Tucson musician Vicki Brown's violin-based improvisational and experimental pieces are kaleidoscopic rides through ethereal cinematic moodscapes where randomness and intention collide.
Springs fall over rocks. Rocks bed down trees. Trees flow to seas. My second album, "Seas & Trees" is a collection of fourteen fabulisms of what goes on in the air, on the floor, among the shadows and shafts, alongside train tracks and iceburgs, the underside of a wing, in an elephant tear. Besides myself on violin (and other sun dried instruments), mainly, Thøger Lund (Giant Sand, The Desoto Caucus) and DJ French Tourist (Nantes, France) make stellar contributions. Some of the pieces were laid down while choreographing sounds for Movement Salon, a collection of 4 dancers, 2 writers, and myself - we practice the art of compositional improvisation. "Seas & Trees" is permanently housed in CD Baby's Editor's Picks collection. Dancer Pamela Vail choreographed her performance at the 2009 Philadelphia Fringe Festival with music from "Seas & Trees".
My first album, "Winter Garden" was released in 2006 by KEEP Recordings. Recorded during the cooler months of 2005 in my 1880s desert adobe home, the eight instrumental pieces were sculpted using horsehair, strings, strokes of Casio keys and deft slides on the pedal steel by Paul Niehaus of Calexico. "Winter Garden" is featured on NPR's Open Mic program.
In 2007, I was special musical guest at CIVWORLD's 5th Interdependence Day Forum, a global conference held in Mexico City. Hosted by former Mexican foreign minister Luiz Derbez, the discussions were focused on issues of migration and democracy. International scholars and artist luminaries included Brazil's Cultural Minister Gilberto Gil, Polish Solidarity Founder Adam Michnik, former U.N. Undersecretary Olara Otunnu, television host Tavis Smiley, philosopher Cornell West, author and political theorist Benjamin Barber, musicians Yo Yo Ma and Jon Langford, and filmmaker Josh Fox.
Josh Fox's "GasLand", a film exposing the horrors of natural gas drilling in the US, used my music from "Winter Garden" & "Seas & Trees" - it won Special Jury Prize for Documentary at 2010's Sundance Festival!!!!!!!!
Voted "Best String Player" in Tucson Area Musician Awards (TAMMIES, 2008).
Recordings I did with Joey Burns (Calexico) for Year Long Disaster (Year Long Disaster, 2008) received a Grammy nomination for Best New Rock Song (Swan on Black Lake).
I have composed soundtracks for the University of Arizona's Repertory Theater 2009 production of "Rum & Coke" and for Kore Press' production of "Coming in Hot" adapted from the book "POWDER, Writings by Women in the Military from Vietnam to Iraq" a thoughtful 360-degree view of war and what it means to be a female soldier which premiered to critical acclaim September 24-27, 2009 and continues to be performed in Arizona & nationally.
A few albums I play on.
I have toured and/or shared stages with Calexico • Steve Wynn • Album Leaf • Hugo Race • DeVotchka • Jon Langford • Amy Rude • Amparo Sanchez • Corde • Vinicio Caposella • Nicolai Dunger • Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter • Sparklehorse • Woven Hand • Marianne Dissard • Brian Lopez • Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta • Marie Frank • Kristin Hersh • Paul Horn • Norfolk&Western • Sea of Cortez • Tatsuya Nakatani • Pam Rose • Hanz Araki • Cathy Rivers • Naim Amor • Campo Bravo • Eric Potter • The Lowlights • Megan Haas • Cyril Barrett • Paul Niehaus
