FV Chamber Trio for BARN SONGS (Marika Hughes, FV, Darius Jones) by Jochem van Dijk

Here we are at the beginning of March 2020 already.  It seems like just last week I was saying Happy New Year to many of you! Here’s hoping you’re well and adjusting to this vibrant, dynamic and crazy world we are living through at this time. The feeling of deep chaos is swirling around, there’s so much pain as well. Yet there is great hope and the desire to fight for a better world. All around the world people are trying the best way they know how to fight for themselves and the greater ‘we’. I’m not quite sure what to think of this moment but it keeps me on my toes. I’m also better focused on what I can do to help create the world I want to see.  Connecting with many of you and others through music in this moment means so much more than it ever has.  Life and sharing are precious things.  I’m figuring out how to do more of the latter. Sending healing strength and love to you all.

This March I’m looking forward to sharing the music of BARN SONGS with many new faces and friends as we hot the road for shows in Newburgh, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL…with a big old CD release party at Joe’s Pub here in New York City. Thrilled to be able to take the great Darius Jones (alto sax) and Marika Hughes (cello) along for the ride. It just wouldn’t be the same without them! You can still purchase BARN SONGS via bandcamp and the Northern Spy website for starters. The BARN SONGS Tour ends in Chicago where I’ll stay on, honored to be a part of this year’s Exposure Series. In addition to the BARN SONGS Show, I’ll perform three more nights in different configurations. Excited. Just excited for it all.

Celebrating BARN SONGS!
Fay Victor Chamber Trio Tour
Fay Victor – voice, compositions
Marika Hughes – cello
Darius Jones -alto saxophone

WHEN/WHERE?
SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2020
8PM

Celebrating BARN SONGS
Jazz @ Atlas Studios
11 Spring Street
Newburgh, NY
Admission will be $20 in advance and $25 at the door
advance tickets are on sale now at https://fayvictor.brownpapertickets.com.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020
NYC CD RELEASE for BARN SONGS!

JOE’S PUB
7PM – ONE SET ONLY
425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place) 
New York, NY 10003
$15 advance / $20 at the door
https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2020/f/fay-victor-chamber-trio-barn-songs-cd-release/
There is a 2 drink or $12 food minimum, per person, during every show at Joe’s Pub.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
Fay Victor Chamber Trio

Celebrating BARN SONGS
Community Educational Center (CEC)
3500 Lancaster Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
8PM
Ticket Price: $20
–Please check www.fayvictor.com for more info

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 2020
The Fay Victor  Chamber Trio
Celebrating BARN SONGS

8PM
The Sugar Maple
441 E Lincoln Ave
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://mysugarmaple.com/events/fay-victor-trio/

Celebrating BARN SONGS Tour Poster by Bill Mazza

THURSDAY, MARCH 26 2020
FAY VICTOR Chamber Trio
|
Celebrating BARN SONGS
Elastic Arts
3429 W Diversey Ave, 2nd Fl
Chicago, IL 60647 USA

Fay Victor – vocals & compositions
Marika Hughes – cello
Darius Jones – alto saxophone
9 PM : Performance; 10:30 PM : Discussion w/the artists
https://elasticarts.org/event/exposure-series-2020-fay-victors-barn-songs/
This performance is part of the ExPosure Series, where Fay Victor has been one of 3 special guests and will stay on in Chicago after the end of the Barn Songs tour.

FV continuing on in Chicago as part of the ExPosure Series 2020:
FRIDAY, March 27 2020

9PM VICTOR/REED DUO
FV – voice, sounds
Mike Reed – drums

SATURDAY March 28, 2020
11 PM : VICTOR/OTIS/WING/MCBRIDE/RA
FV – voice, sounds
Julian Otis – vocals
Alex Wing – guitar/oud
Nate McBride – bass
Avreeayl Ra – percussion

SUNDAY March 29, 2020
9 PM : VICTOR/”MADAS”/MCBRIDE
FV – voice, sounds
“Maya Madas” – piano
Nate McBride – bass
The Hungry Brain – 2319 W. Belmont Ave.
https://elasticarts.org/events/

Creative Improv Sessions start SUNDAY, March 15 2020

Sure hope to see you out there in these great spaces in the groovy places such as Upstate NY, Philadelphia (PA), Milwaukee (WI) and Chicago, IL! Kindly spread the word. Thank you! Thanks for reading and catching on the month’s performances.
**John Pietaro at the New York Jazz Record had some nice words for BARN SONGS in his review:
Her uncanny ability to compose, shred and reconstruct haunting melodies is heard anew on this latest work, recorded by her Chamber Trio in a barn 160 miles north of the city. The outcome is arguably spiritual. With nary an effect standing between her voice, the cello of Marika Hughes and alto saxophone of Darius Jones, Victor begets an alluringly beautiful set of original improvisational works (composed in tandem with partner Jochem van Dijk) capturing equally the traditions of lieder, chamber jazz and African American art song.”
Check this and more in the new issue of the NYC Jazz Record: http://www.nycjazzrecord.com/

On a final note – for all you budding improvisors out there, I’m starting a new initiative called the Creative Improv Sessions. Simple really. we’ll get together once a month for a couple hours just to improvise and deepen our practice. I’ll guide if you come. Need four vocalists to run a session as a minimum. First Session is Sunday, March 15, 2020, please email me at lessons@fayvictor.com to sign-up!

Take care out there,
Fay

in a DUO with Marc Ribot at the CMS benefit on April 3rd at Brooklyn Bowl

Happy Spring!! Happy Spring?

If you’re in the same city I’m in Spring feels like an elusive dream, stopping by for a day to kiss us gently and then it’s cold, cold, cold again. It’s not great, but what can you do? I just remind my self of my years living in Amsterdam when Spring could feel the same and I muddle through.  This April we moved to a new home and my performing month started with a stellar benefit for the great, great Creative Music Studio (CMS) started by Ornette Coleman, Ingrid Sertso & Karl Berger, now co-run by musicians Steven Bernstein and Billy Martin. CMS is still going strong with workshops, performances and more (I’ll be heading up in June to teach and play myself!). So what an experience to feel all the love for this organization in the folks that came out and graced the stage including Marshall Allen, Marc RibotCyro Baptista, Ingrid Sertso, Oteil Burbridge, Peter Apfelbaum, Joe Russo to name just a few, not to mention the packed house. Since then, it’s all about unpacking the new home and getting my teaching studio together (NOW it is!) before a blizzard of amazing shows coming up next week in NYC, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  Tell all your friends! Here’s what’s coming up deeper into April…

TUESDAY, APRIL 23  6:30PM
w MOOR MOTHER!
On the HighLine
Special Performance for the Reveal of
Simone Leigh
Brick House
On the High Line/the Spur
30th St. and 10th Ave.

https://www.thehighline.org/art/projects/simoneleigh/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=art&utm_content=homepage

WEDNESDAY APRIL 24  8PM
City Winery 10th Anniversary: Honoring the great, great Roswell Rudd
Featuring Sexmob with John Medeski, Nels Cline, FV, Trombone Tribe + + +
155 VARICK STREET, NEW YORK, NY, 10013
tickets: https://citywinery.com/…/city-winery-10th-anniversary-remem…

Marika Hughes, FV, Darius Jones

THURSDAY APRIL 25  7-9PM
Songs WE Love/FV 55 BAR Monthly Residency
FV – voice
Michael Attias – alto sax
Dezron Douglas – double bass
Reggie Nicholson – drums
www.55bar.com
55 Christopher Street
No cover, 2 drink minimum

FRIDAY APRIL 26  8PM
The Outsiders Festival – Philadelphia, PA
Performance w Jamaaladeen Tacuma & Gary Bartz!!!!!
also featuring sets by New Ghost Ensemble, Retrograde, Marco Oppedisano (Guitar) and more.
Community Education Center (CEC), 3500 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104

SUNDAY/MONDAY APRIL 28/29  4PM
ART SUMMIT 2019
The Human Journey: Creating the Story of US
With Amy K Bormet (pianist, bandleader)
FV (voice)
Sarah Hughes (tenor saxophone)
Karine Chapdelaine (bass)
Shirazette Tinnin (drums)
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566
http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/specialevents/summit

This will be an improvised performance based on the stories told during the daytime Summit.

Finally I want to share an outtake of a piece called ‘There They Are”, one of the compositions on an upcoming release with Darius Jones (alto saxophone) and Marika Hughes (cello).  I posted this video on my FB page a couple weeks back and it’s received the most attention and praise of anything I’ve ever shared.  https://youtu.be/5YVzW7WRLSQ
I think it’s special too! Not sure when the record will be released (working on it) and will keep you posted right here.

I hope all is well in your world.
Thanks for reading and see you out there!

Fay

New House!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! (Photo taken in Mexico City, Mexico)

Greetings and Happy Holidays to you all! Wishing everyone a wondrous holiday season and a prosperous and positive 2019.  2018 has been some year on the world stage with a swift wind change right in politics around the world.  Watching the news makes everything seem grim or how it all is coming to a dismal end.  Climate change notwithstanding, there is still lots of positivity around the world.  People trying to enjoy and simplify their lives as best they can.  I spent most of the autumn in amazing cities: Seattle, San Francisco, Long Beach, Rome, Venice, Krakow, Poland and Mexico City. Everywhere the similar thread was so many homeless among the opulence. Affluent folk peering in at the lives of people either catering to their whims or somehow superficially related to outside perceptions. Yet I also met people happy with their lives as is. Content. At peace. No longer searching if they ever were.  Except for music, maybe, in time of need. I was amazed to discover in Mexico that anyone can sing with Mariachi musicians and people DO when they are sad or full of heartbreak over jilted lover. This is how normal folk come out to relieve themselves of the pain of loss and more, in community. One example of how it is still a big beautiful world out there and if you can, go out and taste it.

After all this moving around, I’m firmly planted back in NYC for sometime and so much good stuff is coming up.  January is chock full of goodies including the Herbie Nichols Centennial Celebration at The Stone that I’m honored to curate + my Mutations for Justice project is on the Winter JazzFest January 12th 2019 at SOB’s. Before we hit 2019, please join me at the 55BAR for the last performance of the year: at the 55BAR with Old Songs, New Skin. Come and join us for a toast to kissing 2018 goodbye!

DEC 27 Old Songs, New Skin
FV – voice, compositions
Marika Hughes – cello
Darius Jones – alto saxophone
55 Bar
55 Christopher Street
7-9PM
No Cover, 2 drink minimum

Old Songs, New Skin!(Marika Hughes, FV, Darius Jones)

Seriously though,  sending the best wishes for a safe, fun and rewarding holiday season + a spanking new and prosperous 2019. I am so grateful for everyone’s support this year of the music and projects I’m involved in and coming out to shows. I could not do what I do without working with and in front of great people.  Incredible to be on record with Marc Ribot, Nicole Mitchell and my own SoundNoiseFUNK in 2018, amazed that all of these projects were well received by music lovers as well as the critics.

Thank you, thank you friends!
In gratitude,
Fay