Victoria Rummler

Update

2011-11-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Hoo boy, it has been far too long since my last post. Life keeps getting in the way, then flying by.

My second album, "am I am," came out in April on Juste Une Trace, and we had a wonderful album release concert at the Café de la Danse in Paris. I had a very exciting month of July doing the Avignon Theater Festival with the electro a cappella group "Les Grandes Gueules" and managed to get away to Budapest for a few days in August. The fall has brought other new adventures, such as recording the fourth album by "Les Grandes Gueules" for Sony Music, arranging four-part vocal music for two jazz choruses using ProTools, and performing at album release events for composer François Elie Roulin's "Le Catalogue des Rêves," for which I also wrote some lyrics.

All in all, a great year, with several dreams coming true. So very lucky to do what I'm doing.

And on a furrier note, I welcomed a 6-week female kitten named George into my Paris home, after she was found abandoned in the Belgian woods. Amazing how much one critter can change the energy in a space and between people! Hilarious and fascinating.

All the best,

Vicki

Muffin Top!

2011-04-04T04:07:00.000-07:00

Only 2 weeks to the official release of "am I am," and amid the excitement of hearing it on the radio, giving interviews and working on our live shows, what is the one phrase that keeps popping into my head?

"Muffin Top"!

Why? Why? Because I recently read that this expression will soon be in the English dictionary; it is now a legitimate phrase describing the roll of midsection fat that protrudes from a pair of too-tight, low-riding jeans! Personal trainers are now devising specific exercises to work on/against the Muffin Top. Some people accept and embrace the Muffin Top. Some couldn't care less about the Muffin Top. For some reason this phrase has taken up residence in my brain, making me smile even as it distracts me from more important things. How long will it last?

While I'm at it (Muffin Top Muffin Top), here are my concert dates for the next few months:

April 20 - showcase at Café de la Danse, Paris
April 28 - live performance on "Le Fou du roi," Radio France
May 5 - Hôtel Bel Ami
May 6 - Strasbourg, eastern France
May 27+28 - Théâtre de Poche, Sète, southern France
(Muffin Top)
June 20 - Boeuf sur le Toit, Paris
July 3 - Rethel, eastern France
July 8-31 - Avignon Theater Festival
July 11 - Burgundy, central France

All the best,

Vicki
P.S. Muffin Top

Building

2011-03-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

The "am I am" album release happens in just a little over a month, on April 18th. On April 20th, my group will do a set at the prestigious Café de la Danse in the hip Bastille district. On April 28th, we're doing a well-known radio show called "Le Fou du roi" on France Inter, a major national station!

It's exhilarating and scary at the same time to make progress toward a dream. I can't thank my friends, family and followers enough for keeping me going, and keeping it all in perspective!

More soon.

All the best,

Vicki

Words I Miss

2011-02-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

The European adventure continues, with linguistic surprises at every turn. Now and then a really obscure word pops into my brain, and I think, "What a great word, haven't heard that in about fifteen years! How can I work it into a sentence?" And then, "Will anyone understand it? Will they appreciate the beauty and silliness?" Alas, most of the time all of this starts and ends in my own little head :)

Here are a couple of examples:

Glib - Maudlin - Gams - Catarrh - Snicker - Caboose - and that old favorite, DUDE!

Feel free to add more!

Here's a pic from a festival we did outside Paris last November.

All the best,

Vicki

Let's Make It a Good One!

2011-01-03T13:46:00.001-08:00

Just a word of greeting, to thank you for a thrilling 2010 and create some good vibes for an even better 2011! Just got back from a very cold trip to the U.S., to recharge my batteries, you might say. Celebrated my return to Paris with some gorgeous wine and cheese, so things are good.

Again, all the best, and thank you for your support. More soon!

Vicki

am I am

2010-12-06T07:13:00.001-08:00

So there you go! The new album is ready and will be released in stores on the Juste Une Trace label on April 18th, 2011. So far the feedback has been fantastic, and to quote one of my favorite '70's commercials, "It's a great feeling!"

Am now working on spreading the word through promotion, performances, and press. Any help, contacts or ideas would be hugely appreciated. As always, thank you for your support!

Vicki

Another Adventure!

2010-09-27T07:50:00.001-07:00

What a perfectly Parisian evening in J.P. Morgan's fancy gilded concert hall just across from the Ritz! The crowd was a fantastic combination of silent and animated, and I was thrilled to be accompanied by Nico Morelli (piano), Gildas Boclé (bass) and Karl Jannuska (drums). Will never forget it :)

All the best,

Vicki

We did it!

2010-07-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Back from a very intense experience at the Nice Jazz Festival. We took the train down, went right to the sound check, met with the press, did the show, had dinner, then went to hear Ornette Coleman and Earth Wind & Fire! Beautiful setting, amid ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater ("les arènes de Cimiez") and groves of olive trees. The summer heat was stifling. Fortunately our hotel was right on the beach, so we stuck our toes in the water, then had a nightcap and listened to a jazz combo. Train back to Paris the next day. Unforgettable!

Good

2010-06-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Life has been a whirlwind since my last post. Among the thrilling events are a confirmation of my band's appearance at the prestigious Nice Jazz Festival on July 17, the China in Paris on July 16, a special performance at the Mons en Jazz Festival in Belgium on September 4, a fascinating new show with the Grandes Gueules ("Big Mouths") on June 4, a possible label for the CD (though ideas and contacts are still welcome), and an appearance in a documentary by Philippe Kohly, which will appear on France 2 TV in November!

Though I rarely take the time to sit down and think about it, I'm doing things I wouldn't have dreamt of ten years ago. Feeling so fortunate and thankful.

Here's an action pic from the Grandes Gueules show (by Isabelle Dugénie). Try to imagine the sound that goes with it!

Happy summer

Vicki

A Small Gift

2010-04-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

Good news - I was contacted to play at the Nice Jazz Festival in July, and couldn't be happier! Fantastic opportunity to present the funky quintet. Just wanted to say thank you - for support, for contacts and coincidences that make the difference. And for music, the eternal impetus.

Sometimes I feel like this guy (but in a good way). Will get there one way or another!

Happy spring -

Vicki

Ode to a Furry Thing

2010-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

I just heard a friend's Italian greyhound passed away recently. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge animal lover (dogs in particular), and I took care of little Biche a few times when her owner was away, so I wanted to thank her for the many times she cracked me up - and lifted me up. Wouldn't it be great if we could all live such simple, enthusiastic lives?

Here's to Biche!

What the peck?

2010-01-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

The other day I got a call from François Elie Roulin, an accomplished composer with a wry sense of humor. I've often recorded jingles or film music in his studio filled with lava lamps and assorted alien and robot figures. After wishing me a happy new year, he said, "I'm working on a new project, and I need someone who can sing like a chicken, so I thought of you."

Something in my mind sort of did a double-take there: how much of my life has been spent learning to sing, playing piano, composing, booking concerts, traveling, promoting, and not doing things a lot of other people do - to find that this professional is most impressed by my (as yet untested) capacity to make poultry sounds?! Shouldn't there be more to it, after all this time? Or should I just take it as a compliment and chalk it up to things that a lot of other people can't say about themselves?

You know what? I'm gonna go with it! And if you hear a commercial with some unusual warbling anytime soon, please let me know what you think! :)

Next year is here!

2009-12-21T12:47:00.001-08:00

Wishing you warmth, creativity and resilience in 2010.

I hope you all feel like THIS at this very moment!

Vicki

Here's the pitch!

2009-11-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Someone recently described the musical direction of my new album as "Erykah Badu and Bobby McFerrin channeling Mel Tormé, somewhere between Paris and Rio." Gotta love that!

Comments? Questions? Would love to know!

All the best,

Vicki

Now's the Time

2009-09-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, a Parker blues I've been singing a lot lately, but also the feeling I have these days. It's all coming together: the new web site (victoriarummler.com), the new tunes (11!), the new quintet (guitar, keyboard, bass, drums and vocals), and various contacts with people in the business. It's a strange feeling of being on the brink of something big but needing that extra push to get there. Here's the deal: I want to connect with a label that has extensive international visibility, a booking agent, sponsor, and any possible venue for my music (performances, promotion, use in films/advertising). It's cool stuff; I want to share it!

Just felt like I had to put the word out there today. Feel free to respond, encourage and suggest!

Wishing you good things -

Vicki

Mattress Moments

2009-08-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer in the south of Italy - the beach, the lilting language, the freshly prepared food, the...mattresses?! That's right. Imagine my surprise during a recent stint in that lovely boot-shaped country, when I was awakened by a garbled, poorly amplified voice bearing down on my dwelling. "Mattresses," the voice said, "one space, one and a half, even two spaces. Mattresses." The voice grew louder, then faded away. I rushed to the window just in time to see a large truck loaded with just that - mattresses - rounding the corner, its driver clutching the steering wheel in one hand and a megaphone in the other. Was I imagining things? True, life was stressful lately, but...

A few hours later another truck drove by, with a voice equally loud and equally deadpan: "Mattresses." So there was competition?! The drivers clearly didn't care if they sold any or not, but apparently they did; as the week went on, I got used to the occasional drone of the megaphones and started seeing mattresses - sprawled out on street corners, propped up against doorframes, peeking coquettishly out of giant trash bins - in short, everywhere I turned. Was it true, or was it me?

And wait 'til you hear about the scissor-sharpener!

Look out, Belgium!

2009-06-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Recently I had such a treat when three Belgian friends came to visit: one I already knew, and two new ones! For some reason, they decided I should perform in Belgium more often, and three weeks later it happened as if by magic! I can't thank Kathy enough for her hard work developing contacts and organizing concerts for me in that cozy, easy-going yet dynamic country just to the north. Here are two photos: from the sound check before the concert in Mons (Bergen) at the brand-new club "Le Point Jazz" (bisous Marc and Phil!) and with my super-lovely friend Kathy!

No bangles or beads please!

2009-04-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Strange realization the past week or so. I've always been pretty tidy and particular about my apartment, trying to save space whenever possible. But the other day I came home, looked around, and realized I have developed a fondness for - baubles! It's true, over the years friends/fans/students have given me small things, ranging from a doll made out of stones glued together, to a plastic blue sun in a dome filled with water and sparkles that swirl around prettily when you shake it (is there a word for those things? Anyone?) This is disconcerting, since each item is precious and I can't imagine getting rid of a single one. I never understood the little old ladies whose homes are filled with dust-collecting baubles, but it's quickly becoming apparent that I'm not just empathizing with these people, I'm emulating them! Aaaaa! Not sure whether to laugh or worry, so will choose the former.

Otherwise, for those who are keeping track, I've almost finished 9 out of 10 tunes for the new CD! It's been a long process, shaping the style and arrangements and really trying to make it as "me" as possible, but am really excited about the results!

Just for fun, here' s a recent photo by the very talented Gildas Boclé.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Vicki

Ca y est !

2009-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

...which means something like "I did it!" Now officially French, or Franco-American (think nationality, not SpaghettiOs) and feeling pretty darn happy about it. Had a heartfelt, random cocktail party the other night to celebrate, and received such gifts as a smelly camembert, a book on endangered French literary expressions, and a bouquet of blue, white and red flowers! Here's the distinguished head of the naturalization department handing over my shiny new passport and signed letter from Sarkozy.

Happy New Year to all!

Mime alert!

2008-12-21T04:21:00.000-08:00

It's been ages since my last post - life has a way of getting in the way! The last months have been extremely busy, with some new studio work, another trip to Italy to perform, and just a general burst of outgoing energy: developing contacts, working on new ways to get my creative work recognized, and sending out the first five tracks of the CD to various people in the music industry. Reactions have been encouraging, and three more tracks are currently in production. The music is fun and authentic, and I'm thrilled to hear the album's identity coming through, one day at a time!

Yes, these are busy times - in my world, and all over the world, as you know.

And in the midst of it all is one ongoing theme: the mime. Coincidence? You be the judge.

During their visit to Paris last August, my teenage niece and nephew expressed their eerie fascination with the mime culture in France. Each time we sat down at a sidewalk café, I could feel their attention wavering and glances straying, in hopes of spotting one such silent, mysterious artiste on the street. They finally got a glimpse of one near Montmartre, but felt strangely paralyzed when they tried to get closer. My niece recalled a mime accosting her for money when she snapped his picture at age 11. Possible mime trauma?

A few months later, I got a surprise letter from my 9-year-old nephew. It seemed there was one question in his mind that was so pressing that he took pen to paper and sent it off across the Atlantic as fast as he could: "Vicki, are there any mimes following you?" A legitimate question - and one I had to admit I couldn't answer! Thus began a few weeks of glancing worriedly over my shoulder, just in case.

And one day in November, I auditioned for a theater company that does various shows all over France. When I asked what kind of performances they wanted me for, they asked, "Well, have you ever worked with mimes?"

Should I be scared, or embrace this new calling? Will singing and miming ever mix?

Questions? Comments?

Happy Holidays - wishing you all the best for 2009!

Vicki

Something to celebrate!

2008-10-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's a strange, surreal time, between the financial crisis, U.S. election fever, searching for a record label/producer/editor/booking agent, and finding the time to finish the CD. So naturally I was overjoyed the other day when I received a very fancy letter from the Bureau of Naturalization (whom I've been in touch with now for 2 1/2 years) saying "I'm pleased to inform you that you've been French since September 15." YIPPEE!!! Or YOUPI !!! in French. Anyone who has ever attempted to obtain official status in a foreign country will tell you that it involves years of cringing and kowtowing. So it's a wonderful gift during this challenging period; it means I can now work legally in any E.U. country and don't even have to give up my U.S. citizenship! Just gives me a little more geographic freedom, and a heightened feeling of acceptance in the place I've lived for 15 years now.

On that note, check out my new haircut - looks suspiciously like it did when I was 5, but who's comparing?

Almost August

2008-07-31T02:40:00.001-07:00

Hello, I'm back! The last month was crazy in a beautiful way. Visited with my wonderful cousin and his partner. Did another concert in Turin, Italy and am looking forward to more possible projects there. Hooked up with two more dear friends, in Italy (near Pisa, fabulous villa high in the hills, complete with swimming pool and scorpion) and in Morocco! Went to some friends' wedding in Tangiers and experienced no end of colorful sounds, images and emotions. To Westerners it was one surprise after another, from the welcoming cocktail (a glass of milk) to the dainty paper bags laid on each guest's plate (to take home the leftover scores of tasty pastries).

AND the first 5 tunes are mixed and ready to be shopped around to record labels! It is my goal to find a supportive structure for this album (press agent, booking agent, label for marketing and distribution), so if anyone out there can help in any way, please let me know! Can also send the new tracks to interested parties!

Happy August to all - Vick

P.S. Here's a shot of me trying on a Moroccan gown at designer friend Mahmoud Benslimane's atelier. He does beautiful work and is a sweet character.

Summer creations

2008-06-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

Hello - seems like it's been a long time! Continuing the series of challenges which seems to be defining the year 2008: just got back from a debut performance with Italian vocal group Dejavo' in Torino, Italy, led by jazz vocalist Roberto Demo. It was an exhilarating experience complete with mouth-watering pizzas, gorgeous mountain scenery, kind, funny, creative people and...cute dogs! What could be better‽ (That is an interrobang, by the way, as one dear friend - who knows who he is - would be quick to tell you :)

Now in Paris for awhile and getting back to the album, which is really taking shape now. It's a great feeling! (Name that ad from the '70's. :) Wrote this song a while ago; the lyrics are kooky and critical. Thinking of putting it on the album if we can get the arrangement right. Any comments are welcome as usual!

GRAY MATTERS

Growing up with Star Wars
You never think of our wars
Thought life was Darth and Luke
Now I see it’s all a fluke

Who are the bad guys?
Tell me
Who are the bad guys?
Can’t see
Who are the bad guys?
Tell me
Who are the bad guys?

Eliminate and placate
Replace to fit your own pace
Delusions of wisdom
Aggression for freedom

Who are the bad guys? etc.

The world is smaller but the gaps are wider
Can’t tell the fly from the spider
Black and white are fading away
Gotta get used to the gray

Good guys and bad guys
Truth in a disguise
Obi-wan beat Anakin
And Vader loved a woman

Who are the bad guys?
Tell me
Who are the bad guys?
Can’t see
Who are the bad guys?
Tell me

Who are the bad guys?

Stretching

2008-05-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since my last post! It has been a scary, emotional and exhilarating time. Met up with some dear, hilarious Williams friends in Rome over Easter and got a crash course in the history and correct usage of the bidet. Realized how much I love my X-large black fleece mittens which temporarily transform my hands into flippers. Did my first solo piano-vocal concert. Premiered a new show with the cutting-edge a cappella group "Les Grandes Gueules," roughly translated as The Big Mouths or Gullets. Worked on new tunes and arrangements for the forthcoming CD. Was invited to join two new vocal groups: Attache Parisienne in Paris and Dejavo in Torino, Italy! Performed in a prison. Traveled to Belgium to lead a vocal jazz workshop as part of a self-improvement weekend led by a wonderful Gestalt therapist. The two days also included long hikes in the Belgian Ardennes. It was a stretch to work in such a different context, but it turned out to be a beautiful, intense, instructive experience with a lovely group of people. I wish them all well and thank them for their enthusiasm in discovering vocal jazz!

Here's a photo from the first hike. Temporarily shed the Parisian persona and caused some chuckles with my brand spankin' new blue hiking boots!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is many people's favorite holiday, and I have to agree. Free of the pressure of Christmas shopping, massive food quantities of Thanksgiving and nerve-racking firecrackers of the 4th of July, Easter provides a gentle yet festive segue into Spring. Gotta love that! Of course the bunny/egg vibe and chocolate don't hurt either. :)

So in this spirit of changing seasons, here's another snippet from my forthcoming album - albeit shot in a black-and-white November setting (and skillfully edited by Gildas Bocle'). As usual, all comments are welcome!

Wishing you well.

Linguistically challenged

2008-02-20T03:17:00.000-08:00

It's one of those days - random words from different languages clouding my ability to make coherent sentences (this one just took 10 minutes)! Aufmerksamkeit, gentil, ragazzo, alors, lass' es dir gut gehen, cerniere - no rhyme or reason to them whatsoever. Just need to go with it!

Ready for a deliciously monolingual vacation -

For the guy in plaid

2008-02-06T06:43:00.001-08:00

Things are usually pretty tame in Paris as far as fashion statements go - fancy, often black and chic, but not much in the way of fuchsia hair or creatively placed tattoos. Every once in awhile, though, someone stirs things up with a refreshing fashion SCREAM. Take the woman I saw meticulously burning a pattern of cigarette holes into a flowery scarf the other day, or the bald guy with the dreadlocked dog. The past few weeks I've been particularly intrigued by a guy who hangs out in the metro (Paris subway). From the waist up, he looks pretty mild-mannered and could be a waiter, banker or mailman. The neck down tells another story: every time I've seen him he's been wearing the same short brown plaid skirt and pink knee-high socks with pink slippers. His mood is usually somewhere between seriously pissed off and generally disappointed, though his constant muttering falls on deaf ears among the blase' Parisian travelers. Would love to know the WHY and HOW of this guy, but until the right opportunity comes along to introduce myself, why not dedicate this artsy video - in Japanese - to that somewhat forlorn guy in the metro?

Comments? Questions?

January fog

2008-01-23T05:17:00.000-08:00

Something about January in Paris is really heavy. The holidays are over, it's gray, and people generally seem more miffed than usual. Is this in spite, or because of the new non-smoking law in all restaurants and cafes, which miraculously took effect on January 1st?

Whatever the reason, I shall now attempt to perk up the sluggish ambiance with a musical snippet, which I hope will be a hit on the new CD - hope you like it! (Video shot and edited by Gildas Bocle')

Gaudi' and pickle relish

2008-01-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have to say "What the ----?" and roll with it - like the other day. Was in Barcelona, Spain, in a taxi just after discovering the most beautiful, inspiring building I've ever seen (and it's not even finished!), Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia temple, and suddenly a long-forgotten condiment came to mind: pickle relish. I have absolutely no idea why. I was never particularly fond of pickle relish and barely realized its absence after so many years of living in Europe. But it's true, in all my travels I have yet to see pickle relish in another country. And now here it was, in my brain, popping up every half hour or so for the rest of the day, interfering with (or perhaps embellishing) my visit of this unforgettable city. It then came up so often that it lost all meaning and the syllables became like a foreign language. Picklerelishpicklerelishpicklerelishpickle... Has this happened to you?

On that note - another video, with subtitles due to bustling Paris street noise!

By popular demand...

2008-01-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of photos of me in action - one fun, one slightly psychedelic. They were taken by Alexandre Tome, by the way, and the black and whites in my other posts are by Hermine Cleret. Good stuff.

Off to Barcelona for a 2-day mini-break before the January onslaught!

Hello 2008!

2007-12-31T02:45:00.000-08:00

Scary but beautiful moment -

2007 is ending, and I'm just realizing that 2008 will mark the 20th anniversary of my adventures in Europe! Never thought I would stay so long. Never thought I would become a professional vocalist, composer, writer, pianist, choral director, translator. Never thought I would get through some of the darker moments. Surprise! Here I am, fully aware of all the great/bizarre/challenging things that have come my way, and thankful to share this journey through my art.

Here's another video, in German this time! Basically saying hello to old friends in Munich and introducing the forthcoming CD.

Wishing you wondrous things for 2008!

2007-12-21T05:20:00.000-08:00

So here you go...

Hello - I’m an American jazz vocalist/songwriter/writer/pianist living in Paris, after five years in Germany and twenty-something in the U.S. It has been a huge and sometimes surreal experience, to say the least.

Feel free to stop by often and check out snippets from my forthcoming album and other random projects and ideas in English, French, German and Italian. You can comment, contribute, or check out victoriarummler.com for more official info on who, what and where I am.

Thank you for your support - hope to hear from you soon in one form or another!

Vicki