Victor Provost - 'Bright Eyes' | From the Archives

Steel pan virtuoso Victor Provost’s “Bright Eyes” is one of those very rare tunes that can get stuck in my head for days without making me sick of it. I’m not sure exactly what it is about the piece that makes it feel so special — maybe its lyrical, eminently hummable melody; or its fast-moving, brightly colorful chord progression; or the way it’s perfectly written for Provost’s ensemble, with stacked textures of piano, bass, and steel pan dancing on the foundation of a rock-solid rhythm section.

Musical deconstructions aside, one thing is clear: “Bright Eyes” radiates emotions. Joy, fear, excitement, uncertainty, hope — they’re all in there, imbued by a younger Provost awaiting the birth of his first child nearly a decade ago. Most compositions are fueled by the emotions of their composer, but it’s rare for me to feel such direct access to those emotions when I listen. I suppose I feel a father’s love when I listen to “Bright Eyes.” Maybe that’s why I don’t mind so much when it gets stuck on repeat in my head.

Enjoy this trip back to 2022, when Provost’s band performed a set for a limited audience in the then-dormant Fridge art gallery, off Barracks Row in Southeast DC. Comment below if you feel what I feel when you listen. // Jamie Sandel, CapitalBop

For more multimedia messages from the DC jazz scene, head to capitalbop.com.

———

CapitalBop's '22 Artist Residency presents: Victor Provost
recorded April 28, 2022 at The Fridge, Washington, DC

Victor Provost — steel pan
Alex Brown — keyboard
Tony DePaolis — bass
James Johnson III — drums
Dan Wilson — guitar

“Bright Eyes” composed by Victor Provost

produced by Jamie Sandel for CapitalBop
'22 residency presenting associate: Kelsye Adams

cameras: Jamie Sandel, Lauren Honesty
audio engineer: Jamie Sandel
audio mix + video edit by Jamie Sandel

Special thanks to Abe Mamet, Herb Scott, the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, Victor Provost and Chris Peters

The editing and publication of this video was supported by a grant from HumanitiesDC as part of the Humanities Grant Program, an initiative funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.