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Jazz Articles about Victor Haskins
Victor Haskins: Ikigai
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Ikigai is a Japanese concept which pertains to leading a vibrant, fulfilling, purposeful life. Over his career, Victor Haskins, who spent his early years in India, has obviously been influenced by the improvisational potential of music. With Ikigai, the visionary performer, composer and creator of ImproviStory" delivers an utterly enthralling sonic exploration in nine originals. The opener, A New Way," has the cornetist calling the exotic theme which ensuingly provides Haskins an enormous opportunity to expand his ...
read moreVictor Haskins: Showing Up
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Since he burst onto the scene, Victor Haskins has developed a robust reputation as a modern-day jazz storyteller. His utterly sincere approach to his art is in the highest jazz tradition of exploration and innovation. With Showing Up, Haskins has taken his message to yet another higher level. The album, Haskins' second, presents his Skein"--comprised of himself acoustically and electro-enhanced, a bassist and percussionist--delivering ten highly intelligent, textured tracks. Each presents its own eclectic musical poetry. Haskins ...
read moreVictor Haskins: Embracing His Audience
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Victor Haskins is one of those young musicians who seems to be able to do it all. He's an award-winning trumpeter, composer/arranger and educator/clinician--all at 21 years old. His debut recording, The Truth (32 Bar Records, 2013) received significant well-deserved acclaim. Haskins, a young visionary, has developed ImproviStory, what he describes as a new and emerging form of audience-generated extemporaneous musical improvisation. We caught up with Victor as he prepares to perform ImproviStory at this year's Festival of New Trumpet ...
read moreVictor Haskins: The Truth
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Many years ago, there was a radio then television show called Truth or Consequences." The premise was rather sophomoric: contestants were asked trivia questions and, if they failed to answer correctly, they were buzzed off" and subsequently given goofy tasks" which usually resulted in laughs at the contestant's expense. With The Truth the consequences for Richmond-based--but internationally recognized--trumpeter, Victor Haskins will be anything but embarrassing. The youthful Haskins leads his ace quintet through seven of his highly ...
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