Lira Vic Bang

During some of the selections on his SteepleChase CD, guitarist Vic Juris displays an echoey tone reminiscent of John Scofield while on a few other numbers he has a dryer and subtle acoustic sound. Juris' improvising is on a high level, performing "Estate," "Falling in Love With Love," two obscurities, and six group originals (four of which are his) with creativity. His sidemen (pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Jeff Hirshfield) are alert and have quick reactions. Two high points are the eccentric "Dekooning" and a tasteful bossa nova rendition of "Estate," numbers that best show off Juris' impressive flexibility.

About to Choke appeared only a few months after the Vic Chesnutt tribute album Sweet Relief II, which meant that it received more attention in the media than most of his other records. However, it's likely that it would have been put into the spotlight anyway, since it is another exceptional set of songs, delivered with a gritty vulnerability that makes his music so affecting.

At The Cut is a record of overt honesty – it’s raw and uncompromising but never once forceful and it cements Vic Chesnutt as one of the most important and overlooked artists of the last 20 years. It’s endearing, it’s charming and it’s raw to the nth degree – unadulterated brilliance.
BEARDED

New York's stalwart ensemble Vic Juris Trio (with Jay Anderson and Adam Nussbaum) has been regularly performing Vic Juris' compositions, which are recording ready for this session. Vic's trademark versatility and inventiveness come to the fore with the use of electric and acoustic guitars. "Juris' inventive lines and rich harmonic gifts are apparent from the beginning, as is the familiarity of the trio with one another…The trio…is truly interactive in their stunning interpretation. It's hard to describe a jazz artist in his 60s as 'a talent deserving of wider recognition', but with CDs like this, Vic Juris has made an ample case." - Ken Dryden, New York City Jazz on 'Eye Contact'

New York's stalwart ensemble Vic Juris Trio (with Jay Anderson and Adam Nussbaum) has been regularly performing Vic Juris' compositions, which are recording ready for this session. Vic's trademark versatility and inventiveness come to the fore with the use of electric and acoustic guitars. "Juris' inventive lines and rich harmonic gifts are apparent from the beginning, as is the familiarity of the trio with one another…The trio…is truly interactive in their stunning interpretation. It's hard to describe a jazz artist in his 60s as 'a talent deserving of wider recognition', but with CDs like this, Vic Juris has made an ample case." - Ken Dryden, New York City Jazz on 'Eye Contact'

For a production at the King's Theatre, Handel had created a mixed version of his Italian serenata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo HWV 72 and the English masque Acis and Galatea HWV 49a, which was performed semi-staged several times in 1732 with a star cast (including Senesino) to great acclaim. For today's ears, the musically attractive version HWV 49b suffers not least from the mixture of English and Italian text. In keeping with Handel's intentions, a purely Italian version was created here with additions from Italian works by the composer. The result is as convincing musically as it is scenically and would have deserved its own number in the catalogue of works.

Vic Feldman - On Vibes (1957) is a jazz album that showcases the talents of Vic Feldman, one of the top vibraphonists of the 1950s, who was known for his fluid technique and the ability to blend the harmonic intricacies of jazz with the distinctive sound of the vibraphone. This album, recorded in 1957, highlights Feldman’s unique contribution to jazz through his sophisticated use of vibes, as well as the supporting ensemble, which includes some prominent jazz musicians.

On his third, and maybe most conceptually complete, album, Vic Chesnutt emerges as that rare kind of artist who can see right into the living room of small-town America. Drunk opens with one of Chesnutt's more overtly hook-oriented songs, the punchy "Sleeping Man," which also appears later in the album as a slightly twangier reprise, and is a fine commentary on the insatiable hunger for human spectacle that plagues American culture. "One of Many" is a bleak tale of murder and execution that finds Chesnutt truly at the top of his game lyrically and melodically.

We got to know music composer Vic Van De Reijt on his previous compilations (with his hundred favorite French, German and 'Suri-Vlame' hits) as a man with an omnivorous taste in music, who managed to forge well-known and obscure hits together into a beautiful whole. The fifties are central to this compilation album. An exciting job, because there are quite a few fifties collectors in circulation. In the accompanying booklet, Van de Reijt defends his choices, especially to opt for the original versions and why he did not choose a Dutch repertoire ('they simply couldn't compete with other countries'). The five CDs are divided into one with instrumental songs, one with male and one with female soloists, one rock and roll CD and, the best, a CD with novelty hits.

The association between Vic Lewis and Bill Holman indeed goes back to 1953. Holman was then arranging for the Stan Kenton band and from time to time, he and Stan would supply Vic with original charts for the band including several which Stan never in fact waxed., The Vic Lewis Orchestra was recorded however, playing some of them whilst on tour in Britain and the US.Vic has no hesitation in declaring Bill Holman to be the finest big band jazz arranger in the world and in 1988 he satisfied a long held ambition by asking Bill to write arrangements for a complete album by the West Coast All Stars. As can be seen from the personnel listing, the cream of California's jazzmen were assembled for the date.This is a wonderful album.