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Victor Bailey

Victor Bailey was born in Philadelphia, on March 27, 1960 into a musical family so there was music playing constantly from the moment he arrived on the planet. His dad, Morris Bailey Jr., is a master composer, arranger, producer, saxophonist, artist and teacher.

During the 60's, 70's and 80's his songs were recorded by some of music's greatest R&B artists including, Patti LaBelle, The Stylistics, Blue Magic, The Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and international artist Nina Simone. As a saxophonist he played with cats like McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Smith, Lee Morgan and Reggie Workman. My uncle, Donald Bailey, is a legendary jazz drummer, probably best known as the drummer in the trio of groundbreaking jazz organist Jimmy Smith. My sister, Brenda, sang with the hit making, disco era group Creme D'Cocoa. My brother, Morris III "Doc", never practiced a day in his life yet can write, sing, and play any instument. Even my mom Vera had a wonderful singing voice although she never pursued music as a career.

And then there's a great family music mystery. Once when my dad and uncle Donald were young, they were in the house playing and my grandfather, Morris Sr., came downstairs, grabbed the drumsticks from Uncle Donald and played the drums so well no one could believe it. Even after doing so, however, he never talked about how or why he could play the drums so no one ever knew. After he passed away, while going through his things, the family found a professional 8x10 black and white photo of him sitting at the drumset with his name at the bottom. A standard show business publicity photo. So, he obviously had some professional experience at some time but no one knows when or where.

Our house was filled with music, with singers and musicians coming and going practically every day. From the time I was born I was drawn to music and showed a natural ability to play anything I heard on any instrument. One day when I was seven I was at my dad's office on Philadelphia's South Broad Street. He was asleep on the couch and I went to the piano and started playing Bill Withers hit song "Lean On Me". My dad rolled over and said, "Who's that playing?" When he saw it was me he said, "How do you know how to do that?" I said, "I don't know," I just did. After that, I went everywhere dad went. So I spent literally everyday after school and on weekends somewhere in a studio or backstage at a gig. I was getting to watch great R&B people like, The Stylistics, or Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Or I might walk in from school and there would be Philly jazz legends like Odean Pope, Eddie Green and Tyrone Brown.

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Play This!

Victor Bailey: Kid Logic

Read "Victor Bailey: Kid Logic" reviewed by Mike Jacobs


The late Victor Bailey probably missed out on much of the acclaim he was due, first by having to succeed the legendary Jaco Pastorius in the Weather Report bass chair and then later being somewhat upstaged by another virtuosic bass-playing “Victor"--(Victor Wooten). But if Bailey was relegated to being the “other Victor," it wasn't for lack of talent. “Kid Logic" shows why the Philly native was ever on the A-list of those in the know. ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Gary Husband, Hadrien Feraud, Victor Wooten, Victor Bailey, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams and Eddie Henderson

Read "Gary Husband, Hadrien Feraud, Victor Wooten, Victor Bailey, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams  and Eddie Henderson" reviewed by Len Davis


Part 2 of the program features electric bass players, Hadrien Feraud, Victor Wooten and Victor Bailey. Plus more of our '70s classics including Tony Williams.Playlist Gary Husband “Avatar" from To the Power of Three (RSJ Groove) 00:00 Hadrien Feraud “Rumeurs" from Hadrien Feraud (Dreyfus) 05:34 Graffiti “In The Pocket" from Good Groove (Lipstick) 11:06 Victor Wooten"A Show of Hands 15" from A Show of Hands (Vix ) 16:38 Victor Bailey"Low Blow" from Low Blow (Zebra) 22:10 Tony Williams ...

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Album Review

Victor Bailey: Low Blow

Read "Low Blow" reviewed by Dave Hughes


On his first solo release in ten years, Low Blow, bassist Victor Bailey, alumnus of Weather Report and Steps Ahead and currently bassist for the Zawinul Syndicate, reinforces his standing among the bass elite. Bailey liberates the electric bass from its traditional background role as the harmonic and rhythmic foundation of a band and demonstrates its capabilities as a lead and solo voice. One of Bailey's goals for this recording was to demonstrate that he's not just a bassist, but ...

137
Album Review

Victor Bailey: Low Blow

Read "Low Blow" reviewed by Dave Hughes


With this great CD, bassist Victor Bailey, alumnus of Weather Report and Steps Ahead and currently bassist for the Joe Zawinul Syndicate, reinforces his standing among the bass elite. Bailey liberates the electric bass from its traditional background role as the harmonic and rhythmic foundation of a band and demonstrates its capabilities as a lead and solo voice.  One of Bailey's goals for this recording was to demonstrate that he's not just a bassist, but a complete composer/musician who just ...

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143

Performance / Tour

Victor Bailey Band in Jim Thorpe (PA) on September 26

Victor Bailey Band in Jim  Thorpe (PA) on September 26

Source: Michael Ricci

For Jazz Bassist Victor Bailey, It Just Comes Naturally Though Philadelphia native Victor Bailey is one of the greatest jazz bassists ever, its not easy to sum up his music. Firmly established in the long lineage of extraordinary Philly bassists such as Tyrone Browne, Alphonso Johnson, Stanley Clarke, and Jaco Pastorius, one might call Bailey's music jazz fusion or post-funk-jazz, but while his sound may be hard to categorize, its easy to say that he was born to play. Bailey's ...

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Performance / Tour

Les Paul (Tonight)-Mingus Big Band (Tue.) Sept. 21-25 Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White at The Iridium Jazz Club

Les Paul (Tonight)-Mingus Big Band (Tue.) Sept. 21-25 Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White  at The Iridium Jazz Club

Source: All About Jazz

September 19, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121, www.iridiumjazzclub.com Sets at 8 & 10PM EVERY MONDAY LES PAUL AND HIS QUARTET EVERY TUESDAY THE MINGUS BIG BAND ED PALERMO BIG BAND PLAYS THE MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA September 28, November 2 and November 9 Every Sunday Starting at 11:00AM Gospel Brunch featuring BISHOP NATHANIEL TOWNSLEY, JR. AND THE GOSPEL JUBILEE ...

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Education

Victor Bailey Conducts Clinic Crafters Masterclass at Blue Note March 19

Victor Bailey Conducts Clinic Crafters Masterclass at Blue Note March 19

Source: All About Jazz

"Let your talent hit the rafters...get yourself to Clinic Crafters." - Jim Hall

From the audience, a great performance comes across like a seamless miracle. If you could get the performer's commentary on what he does, though, you'd learn that each combines theory, technique and tricks of the trade with his talent in a totally individual way - and that's what students and fans have the opportunity to discover in an intimate series of workshops scheduled at Blue Note, 131 ...

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Event

Chillout With Victor Bailey

Chillout With Victor Bailey

Source: All About Jazz


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Music Industry

Live chat session with Victor Bailey

Live chat session with Victor Bailey

Source: All About Jazz

Joe Zawinul Unofficial Italian Fansite http://www.zawinulfans.org/index.htm LIVE CHAT SESSION WITH VICTOR BAILEY Special guest also: Mrs. Ingrid Pastorius Hi, this message to let you know that we planned a live chat session with Victor Bailey (former Weather Report, Weather Update, Zawinul Syndicate and Madonna bassplayer) for next Sunday June 17th at 3 PM U.S. Eastern Time (8 PM Greenwich Time, 9 PM Italy and Central Europe). Special guest in that chat session also: Mrs. Ingrid Pastorius. You all are invited. ...

Charlie Hoats
bass, electric
Adrian Norton
arranger
Vladimir Samardzic
bass, electric
Richard
bass, electric

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Slippin' 'N' Trippin'

Studio V Productions
2009

buy

Traffic

Chesky Records
2006

buy

Electric

Chesky Records
2005

buy

That's Right

ESC Records
2001

buy

Low Blow

Zebra Records
2000

buy

Low Blow

ESC Records
1999

buy

Videos

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