Fay Victor (born July 26, 1965) is an American musician, composer, lyricist and educator. Originally a singer in the traditional jazz field, she has been working in jazz, blues, opera, free improvising, avant-garde, modern classical music, and occasional acting since re-settling in New York in 2003.
Early life and career Victor was born in Manhattan, New York City. After spending her early childhood years in New York, Zambia, and Trinidad & Tobago, Victor spent her teenage years in Long Island, NY. After her mother's sudden death, Victor re-discovered music and singing, which led to the minor Billboard charted club hit "You Make Me Happy" released in 1992 and remixed by Todd Terry in 1993. After a 3-month stint at a club in Fukui City, Japan with pianist Bertha Hope, she decided to start a career as a jazz singer. In 1996, Victor settled in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and performed and toured through the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Russia, and India. While living in the Netherlands, Victor branched out into blues, songwriting, and forms of improvising outside the standard jazz canon. Victor moved back to New York City in 2003, and in 2023 settled in the Western Catskills region of New York State. She has worked with the likes of Randy Weston, Roswell Rudd, Anthony Braxton, Misha Mengelberg, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Wadada Leo Smith, Nicole Mitchell, Marc Ribot, Martine Syms, Daniel Carter, William Parker, Darius Jones, Wolter Wierbos, Ab Baars, Joe Morris, Sam Newsome, and Reggie Nicholson.
Victor's work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Jazz Times, and Down Beat.
Music Victor has coined the term "freesong" to describe her vocal approach. In her jazz repertoire, Victor has specialized in the work of Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Herbie Nichols. She has been a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble since 2021.
Leadership and Activism Victor has since its inception chaired the Advisory Board for the Jazz Leaders Fellowship via the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, an initiative to fund and support black female and non-binary jazz artists. Victor was co-director of the TalkRace forum and is a member of the "We Have Voice" collective.
Awards and recognition As a composer, Victor has been awarded the 2017 Herb Albert/Yaddo Fellow in Music Composition, and a 2018 AIR in Composition for the Headlands Center for the Arts in the Marine Headlands in Northern California. In 2025, she received a George Wein TJG Fellowship.
Publications In 2021, Victor published a chapter in John Zorn's series of new music theory Arcana X: Musicians on Music.
Educator Victor has been Adjunct Music Faculty at The New School School of Jazz and Contemporary Music since 2019. In the Spring of 2025, she was a Visiting Professor at the Harvard University Music Department. She has given masterclasses at institutions such as the Guildhall School of Music, Lawrence University and University of California, San Diego.
Discography As leader/co-leader +TitleArtistYearLabelLife Is Funny That WayFay Victor's Herbie Nichols SUNG2024TAO FormsBlackity Black Black is BeautifulFay Victor2023Northern Spy RecordsWe've Had Enough!Fay Victor's SoundNoiseFUNK 2020ESP DiskBarn SongsFay Victor2019Northern SpyIn My Own RoomFay Victor1998Timeless RecordsDarker Than BlueFay Victor2001Timeless RecordsShould We Do This Again?Fay Victor1995Groovie SoundLazy Old SunFay Victor2004Greene Ave MusicWet RobotsFay Victor's SoundNoiseFUNK 2018ESP DiskKaiso StoriesOther Dimensions In Music with Fay Victor2010SilkheartAbsinthe & VermouthFay Victor Ensemble2013Greene Ave MusicThe FreeSong SuiteFay Victor Ensemble2009Greene Ave MusicCartwheels Through The CosmosFay Victor Ensemble2007ArtistShareBareThe Exposed Blues Duo (with Anders Nilsson)2010Greene Ave MusicNew York/Sankt JohannReDDeer (with Elisabeth Harnik & Dominic Lash)2017Evil Rabbit
As featured artist/collaborator +TitleArtistYearLabelWest Coast BluesGregor Hilden1998Acoustic Music RecordsAces of Swing: A Tribute to the Music of John Kirby & Charlie ShaversRobert Veen Sextet1996Basta BastaTrombone for LoversRoswell Rudd2013SunnysideEmbraceRoswell Rudd2017Rare Noise RecordsThe Invisible BlowAb Baars Trio + NY guests2014Stichting WigTrillium EAnthony Braxton2011New Braxton HouseGlorious RavageLiza Mezzacappa2017New World RecordsThe Jazz Lounge Trio Meets...Jazz Lounge Trio2000Laika RecordsSongs of Resistance - 1942-2018Marc Ribot2018Anti records OvercomeDave Douglas2022Greenleaf Musicmaroon cloudNicole Mitchell's Maroon Cloud2018Nicole Mitchell Bandcamp Purposing The AirIngrid Laubrock2025Pyroclastic Records Miniature AmericaMiles Okazaki2024Cygnus RecordingsMigration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World - Volumes 1–10William Parker2021AUM Fidelity
References
External links