It’s difficult to imagine a better intoxicant than absinthe to describe fearless vocal abstractionist Fay Victor. The anise-flavored spirit gained favor in Paris in the early 20th century, among the sort of artistic iconoclasts-Wilde, Toulouse-Lautrec, Satie-who are her kindred spirits. Absinthe continues to offer a dangerous allure, an attribute Victor would surely gleefully apply to her unhinged work.
Become a JazzTimes member to explore our complete archive of interviews, profiles, columns, and reviews written by music's best journalists and critics.