Pianist composer Kim Kalesti’s “The Book of Kimistry” combines the power of music and words. Kimistry facilitates a journey into the collective consciousness where the deepest truths reside to encounter all that is love, all that is known and all that is free. 21st century parables-in-song tell stories about resentment, friendship, forgiveness, and love with beautiful melodies that float on top of jazz, funk, rock and samba grooves. Kim on vocals and piano, Jake Sinclair on electric bass, and Olive Faber on drums plus special surprise guests.
Composer, singer, songwriter, pianist, and storyteller Kim Kalesti has been a visionary in New York City for over 40 years enchanting audiences with her evocative, jazz inflected compositions about love, nature, and her life journey. Kim’s son AC Lincoln is an accomplished tap dancer and vocalist and her daughter Emily King is a four time Grammy nominated recording artist.
Embraced by the NY Jazz scene in the 1980s, Kim has performed with legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Betty Carter, and Clark Terry. From 1980 to 1997 her jazz vocal duet album with Marion Cowings, “Kim and Marion” was produced by Swing Journal Japan’s Kyoshi “Boxman” Koyama and featured pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Eddie Gomez, drummer Al Foster, and saxophonist Gary Bartz.
Kim’s vibrant spirit and infectious energy recently caught the attention of viral sensation Humans of NY, who photographed her and allowed her to share her story with over 30 million people across Facebook and Instagram.
In 2024, Tony award-winning singer Audra McDonald discovered Kim’s song “I Love Today” and since then has been performing it at her concerts across the United States.
“*I was deeply moved by Kim Kalesti’s solo piano/vocal performance of original music in New York City. From the first note, Kim enchanted the audience with her evocative, jazz-inflected compositions about love, nature, and her personal life journey. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. Kim’s years of performance experience are apparent in the rich tone of her voice and her inviting, warm stage presence. She is a poignant songwriter and I am a true fan of her catalog and live shows*.” – Karen Gross, Founder/Host, She Rocked It