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Fay Victor: The Freesong Suite
Room 1407 starts things off, Victor offering an emotional unaccompanied rendition of her song "Seasons" (which also closes the CD, with the full ensemble supporting her). "Dry" follows, bassist Ken Filiano's looped pizzicato colors defining the texture upon which Victor's cryptic vocalizations float. Room 1093 begins with the sharp-edged chords of Anders Nilsson's guitar, leading into "Joe's Car," where Victor's knack for integrating irony and depth produces a heroically ecstatic setting for a story of an old friend's banal disinterest in adventure that awaits beyond life's mundane distractions. Room 1310 erupts with the quartet barreling through "Gone Fishing," intermittently collapsing into cartoonish melodies about fishing rods, dinner table antics and murder.
Each piece on The Freesong Suite gradually unfolds, emerging from a tapestry of improvisation to reveal precisely executed transitions, grooves and ensemble passages. "Night Ties" and "Heating Up" both revel in sentimentality, while other pieces careen to and fro, as on "Ideal Situation," where drummer Michael "T.A." Thompson takes an extended solo, leading into a drums/voice duo that calls to mind Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach. Victor scats, vocalizes, chips, mumbles and sings bluesy chromatics or angular displays of dexterity, delivering the unexpected with beauty, depth and innovation.
Track Listing
Room 1407: Seasons, Dry, Bob and Weave, Night Ties; Room 1093: Joe's Car, Stemming; Room 1310: Gone Fishing, Ideal Situation, Heating Up; Seasons - Reprise.
Personnel
Fay Victor
vocalsFay Victor: vocals; Anders Nilsson: guitar; Ken Filiano: string bass; Michael "T.A." Thompson: drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: The Freesong Suite | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Greene Avenue Music
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