Visen

Visen means lullaby in Danish.

A collaboration between Danish-American singer-songwriter Ari Alexander and jazz guitarist Cecil Alexander that came to fruition during their senior year at Berklee college of Music. Visen is a project they started as a nostalgic nod to their mutual musical sensitivities.

Ari grew up, doused in nostalgic stories about her grandmother and her musical family, including jazz vocalist Teddi King. So, from a young age, she would scat along to Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald records while driving around Las Vegas with her beloved grandfather. Yet simultaneously, her Danish upbringing, centered on community, leaves her rooted in Danish folk songs and oral traditions. Similarly, Cecil found himself entrenched in Jimi Hendrix stormy solos, but grounded in Wes Montgomery’s melodic virtuosity. This duality in both of their musical upbringings lead to a deep understanding of one another and a cascade of songs.