Greetings from chilly, chilly New York City. We had no winter, we’re having no spring. Gives the feeling of being in a constant seasonal limbo.  Do we now stop counting the seasons at all? Live day to day depending on how the temperatures fluctuate, always keeping in touch with our smart phones, Ipads, sundials – making sure we’re prepared for the next change.  No more taking out or putting away of seasonal items. Everything at the ready always.

I live in a part of the world where that’s a strange idea.  I mean, where would you house all the necessities of four sorta-seasons in a typical NYC apartment?  Yet where music is concerned, I’m doing this all the time.  Putting on and taking off different temperatures or seasons of music day to day.  Within performance, teaching, or the various projects I’m lucky to be involved in, I’m living the life of a musical schizophrenic.  A normal day may entail me working on standards or Tori Amos with students, working on my own original music, then going off and playing a free improv gig that same night.  It appears dizzying, some days it is. Mostly it flows like water the more I’ve gotten used to it as a way to exist. To see ALL the music I’m involved in generally and my expression specifically as coming from one source.  That source tries to stay open to everything.

For the past couple years I’ve been fortunate to play and interact with groups/musicians that have challenged me no end.  A new experience for me.  Being primarily self taught and leading my own groups for most of my performing life, rarely having the opportunity to be a sideman. The astounding benefit from absorbing and soaking as much as I could knowledge from these musician of prominence and excellence is priceless. Learning more about composition, form, ideas, perspective, and perhaps most of all, how to be a better bandleader.

Now…most of these projects, although ongoing (there are plans to tour Europe in 2013 w/Other Dimensions in Music for example), they have faded to the background for now and I’ve been quietly developing new projects with a rejuvenated voice that feels stronger and more secure.  More open even…

This isn’t clearer for me than with my group, the Fay Victor Ensemble(FVE). Yes, its almost a year since we last played in town with our last gig in June of last year yet in the meantime we’ve met to work on music slated for out next release in 2013(look for it!).

Something else happened along the way while I was off going to school (for real) – what I wanted for my music changed so there’s a searching quality to the music as well.  In that search to seek the way forward, I realized that I needed to open up to the sound, allow for transparency and allow the lyrics to sing out above the din.  To that end the FVE has a few concerts coming up that are without our drummer, the great Michael TA Thompson…its a temporary situation for now yet the sound is special as well. I hope you’ll join us, so looking forward to hearing your thoughts.  The FVE will play on MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 (International Jazz Day!!) on the Evolving Series ending a great night of music with groups lead by drummer Charles Downs and trumpeter Roy Campbell preceding us. I do hope you’ll join us here and if you can’t make that date, we’re playing on WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012 at Barbes (part of Oscar Noriega’s curated Palimpsestic Series) then at Cornelia Street Cafe on TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012.  I’m also thrilled to announce the Fay Victor Ensemble is working on its first European tour with Danielle Oosterop Music Services slated for October 2013!  We’re thrilled with the association and much more news on that front soon. Finally check out some VERY recent FVE sounds, recorded March 2012.

Also in SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012, The ExPosed Blues Duo re-emerges as well joining a double bill with bassist Shayna Dulberger’s Quartet at Sycamore and we’ll play on the last night of the season of the Evolving Series on MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012 –  jumping on after Elliot Sharp’s set.

Thanks for reading and for supporting and loving music…

Fay

Greetings from rainy but warm Amsterdam, on this early day in March 2012 to tell you about the March happenings. I’m on the road, not playing in NYC until the end of April with the Fay Victor Ensemble after a sorta lengthy hiatus. I was off playing side woman for most of last year, a new role for me but one that I’ve been cherishing since I’ve learned oodles working with the likes of Anthony Braxton, William Parker and Dutch reedist Ab Baars.

Something special about this month too for, as it turns out, I’ll be collaborating primarily with pianists. All original and incredible musicians, in different configurations. A new development for me because I’ve been more attracted to guitar with so much music I do. For many years, I eschewed pianists, preferring the open-voiced sound of guitar and especially of the guitarists I’m drawn too. Yet, idiosyncratic pianists such as Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols are arguably my favorite jazz musicians.

So starting with Misha Mengelberg, that most economical of pianists, a person on the Monk/Nichols trajectory, it makes perfect sense that I’d be a fan of his. I’m a fan and perennial student and I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to not only play with Misha but that I have even gotten to know him.

I met Misha years ago when I still lived in the Netherlands, after we spoke on the phone when I was busy with looking for Nichol’s Music back in 2000, as I wanted to record “House Party Starting” (which I did with guitar no less…) and it was suggested that I call Misha about it. I was nervous when I phoned, we hadn’t met in person although I’d heard and been floored by the ICP (Instant Composers Pool), that conversation was the entree. I was so ‘professional’ when I called his home, all my questions laid out with the explanations at the ready. He dismantled that idea from the start of the conversation, me realizing that this conversation will go the way Misha wants it to go. So I better stay open and just listen, as hard as that was to do at the time. At the end of the conversation, I asked him if I could send him a copy of the record when it was done and when I did and followed up, Misha’s response to the record was “it reminded me of nothing”, which if you know Misha is about the best compliment you could get. I didn’t know then it was a compliment yet the more I grew to know Misha the more I would see it as such. Since then, we’ve done little projects/performances. I joined him the last night of his opening curation of the Stone in 2005 – where we performed the first time. Later that year, we played at the Bimhuis, him in a quintet I put together. And then for a series of concerts called the FreeSong Suite, in quartet with bassist Ernst Glerum and trombonist Wolter Weirbos, in which we began deconstructing pieces of Nichols, Monk, Ellington and my originals with free improvisation in the mix. These were wonderful, open concerts that lead up to Misha asking me to join his legendary ICP for a small European tour in 2010, I also joined them for an evening on their US tour in 2011, part of a the three day run at Ars Nova Workshop in Philadelphia where I was invited to join them for one night. So now, performing DUO with Misha is for me, a dream come true and we two are not sure where we’ll start or end in the free improv foray but that’s the beauty and the magic… We’ll play on a triple bill on March 7th at the Bimhuis that includes a solo set of Roscoe Mitchell right after ours, closing out the evening with Longrun Development of the Universe with Simon Nabatov.

Then I head to the Austrian Alps to play my first European festival with ReDDeer, a collective free improv trio of Austrian pianist Elizabeth Harnik and UK double bassist, Dominic Lash. We all met as Fellows in 2010 at the OMI International Musicians’ Residency and hit it off! Last October, the trio premiered at Korzo in NYC and many thanks to Elizabeth for her help with getting us on the wonderful festival of improvised music, ArtActs, held high in the Austrian Alps. What a line-up for the festival as well, check out all the serious people on the festival here.

Then I head to Berlin, Germany to develop a project with German pianist Achim Kaufmann of which I’ll say more of after we’ve worked it out. ))) We’ll play a house concert with Chicago cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm in Berlin before I head to Muenster to collaborate with drummer Ben Bonniger and Alexander Morsey playing tuba and bass at the Museum for the Lackkunst.

then back to Amsterdam and then home…

Please keep up with all the dates on the FV website and if you’re on FB or twitter, look for me and let’s connect. I love taking and sending pics from the road, and keeping everybody informed, I’d hate to leave you out if you want to know what’s happening.

In other news, I just completed a workshop for Creative Options for jazz inspired vocalists in Amsterdam. The venue I rented double booked us and just when I thought I may have to cancel, one of the participants offered the use of her Mom’s home if it were available and it was! The entire group went there and it was such a special workshop, so spiritual in what we could express with each other. I think the situation at the beginning immediately bonded us and when the course actually started we were already friends. A very special moment.

Makes me warm and fuzzy. Just in time for spring.

Thanks so much for reading…

Fay

Unbelievably warm greetings from New York City.

No desire to jinx the rest of the winter but we’ve been dipping in and out of a winter heatwave of sorts. I’m not too mad about it yet I actually start to miss seeing snow and can’t help but think about a warming planet that feels OK for the moment but what does this portend?

I’ll ease off thoughts of doom and gloom for now and move into sending thanks for the friends that came out to the shows last month and that stopped by the APAP/JazzTimes DIY Crash Course in early January held at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan.  Wonderful to see so many folks in the audience the entire day taking part in the panel discussions, checking out the smaller presentations and asking lots of good questions about how to move forward in this music. Publicist Scott Menhinick of Improvised Communications and of the relatively fresh launch of the online trade journal JazzDIY was on hand as well to talk about the JazzDIY and the DIY aesthetic for the music in general.

Mid month, I had a couple shows in town, one with Other Dimensions in Music  on the Evolving Series (January 16th) and the Jazz Vault Project at the 55BAR (January 25th). I’ve also started teaching a bi-weekly Jazz Vocal workshop for the New York Jazz Workshop! A fantastic group of students to start and we’ve added a new student each new session.  The aim is turn it into a regular weekly workshop through out the Fall and Spring season so get in touch HERE if you’d like to sign up or know anyone that would.  Please reach out to me with any questions as well and while we’re at it, I’m currently taking on new private students too.  Best way to email about these matters is to lessons@fayvictor.com.  Check out the recently updated teaching page for additional information.

Coming this month…I’m playing a very special concert this coming Friday night at the Firehouse Space in Brooklyn, with composer’s Moon Young Ha’s Mis-en Ensemble performing an incredible beautiful piece composed by Luciano Berio called O King, written in honor of and dedicated to the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This is the first time I’ll be performing contemporary repertoire and I’m nervous and very excited at the same time.  Please check out the link HERE or on Performance section of the FV site for details about the entire program for the evening.  This concert is FREE.  Later this month, I’ll appear with Ras Moshe’s Ensemble on the Evolving Series as well right before heading out to Europe to perform and collaborate with musicians there.

Much more about this in post for March but I can’t wait to share with you all the thrilling news of doing a DUO concert with the European Jazz master Misha Mengelberg at the Bimhuis on March 7th.  Please check out a clip of Misha and myself playing Thelonious Monk’s ‘Ask Me Now’ in 2008 in Amsterdam HERE:

March will keep me busy including an appearance on the ArtActs Festival in St. Johann(Tirol), Austria featuring the collective ReDDeer trio with Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik and UK bassist Dominic Lash, sessions with pianist Achim Kaufmann in Berlin, a vocal workshop based in Amsterdam and more.

Finally, I’m honored to once again by chosen as the El Intruso Female Vocalist of the Year and to see so many peers and friends on the list including Anthony Braxton himself as one of the Musicians of the Year and for Mr. Braxton’s opera Trillium E! Check out all the winners HERE and many thanks to all that voted.

Here’s hoping all is well with you and since I’m writing this from not just a warm but a winning NYC,  I’m wishing you read this in winning spirits!

In music,
Fay

I’m all gangbusters for 2012! 2011 was a good year and I feel 2012 will be an even more exciting and special year.  We’ll see how it goes and as always I’ll post here to keep those of you interested in the loop. My posts will be even more concise unless the month is so special that brevity just isn’t possible (such as the November 2011 post).  So let me get right to what’s happening this month and some info about what’s to come…

On THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012, I’ll be giving a presentation of living the JazzDIY life for the JazzTimes DIY Crash Course held at The Hilton in NYC and part of the annual APAP convention.  I’ll talk about how and why I do the things that I do and I’ll also talk about the online trade journal, JazzDIY!  There’s a day filled with presentations and workshops and its free.  Check out info here  or check out the Performance Section of the FV Site for more info.

On MONDAY, JANUARY 16th, I’ll be on the EVOLVING SERIES with Other Dimensions in Music for the 10PM set and with Patricia Nicholson’s Last Call at 8;45 as part of the monthly segment, Creative Sounds of Dissension, on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25th, I’m back at the 55BAR with the Jazz Vault Project for the Early Set, swinging and opening up pieces of Herbie Nichols, Thelonious Monk and other iconoclastic jazz composers.  Speaking of Other Dimensions in Music, the record I produced and made with them, KAISO STORIES, has made a number of year end lists including being selected as one of the albums of the year by the New York City’s Jazz Gazette, the New York City jazz Record.  Please check out all the lists we made on the Discography section of the FV site.  I’m so thrilled at how KAISO STORIES was received! As I’ve said before, its a project near and dear to my heart and its also the first project I’ve produced entirely in some time.  To have this sort of reaction is just wonderful.  Thank you all for your support!

And looking to the near future – next month I’ll perform a piece by Luciano Berio called ‘O King’ with Korean composer Moon Young Ha’s Mise-en Ensemble.  I’m also going to be part of the soundtrack for a documentary film to be recorded in February(more on that soon) and the biggest news of all is that I will be doing a DUO concert with the great pianist Misha Mengelberg in March at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam as an opening to more dates European dates, Including performing at the ArtActs Festival in Austria.  And so much more…

Looking forward to see you out and about, here or abroad real soon and I’m wishing you all a healthy, happy, hearty, musical, creative, prosperous and fun year!

In music,
Fay

Its been a few days but I’m slowly returning to earth and NY, exhausted and rejuvenated from touring with Dutch reedist and composer Ab Baars’ Trio.  I’d been sneezing this for a few months and November 2011 we performed 15 concerts in Europe of all original material call the Invisible Blow.  The pieces, based on poems from folks as far flung as Muhammed Ali, Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams and Charles Bukowski, were a metaphor for the Invisble Blow of life.  Ab was so inspired by the book called On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates that he wanted to celebrate his 20 year anniversary of the Ab Baars Trio by putting together a program using boxing as a metaphor for life and getting older.  The inevitable Invisible Blow that we’ll all face one day. Ab also decided to augment the trio by adding guests such as myself and the great French hornist, Vincent Chancey.

In September, I was in Europe to perform some concerts in Germany and I met up with Ab for a couple days in Amsterdam to talk over the scores for the project. Leaving this meeting fascinated with the concepts he had in mind,  glad too that it would be a great challenge for me.  My voice would need to accomplish all sorts of interesting instructions that I wanted to master.  Wonderful knowing too that we’d have so many concerts to focus on the material, lots of space to explore different possibilities provided Ab as a bandleader was open.  I couldn’t have imagined how open he’d turn out to be.

Early in November, Vincent Chancey and I arrived on the same flight – two days ahead of our rehearsal schedule, some time to ease into the city and our work before beginning to play.  Ab invited the entire group for a band dinner the night before our first rehearsal as a way to break the ice, a way to see how the music will go since it started at the dinner table, meeting bassist Wilbert de Joode and drummer Martin van Duynhoven, whom I’d known from afar almost as long as I’d lived in the Netherlands.  The opportunity to get to know Martin up close was such a special one since he turns out to be not only an amazing and unique drummer but an insanely funny and special character who kindly and w/o any trouble took care of one of my bags when we were moving around Europe.  He watched it like it was a small child.

From the start of the rehearsals, it was clear that although Ab had strong ideas and direction for the pieces, Martin and Wilbert felt open to challenge Ab’s perspective regarding their particular role or the function of the piece entirely.  Ab reacted to this in a beautful way, listening, usually trying suggestions to see if they work.  He also invited Vincent and I to speak up about what we thought worked or not.  He saw our roles not just as musicians but also composers, integral to the development of the music.  I felt more committed to the music the more comfortable I was to say what I felt.  As we got into the first concerts, Ab loved it when we took initiative and tried things on the band stand.  Before each concert, we talked down the music and Ab would point out things he loved from the night before and new parameters for the concert we’re about to do.  He’d also reinforce any idea he wanted retained.  So no concert was ever the same.  We never knew what he’d ask for or what would be OK.  A nice way of being on edge and keeping the music fresh.

First to Krakow… which I found to be a magical place.  Misty days, cold staying in an oddly palatial hotel with high ceilings and chandeliers.  It was like being in the middle of a spy novel, with my gun at the ready, just in case I was discovered. Walking through the town at night, with its candlelit bars and sultry people speaking a sexy language gave the city a sensual air for me.  Plus our concert there was sold out and hot.  Then it was on to Warsaw…then Berlin.  Berlin I caught a cold that didn’t go away until I returned to NY and that made the tour difficult in spots.  Exhilarating too since I had to come up with new solutions to deal with the pieces. Despite this, the Berlin concert was incredible I thought and we had another full house. German pianist Achim Kaufmann came out to check the show, loved it and hung out with us afterwards.   An early morning call the next day took us to the Austrian Alps. First Ulrichsberg, where we played a lovely concert in the Austrian countryside.  Then off to St. Johann in Tirol, the ski resort town high in the Alps.  This concert was also wonderful and we celebrated Ab’s birthday at midnight with a dance party that Vincent DJ’d from his Ipod.  We drank and danced the night away and walked back to our Chalet of a hotel under a clear night sky full of stars and planets. Knowing we’d suffer on the trip the next day to play in Vienna.

Oh Vienna.  What can I say?  I hadn’t been there in 16 years and as beautiful a city as I have ever seen, its a place with a sinister undercurrent for me.  I can tell you stories.  But not now.  Krakow is sexy, Vienna is sinister. Despite all that. the music was inspired this night and the club, the Blue Tomato, was sublime. Packed house and such an enthusiastic audience for Ab’s birthday concert. Austrian Pianist Elisabeth Harnik made the 2 1/2 hour drive from Graz to hang with us and the parents of an Austrian vocal student I had in New York made it to the concert as well! The worst thing that happened to us on the tour happened in Vienna.  Wilbert de Joode’s wallet got stolen while we were waiting for trams, scrambling to catch our train to Ljubljana in Slovenia. Some bad info had us caught out there and Wilbert suffered the brunt of it. Fortunately he was able to get his credit cards blocked as soon as possible and besides a few personal things, they didn’t get away with much of value.

Safely on the train south the Ljubliana, Wilbert shaken but not stirred we made it in one piece and went to one of the loveliest venues of the tour.  I was sad not to see the city in daylight as it looked incredible from the glimpes I caught and we were taking a night train out of there to go to Romania.  So no chance of seeing it this trip…great concert there as well and a nice turnout.  My cold was in full swing and it was the most difficult concert of the tour for me.  I had to renegotiate everything.  But the solutions were interesting and changed the music yet again.  Ab thought we sounded most like a symphony orchestra on this night.  I was bummed too since I’d been in touch with the promoter there some years before for the FVE.  But in the end he was very happy with the concert and it was good to meet him. He’s a funny guy!

Now the night train.  I’d only taken a night train once before from Barcelona to a little town called Lugo in Galicia (Northwestern part of Spain).  That was OK since it was just two if us and we had an entire cabin and we were’t crossing any international borders. This time we’d go to Hungary through locales such as Serbia and Croatia ending in Budapest to connect to our train to Debrecen, the closest point to the Romanian border in Hungary.  It was the longest travel day we had and with a cold, the enclosed air was a drag. Not to mention the tiny sleeping compartment.

When we got on the train, Martin, Wilbert and myself – all slightly claustrophobic and not quite ready to hit the sack made way to the restaurant car, in the hopes that we’d find something small to eat or drink.  When we arrived there opened up a whole new world, looking like a car out of the Orient Express…warm reddish lighting, beautiful drapes and a mirrored ceiling! The kitchen was open and the chef was willing to make anything on the sizable menu.  The guys ordered a bottle of wine, I drank shnappes and Wilbert and I shared a portion Hungarian Gypsy pork chops which tasted amazing (big lesson on this trip – you can eat WELL on Eastern European trains; Poland’s trains also had good eats!).  The 3 of us hung out, talking about Amsterdam, traveling, the Engels (famous Dutch drumming family) and more.  We could have stayed there all night but got kicked out when we crossed into Serbia.  The restaurant had to close and we had to go to bed.  Strange sleeping in a train…throughout the night, I’d get up (we had about 6 border checks) and look out to see freight car after freight car that we rode between.  No way to know if you were in Boston or Hungary as it turns out. Strange feeling moving along on rail tracks surrounding by Industrial…whatever.

Our final concert on the road was in Oradea, Romania, in the heart of Transalvania.  A eerily beautiful place.  With a special frost that I’ve never seen anywhere – white frost stuck to trees, bushes and grass – in the middle of the day.  On the way back to the border to fly out of Budapest, it was so beautiful to see and I could imagine why Dracula hates the daylight with this blinding light coming from the trees as well as the sky.  Another full and receptive audience, a great hang afterwards with traditional Romanian cuisine. mmmmmm!

On Thanksgiving we all flew back to Amsterdam from Budapest, weary and wired.  Bleary-eyed, I turned in early after Ig’s lovely traditional Dutch Stampot dish that was waiting when we got in from the airport. The next day we played the 2nd to last concert in Den Haag.  Interesting place that filled up and we got a standing ovation!  I felt totally free in the music at this point, leading up to the final concert in the Bimhuis, where we had a full house too!  Full of friends and colleagues and people I hadn’t seen before.  Afterwards reedist Michael Moore spun Latin grooves in the Bar area and it was a great night to end the tour with.  The next morning, an early and final call to record the project at the Bim, san audience.  Following this, Ig and Ab hosted a lunch party at their home as a beautiful end to an incredible time.

I haven’t had a more profound musical experience to date.  I’ve worked alot, toured, been away on long journey’s with new musicians. Some situations were glorous, some where insane and some downright lame.  But this experience was earth-shaking in that I discovered I can do so much more.  And someone I respect incredibly saw that and wrote music to bring that out.  Ab  didn’t do that intentionally perhaps but that’s what happened.  Then there was this unique sonic atmosphere to play in.  Transparent and warm, most of the time.  Then the camaraderie between all of us in the group, we simply got along. There was an openness from the start, the air was clear to say whatever.  How wonderful is that? Getting along, laughing, each person feeling at ease to be themselves. Then the music that Ab wrote which seemed tailor-made to all of the participants involved.  A wardrobe we got to wear and reorganize to our choosing until Ab points out that this outfit is to be worn on this occasion.  It was fascinating to discover how much real music comes out when there is no bullshit.  No competition.   Just sharing.  I feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in a long time, I feel like I’d been given a gift.

Now I am back home…reflecting.  Taking it easy and reconfiguring new things for next year.  No gigs in town this month but lots happening in the coming months.  Shortly you can read about it on the Performance page of the FV site.  I’ll be back with more info closer to the end of the year too.   Thanks for reading and I thank the creator of the universe for Music.

One way of expressing how the tour affected me is to check out the words of Weldon Kees’ called Small Prayer.  This poem was used in one of the pieces we performed and this really resonated with me.  I think with all of us.  Will let you know when the record comes out as well!

SMALL PRAYER

Change, move dead clock

That this fresh day will break

with dazzling light to these sick eyes

Burn glare old sun, so long unseen

that time may find its sound again

and cleanse whatever it is that a wound remembers

After the healing ends

-Weldon Kees

Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays to you!

Fay

Learn more about the Invisible Blow at www.stichtingwig.com

You can read a review of the BIMHUIS concert here.  You can check out a picture diary to glimpses along the tour by your truly here.

Here in the Northeastern US of A we’ve already had our first official snowstorm, with downed trees and all.  Boots on and collars up for the next little while. And for the next little while I’ll be on the road with Dutch reedist and composer Ab Baars as a featured guest in his new Invisible Blow Project. The Invisible Blow is a boxing term to indicate the unprotected moment that everyone has, no matter how weel trained you are.  Ab Baars is expanding the term as a metaphor for life, the inevitable confrontation of growing older and dealing head on with the Invisible Blow of life.  Ab has composed incredible music to texts taken from  Charles Bukowski, Muhammed Ali, William Carlos Williams, Joyce Carol Oates and more. The project is also cause for celebration of Ab Baars’ Trio being together for 20 years!

We’re doing 15 concerts in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Romania and Polnad.  Its the first time I’ll be part of a tour of this magnitude and I’m  honored that Ab wrote such beatiful music using voice that I get perform. Rounding out the group for the tour is french horn player  Vincent Chancey. Phew! The full itinerary is up in the Performance section of the FV site or you can learn more on the Stichting Wig website too. As a very special treat, I was asked to pick concert tips for the Bimhuis’ incredible month of programming! Just for fun, check that out here…

Before heading off, I need to properaly say goodbye to October 2011.  I certainly felt like a musical schizophrenic last month but what an exhilirating time I had firstly with the TriCentric Foundation and Anthony Braxton for the Braxtonian Festival at Roulette. Performing in the Syntactical Ghost Trance Choir and Trillium J was certainly a career highlight for me.  Not to mention an honor to get the opportunity.  The turnout for the 4 day festival was not only impressive but downright inspiring!  To see so many faces of different hues and ages coming out to honor a living composer made me think that creative music has a great chance of flourishing in this city!  The TriCentric Foundation did an incredible job organinzing this amazing event.

a couple weeks after that, Austrian pianist came to town to perform two gigs (in TRIO with British bassist Dominic Lash and myself and one concert as a DUO) and have her pieces performed with Moon Young Ha’s Ensemble.  Elisabeth, Dom and I met as Music OMI Fellows in 2010 and we hit it off musically!  Having Dominic stateside for this past year was a great opportunity to try to play together again.  Really glad we did.  We have some things on the fire for 2012 and will get back with more on that later on.

Finally I performed my final gig on the books for 2011 in NYC on Halloween as part of the Blues Hues for Halloween themed evening held at the Evolving Series that also featured vocalist Lisa Sokolov and reedist Roy Nathanson.  Anders Nilsson and I bought our refreshed ExPosed Blues DUO business and made some scary sounds. Boo!

If we’re friends or you’re fans of FV on FB, I’ll post pictures from the tour and I’ll even attempted to shoot some video of cool places.  See you all around the bend.

In music,
Fay

On FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th and SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8th – I am honored to be  small part of Anthony Braxton’s 4-Day festival (Starting on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5th) called Energies, Ideas, Institutions: The Music of Anthony Braxton.  Its the most comprehensive representation of his music thus far in the USA!  Please go to Roulette for all the details and visit the Tri-Centric Foundation for more details on all things Anthony including the Release of Trillium E, the wonderful project recorded last year and I’m in the cast alongside amazing vocalists such as Kyoko Kitamura, Michael Douglas Jones, Jen Shyu, Nick Hallett and more.  The 4-CD Box set will be released on October 11th, some will be available for purchase at the Festival this upcoming weekend. What a thrill to be part of this incredible production where the musicians and vocalists all were at service to Anthony’s music.  It was one of the richest experience I’ve had as a vocalist and to now have it in my hands leaves me speechless.

This SATURDAY, on the final night of the Braxtonian Festival, we’ll premiere two Acts from a new opera Trillium J and FRIDAY, I’ll take part in the Syntactical Ghost Trance Music Choir.  Towards the end of October the wonderful Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik will come to Brooklyn and we’ll play two concerts, one premiering our ReDDeeR group with UK bassist Dominic Lash.  We all met last year as fellows at Music OMI and hit it off musically there.  Since then I’ve played with Dominic (who is in NY for just a short while more) and Elisabeth has played with him in London.  These upcoming concerts will be first time we’ll play as a trio since our Residency last year. We’re at Korzo as part of the Konceptions Series curated by James Carney on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 and then Elisabeth and I will play a duo set at I-Beam on FRIDAY, October 28th as a double Bill with Go-Zee-Lah (Kyoko Kitamura & Yayoi Ikawa). Get all the details on the PERFORMANCE section of the site.

Wrapping up the month, Anders Nillson and I as the ExPosed Blues Duo will round out the last Monday on the Evolving Series this month. YES, we’re back up as of October 10th.  Please go to the Vision Festival website for the schedule and other info. On Halloween, The Evolving Series has a themed evening called “Blues Hues for Halloween” with vocalist Ayana Lowe and Roy Nathanson bringing thier own takes on the idiom in their respective sets.  This is my only gig in the Manhattan this month.  As a matter of fact its my last scheduled gig in town for the time being.  Early November I head out of town to work with musician/composer Ab Baars on a wonderful project called The Invisible Blow.  We’ll tour the Netherlands and Europe culminating in a recording of the project on the last day of the tour.  I just saw Ab in Amsterdam and we got together with the music and what I heard and will get to sing is just glorious.

Speaking of Amsterdam, I must say this past Sepetmber was something special.  I went out to the West Coast for the first time to teach a workshop and perform at the Jazz School in Berkeley.  As I mentioned in my last post, a feature on me ran in the SF Chronicle, which bought out lots of people to the concert  (that was well received!) plus a good showing on the workshop too. Not to mention San Francisco itself.  What a beautiful place to be.  I enjoyed my very short stay and stay turned for future plans in the Bay Area.  One of the most beautiful things I experienced when I was out there was being at the Memorial for drummer Eddie Marshall, who passed away in early September.  A veritable who’s who of the Bay Area Jazz Scene came out to express love and admiration for him.  A beautiful thing to experience, see and feel.

Later in September I went to Germany to perform some concerts in and around Munsterland, passing in and back through Amsterdam. I’m always happy to go to Amsterdam but this trip was especially fulfilling and rich.  The connections, the amount I packed together in a few days. While I was away, I was once again reminded and took a moment to reflect on what a blessing it is to go through this life making music to share.

Cheers,
Fay

And I’m so excited, feeling better in tune with the effect of music on us humans. I don’t know if I understand better per se, just observing more and filing the results.  turns out subways stations are a great lab to listen and see. A few months ago I wrote a piece based on hearing a cellist in the subway. Then a few days ago, I missed an L train, already late to where I was off to.  Seeing I had to wait 10 minutes for the next train annoyed me but there was this music. A big tall guy with a baby face strumming a guitar singing tunes from Soundgarden, Nirvana, etc. The now quiet platform gave me a seat on the bench not too far from the guitarist.  He went into ‘Creep’ from Radiohead. He just strummed the chords but he slowed the tempo down considerably and sang the words plaintively.  Those words soared and expressed what we all feel we are at times.  I’m glad I had on shades because I choked up. Gradually people moved on to the platform and were just as mesmerized, opening their wallets.  In silence.  Me too.  I’m still carrying around his version of ‘Creep’.  Anyone who thinks music doesn’t matter could observe these happenings.  The molecular structure of the structure you’re in changes shape when music is played within it.

Having some time this summer made it easy to appreciate this more.  Its so important to step back and observe when I can, living in NYC makes that hard. I relished this time since I know it’s going to get busy in what seems to be an exciting period full of new stories and of course I’ll share them here!  For now, I’d like to let you in on some news and what’s in store for the rest of the year.

Next week, I’m headed to Berkeley, CA to teach at the JazzSchool.  It will be my FIRST time to the West Coast to perform and teach a workshop – you can check out all the info here.  The West Coast has offered up a warm welcoming mat, rolled out with a feature in the San Francisco Chronicle by esteemed journalist Lee Hildebrand.  It’s online now and you can read that here! I’ll be playing with bassist Lisa Mezzacappa & guitarist John Finkbeiner – playing some originals and free improv, for sure. The following day, on September 11th, I’ll run a MasterClass talking about the “Creative Option” for vocalists.  There are some spots available. Check here for more info.

Shortly after I head to Germany for a mini “Breezing Blues through Germany” tour with pianist Christian Bleiming, we play a couple clubs and make an appearance on the Coesfeld Jazz & Blues Festival as well.  I’ll meet  musician/composers Ab Baars and Ig Henneman in Amsterdam to start working out the music of the Invisible Blow, the tour I’m so honored to be a part of in November 2011. The Invisible Blow is a celebration of 20 years of the Ab Baars Trio( with bassist Wilbert DeJoode and drummer Martin van Duynhoven), presenting new compositions by Ab Baars inspired by: William Carlos Williams, Charles Bukowski, Hans Faverey, Anneke Brassinga, Aischylos, Joyce Carol Oates, Emily Dickinson, William Butler Yeats, Weldon Kees, Robert Creeley, Seamus Heaney. We’ll tour Europe making stops in Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Romania and the Netherlands.  We record the project at the end do for release at a later date. Ab Baars has one of the most gut-wrenching tenor tones, full of brass and knuckles.  And as a composer, his music is some of the most inspired I’ve heard for keeping the urgency of the ‘free’ while writing melodies that outline the structure beautifully.  It’s going to be a thrilling musical ride in which I’m sure I’ll learn a lot, be challenged and inspired.  Learn more about what the Invisible Blow is about, the tour and where we’ll be here.

In between the European forays, I’ll play in the Anthony Braxton Festival, a 4-day extravaganza from October 5-8, 2011.  I’m in The Ghost Trance Choir on October 7th and the World Premiere of Trillium J on October 8th!  All happening at Roulette.  The programming is incredible, so many sides of Anthony Braxton will be on display.  How cool is that?  In addition, Trillium E, the first recorded opera of Anthony Braxton’s will be released in October 2011.  Learn more about that and all things Anthony at the Tricentric Foundation.

The Evolving Music Series will be back up and running in October as well, still at Clemente Soto Velez but temporarily housed in the 2nd floor theatre until mid-November when we resume the Series in the Gallery space. Also check out InGardens, starting up in September through October for the third year in a row. Bring creative experimental music to some of the city’s community gardens.  Keep up with both events here. Later in October, Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnink comes to town and we’ll continue to develop the trio started at MusicOMI in 2010 when we were fellows (along with UK bassist Dominic Lash).  We’re calling it ReDDeer.  We’ll explain in person why! Please check the PERFORMANCE page on the FV website for firm DEETS.

KAISO STORIES had a great review in Cadence by Jerome Wilson, where he says “Victor is proving to be one of the most extraordinary vocalists on the scene today and here she comes off as actress, sorceress, and temptress, working an area of rough, declamatory improvisations in the tradition of Jeanne Lee and Abbey Lincoln but with her own burning passion and galvanic force.”

Thanks for reading.  Here’s hoping that the tracks you’re making are yours as much as possible.  Love and music.

Fay

You can read the online edition here!

Many warm summer greetings and warmth is necessary where I am in the world as we’ve had heavy rain and cool temps for the past few days in NYC.  I don’t mind it so much as work mode is gearing back up after a few weeks of taking it slow, punctuated with a couple of gigs that came up at the 55BAR. On FRIDAY JULY 22nd the HOTTEST night of the year (it hit 107 degrees in Central Park that day), Other Dimensions in Music (w/Roy Campbell, Daniel Carter, William Parker and Charles Downs) and myself performed the Late Set to a packed house! It was a BLAST, the audience was welcoming and open so the music just flowed.  Less than 10 days later, Anders Nilsson and I played the Early Set as the ExPosed Blues Duo singing/playing the blues. Always a joy to play at the 55BAR…

Next week WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24th I’ll perform my only gig this month at the wonderful 92YTribeca as part of t a triple bill entitled Denbaya feat. Emanuel Gibson, Fay Victor and Makane Kouyate.  An eclectic evening of rock, jazz and world music featuring emerging guitarist and songwriter Emanuel Gibson, myself and headlined by the enchanting world music band Denbaya, with Malian artist Makane Kouyate. I’ll perform standards with a twist, with Andrew Bemkey on piano, Dominic Lash on bass.  We’re on at 9PM but come and hang for the whole eclectic ride, should be a good time. Check info here or on the PERFORMANCE section of the FV site.

In other news, I just finished teaching a wonderfully intense 4-day Jazz Vocal workshop through the New York Jazz Workshop (learn more about them here).  It was energizing, rigorous and fun! Great students who put in the work to realize their goals and they all made progress in the direction they wanted to go in.  I realized after this workshop ended how much I loved teaching them.  Luckily, I get another opportunity on the West Coast through the Jazz School @ Berkeley on September 11, 2011 giving a Masterclass on taking the ‘Creative Option’.  The night before I’ll perform a concert at the JazzSchool with bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and guitarist John Finkbeiner.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to go to San Francisco (it will be my first time out west ever!!) I’m looking forward to meet the Vocal Director of the School, Laurie Antonioli. A wonderful vocalist herself, she is open to allowing the students that attend the JazzSchool to get exposed to myriad approaches and ideas. More info here and tell all your SF/Oakland based friends to come by.

After that the Fall heats up with me hitting the road heading the Germany and Holland, then back to perform in Anthony Braxton’s Opera Trillium J in October 2011.  Towards the end of October, there’s some gigs planned with the amazing pianist Elisabeth Harink. And much more to come and share…but for now going to enjoy the last weeks of summer.

I hope you having a summer to remember as well.

Fay