Sandra St. Victor’s credits read like a roll call of some of soul and funk’s greatest artists. Curtis Mayfield, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Roy Ayers, Bernie Worrell and the Purple One himself, Prince, all enlisted her talents. The singer-songwriter and founding member of the The Family Stand has returned with Eleven, her first album in more than a decade introducing a generation of new listeners to her genre-defying sound. In addition to marking the time between her last release and this new one (11 years), the title also alludes to its being the 11th solo recording in her discography. The opening track, “Enter 11,” serves as a brief statement of musical identity and an introduction to the album as well as to St. Victor’s geographical journey. “I’m a master at this plan/Y’all don’t even understand,” she intones against the laid-back groove of Fender Rhodes, bass and handclaps. “Dallas, Texas, to New York/Now the Netherlands.” Currently residing in the city of Arnhem, about an hour’s train ride from Amsterdam, St. Victor returns to the U.S. to perform and record, and maintains contact with longtime associates including Family Stand colleague V. Jeffrey Smith and Lalah Hathaway, both of whom perform on the new album. She also recruited Adam Dorn (Mocean Worker) and Mark de Clive-Lowe, who lend their sonic signatures, as well as the Italian producer and musician Edoardo Della Bitta (EDB), who steers “Enter 11.” Jazz deeply influences St. Victor’s sound, and she even includes a track titled “What Would Miles Do.” She also collaborated on an audio-visual program titled Ella & the Duke. Presented earlier this year at Lincoln Center, the project details the jazz giants’ individual lives as well as their musical partnership.
