, … BY THE TIME TOM (GUITAR) ANSWERED HER AD … HE HAD ALREADY GATHERED AROUND TWI FINE MUSICIANS; THE BOY WONDER OF THE LAP STEEL GUITAR PATRICK CATTOIR AND THE MAN WITH A PLAN SLAPPIN’ SLIM (BULL FIDDLE). THEIR INTENTION WAS TO GO ON THE ROAD WITH SELF WRITTEN MATERIAL … IN A TRADITIONAL HONKY TONK STYLE … THE KIND HANK WILLIAMS WOULD HAVE LIKED. WHEN KIMBERLY AND THE GANG FINALLY MET ON A COLD AND WINDY WINTER EVENING, YOU COULD TELL … THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE SPARK OF INSPIRATION BETWEEN THE FOUR … A SPARK THAT HASN’T DIMMED SINCE. ORIGINALS & TRADITIONALS THE OUTCOME WAS OBVIOUS … BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU MIX TWENTIES STYLED HOT JAZZ VOCALS AND HONKY TONK? THAT’S RIGHT: WESTERN SWING! GRADUALLY, “LITTLE KIM & THE ALLEY APPLE 3? DEVELOPED THEIR OWN UNIQUE STYLE … A NICE MIXTURE OF SWING JAZZ, HOT CLUB, COUNTRY BLUES AND AMERICANA. ORIGINALS AND TRADITIONALS, REMINISCENT OF THE 1910S, 20S, 30S AND 40S AND PLAYED LIKE THEY WERE MEANT TO BE PLAYED: NO FRILLS, NO GIMMICKS, NO DRUMS, … JUST PURE MELODIES YOU CAN’T SEEM TO GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD. THIS JOURNEY, WHICH BEGAN WITH A SMALL AD, HAS BROUGHT THEM TO THE STRANGEST PLACES – FROM THE BIGGEST FESTIVALS TO THE SMALLEST PUBS IN TOWN. THE JOY OF MAKING AND PERFORMING MUSIC, ALWAYS CARRYING WITH THEM IN THEIR HEART. HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR OVER 200 CONCERTS IN GERMANY, HOLLAND, FRANCE AND BELGIUM … 2 X BREDA JAZZ FESTIVAL (BREDA/ NL) BETHUNE RETRO (BETHUNE/ FR) 2 X MUSIC CLUB N9 (EEKLO/ BE) DE VOORUIT (GENT/ BE) 2 X BANANA PEEL BLUES CLUB (RUISELEDE/ BE) JAZZFESTIVAL DELFT (DELFT/ NL) SONSBEEK THEATER AVENUE (ARNHEM/ NL) STRAATFEESTEN KALMTHOUT (KALMTHOUT/ BE) 5 X GENTSE FEESTEN (GENT/ BE) HAWAIIAN LUAU (LILLE/ FR) 2 X CC CITÉ CULTURE(BRUSSEL/ BE) ROCKABILLYDAY (ERTVELDE/ BE) ROCKIN’ AROUND TURNHOUT (TURNHOUT/ BE) CC DE BREUGHEL (BREE/ BE) HONKY TONK JAZZ CLUB (DENDERMONDE/ BE) GIDEON MUSIC FESTIVAL (GRONINGEN/ NL) ARSCENE (HANSBEKE/ BE) MADNESS FESTIVAL (AMELAND/ NL) CC DE ZEYP (BRUSSEL/ BE) HEARTS & SOUL (ENSCHEDE/ NL) BEGIJNHOFFEESTEN (GENT/ BE) STRAATTHEATERFESTIVAL (LAUWE/ BE) SJU JAZZCLUB (UTRECHT/ NL) CC DE MASTBLOEM (KRUISHOUTEM/ BE) 3 X JAZZENEDE (ASSENEDE/ NL) K4 KULTURZENTRUM (NÜRNBERG/ DE) COLLABORATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS, THE BAND AND ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS MET UP AND WORKED TOGETHER WITH SOME MIGHTY FINE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS. KIMBERLY HAD THE HONOR OF PERFORMING WITH GUIDO BELCANTO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. SHE EVEN ACCOMPANIED HIM ON HIS CD RELEASE PARTY IN THE BIGGEST CONCERT VENUE OF BELGIUM: ANCIENNE BELGIQUE! SHE ALSO HAD THE HONOR OF PERFORMING WITH RAY BENSON AND ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL IN BOWIE TEXAS, DURING HIS AMERICAN TOUR. TOM AMONG OTHERS HAD THE HONOR OF TOURING WITH THE LOVELY WENDY COLONA AND BRUNO DENECKERE TROUGH TEXAS AND LOUISIANA AND ACCOMPANIES INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS ON A REGULAR BASIS ON THEIR EUROPEAN TOURS. RADIO THE SONGWRITING CRAFTSMANSHIP AND LIVE REPUTATION OF LITTLE KIM & THE ALLEY APPLE 3 HAS BEEN MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE PUBLIC AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS ALIKE. THE SONGS “BALLAD OF THE OLD OAK TREE”, “SLAPPIN’ SLIM” AND “I WISH I COULD SHIMMY” EVEN MADE IT ON BELGIAN NATIONAL RADIO: RADIO 1.