Victor Haskins & SKEIN
Click image to download Victor Haskins & SKEIN EPK
ABOUT
Victor Haskins & SKEIN performs music that inspires the human spirit. As the band’s name suggests, the members of Victor Haskins & SKEIN weave together improvisational threads of emotional melodies and infectious rhythms. The result: dynamic tapestries of uplifting spiritual stories rendered in sound, song, and groove. Scintillating, synthesized tones meld with rumbling drums and sizzling cymbals as dark, smoky cornet notes dance in the air atop a deep, lithe bass. Victor Haskins & SKEIN’s ethereal and electrifying performance of all-original music takes the audience to another dimension; the journey is as beautiful as the destination.
Victor Haskins & SKEIN has been featured at the Henrico Jazz Festival, Richmond Jazz Festival, Lake Anna Jazz Festival, Jazz on the Bluff, Kennedy Center REACH Opening Festival, Williamsburg Regional Library Dewey Decibel Series, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Victor Haskins & SKEIN has also appeared at a number of schools and educational institutions to perform and give educational presentations, including Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, William & Mary, and countless grade schools to introduce children to the power of Black music.
Most recently in 2022, Haskins performed with SKEIN on his 3rd album release: Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept which loosely translates to “reason for living” in English. The music on this album is directly inspired by the philosophies that guide Victor’s life and personal interactions. CultureWorks Richmond awarded Victor a grant for the 2021-22 season to produce Ikigai. To accomplish this goal, Victor Haskins & SKEIN performed a series of eight free concerts for the Richmond community which Victor recorded and subsequently mixed and pressed into a CD.
Victor Haskins is presently in the process of recording 17 new original compositions with SKEIN. These original works are based on his interpretations of rhythms from the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé, which he learned via studying atabaque drumming while visiting Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Some of the activities of Victor Haskins & SKEIN have been supported by grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, CultureWorks Richmond, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
***Featured Show: “Ikigai”
Victor Haskins and his world-class music ensemble, SKEIN, perform original works from their latest album: “Ikigai”. Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning “reason for living”. Grooves and rhythms from diverse cultures around the world are combined to explore concepts based on self-development and growth. Throughout the event, parables link the meaning of the music. This is more than a concert; this is an experience for the heart and mind.
Please email Victor Haskins at contact@victorhaskins.com to book this project or for more info.
VIDEO
Victor Haskins & SKEIN
Victor Haskins & SKEIN
Victor Haskins & Skein promo reel
"A New Way" (Victor Haskins) from Ikigai
"Everything Is A Game, Somehow" (Victor Haskins)
PHOTOS
TESTIMONIALS
Alleghany Highlands Arts Council
"As a presenter, we look to bring artists into our community that will engage our audience on all levels. Victor and his ensemble are not merely EXCELLENT musicians; they are lovely human beings who are professional, friendly, and enjoyable. We expected an outstanding performance, but the beautiful human connection was a bonus."
-Tammy Scruggs-Duncan, Executive Director, Alleghany Highlands Arts Council, Alleghany County, VA
Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education
“Victor Haskins & SKEIN provided a truly immersive listening experience for our patrons and had them talking for weeks. Working with Victor, Randall, and Tony was seamless, from the behind the scenes planning to performance, everything was top notch. We look forward to having them again in our venue.”
-Chelsea Buyalos
Executive Director, Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education, Chester, VA
Lake Anna Jazz Festival
"We've been fortunate to have Victor Haskins bring his talent and professionalism to our festival stage twice, and each visit has left the staff of Lake Anna Jazz in awe of his creativity, stage presence, and personality. He is not only a great communicator of musical ideas, but he also possesses much appreciated business communication skills that make it a pleasure to plan, brainstorm, and work with him. Our audience and staff had nothing but raves for his festival appearances, and I look forward to collaborating on additional projects in the near future."
-Robert McBride
President, Lake Anna Jazz, Mineral, VA
Excerpt from The Amelia Bulletin Monitor - June 23, 2022
On Tuesday, June 14, the James L. Hamner Public Library presented Richmond-based composer and musician Victor Haskins & SKEIN as part of the 2022 Marshall Bullock Summer Reading Program...
For over an hour, Victor Haskins played cornett and electronic wind instrument, Randall Pharr played bass, and Tony Martucci played drums while the audience listened to original compositions. Shoulders swayed, heads bobbed, and toes tapped to the lively music. Haskins introduced each piece by talking about how it came to be or meaning of the title. This added context allowed listeners to contemplate the music on a deeper level than simple enjoyment. Some of the pieces are scheduled to be recorded, so the audience got to hear them before they are available to the general public."
-Jill Hames
Director, James L. Hamner Library, Amelia, VA