Victoria Rummler Rocks the Bab-ilo

Victoria Rummler
Bab-ilo, Paris
August 16, 2008

On August 16, Victoria Rummler returned to the world-famous Parisian jazz spot, the Bab-ilo, for an intimate set of old and new material. Victoria performed crowd favorites such as "Cocktail Optimism" and "Words," intertwined with songs from her upcoming CD, Round Trip, including the first single to be released, "Island of Nowhere." This friendly, melodic bossa tells of the challenges of leaving one's native country to be surrounded by a new sea of visions and cultures, yet never fully feeling accepted, thus living on an "island" between both worlds.

The Bab-ilo was packed with not a table or seat to be found, as a large gathering of American tourists found their way into the club and turned the night into a rousing gathering. Rebecca Smiley from Charlotte, North Carolina was thrilled with the find. "What a great show. We heard about her playing at the hotel and couldn't believe our luck. What a great ending to the trip. She was fabulous."

Victoria started solo on the piano with a very light, minimalistic style which allowed her to be very daring with the vocals. Her unusually sharp and clear delivery was embellished by her unique sense of rhythm and song development. Those present enjoyed a very rare opportunity to see an artist allow herself to cross her own boundaries in front of a live audience, and the reception was tremendous.

Special guest pianist Nico Morelli appeared late in the show to add a virtuosic flourish to the accompaniment on such songs as "Watashi" (in Japanese) and Charles Mingus' "Nostalgia in Times Square." Just in time for the show's encore, "Agua de Beber" (in Portuguese), in walked the famous French actor Fabrice Luchini with his friend Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil. You just never know who might show up at the Bab-ilo on any given night. "I really loved the crowd and the way they connected with the lyrics," said Victoria. "A lot of times people enjoy the music, but the lyrics fall short with the language barriers. But tonight was just special. What a great feeling to see and feel that connection on such a high level."

Victoria ended the show to a standing ovation in what was truly a great moment in Parisian jazz.

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