Vicki Burns is a jazz singer who has been delighting audiences in the Bay Area for the past ten years.
A vocalist with impeccable taste, a sure sense of rhythm and a glorious tone, she infuses each song with heartfelt expression, digging into the lyrics and melody for their richest interpretation. No wonder the great jazz drummer; Max Roach once described Vicki's singing as "a gold mine"! Others have variously described Vicki's vocals as "spectacular, yet soothing" and "smooth as silk". Originally from New England, she brings her unique song styling to clubs, concerts and special events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Some of Vicki's past performing highlights include: singing with the great jazz drummer, Alan Dawson, for the Martin Luther King Jr. "Journey into a Dream" Concert series in Boston in 1986 and opening for Billy Taylor and Max Roach the same year in the "Bright Moments" Concert series in Amherst, MA. She performed regularly at these prominent Boston area jazz clubs throughout the 80's: Ryles, 1369 Club, the Starlight Roof and the Turtle Café. In 1985 she was featured on "Music America", a syndicated WGBH broadcast hosted by Ron D'Ella Chiesa.
Since moving to the Bay Area in 1989, Vicki has performed at Garden City in San Jose, The San Jose Museum of Art's "Women in Jazz" series, in a featured spot in the San Jose Jazz Festival in 1993, The Great American Music Hall with the Oakland Jazz Choir in 1996, Kimball's East in 1996 with Madeline Eastman and the Oakland Jazz Choir and "The Jazz and All That" Festival on the Fillmore in July of 1996.
From June to October of 1998, Vicki was featured at Sweet Jimmie's, a legendary jazz and blues club in Oakland, CA. In 1999, she performed regularly at Dillard's, also in Oakland. Currently, Vicki sings at Anna's in Berkeley, CA and at Hotel Donatello, Bistro Yoffi, the Cosmopolitan Cafe and L'Amour Dans Le Four in San Francisco.
Siren Song is Burns' first CD,which features original music, lyrics and arrangements of both familiar and unusual standards. It is produced by Vicki and the acclaimed flugal hornist, Dmitri Matheny, who also arranges some of the material. Dmitri describes Vicki's voice as a " wonderful, rich instrument" and says that it was a "pleasure to work with her on this project". Jazz critic Dan Ouelette says of Vicki's debut recording that she "succeeds with rapturous, mystical beauty".
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