allison scull & victor martin

“The latest album from Siskiyou County’s sax, guitar and vocal duo, Allison Scull and Victor Martin, is Nation of Jubilation and was released in May. But it took a while for the final product to reach the finish line. “The album was a longer journey than the others to finish,” Martin said in an email. “The recording process started before the pandemic and it features more Redding area musicians. It’s more soulful and jazzy and reflects our growth, musically.” With Scull on guitar and vocals and Martin on saxophone and vocals, the two create a fusion of musical forms uniquely their own by blending jazz, folk, blues, a little funk, originals and some jazz standards laced with some French lyrics. Scull learned French where she grew up in Belgium while Martin was born and raised in Middletown, Delaware. The title track of their latest album is an original song that Scull said is autobiographical about their travels. “It’s about all of the people we meet along the way and how they become our friends and family and the common ground between all humans,” she said. Martin added that there is a special guest appearance by their friend Ignacio “Nacho” Chavez from Mazatlan, Mexico who can be heard on electric guitar. Another track, co-written by the duo, is “Blisters on Her Feet.” “It’s a song about Victor’s stepmother who walked the historic march in Washington D.C. in 1963 where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his ‘I have a dream speech,’” Scull said. She added that the recording features two duets and highlights the intermingling of vocals and sax on the jazz standard “Day by Day.” Aside from Martin on saxophone and vocals and Scull on guitar and vocals, others performing on the album are Mike Harris on percussion, Bruce Calin on stand-up bass, Patrick Wiseman on drums, Stefan Schittko on keyboard. and Bruce Turgon on electric bass. The album was recorded at Turgon’s After Hours Recorders in Redding and both Martin and Scull said it was a real pleasure to work with him. “We are so excited to share our music and proud of the musicians who played on the album,” Scull said. An album release party is scheduled at 6 p.m., July 4, at Pops Performing Arts and Cultural Center, 5819 Sacramento Ave., Dunsmuir with more information on their website. The album is available on CD and custom flash drives with peace sign keychain on their website allisonandvictor.com. It will also be available soon on all streaming platforms.” - Ron Harrington