The Fay Victor Ensemble’s The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue, 2009) is a tour de force of writing, improvisation and performance. Victor and her band paint one fluid word picture after another, linking these composed sections with free playing that is smart, muscular and emotional. In this interview, Victor talks about why she needed a steady band to realize her musical vision; how she arrived at the mix of freedom and pre-determination that characterizes the album; and what the breakdown of Joe’s car says about human relationships. Find out more at

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