The title piece comes from Ray Davies of The Kinks(!) and the other "covers" on the disc are from equally unlikely sources that include The Doors (a smoky and mysterious People Are Strange), the funkadelicious Last Night I Had a Dream by Randy Newman, vocalized versions of tunes by Sonny Rollins and Jackie McLean, and the only Songbook tune, Johnny Mercer’s Laura reworked in a most un-songbook-like fashion.

Ms. Victor’s original compositions stand up beautifully as impressionist poetry, as well as vehicles for improvisation with the band. As a singer, Ms. Victor often works contrapuntally as another voice in the ensemble, rather than in the more traditional relationship of lead voice and backup. On the more dance groove oriented material such as Last Night I Had a Dream and the chaser by Curtis Mayfield Check Out Your Mind, Ms. Victor demonstrates skillful rhythmic improvising over the vamp.

The selections recorded here were culled from two live dates on the band’s home turf of Amsterdam (that’s the Netherlands and not New York) , although Ms. Victor has recently returned to New York where she is forming a new band.

In her bio material at www.fayvictor.com , Ms. Victor speaks about the open and receptive environment of Amsterdam, an environment that helped her to secure a grant to produce the adventurous music offered here. One hopes that she finds a similar welcome back home. Hers is a music that deserves to be heard.

                                                                                      -  Richard Mayer, October 2004