Victoria & Zeta Five, Austin, Texas

Victoria and her electric Zeta Five string violin powered by Mesa Boogie and Real McCoy - is a true blues/rock/rhythm 'n blues/jazz fusion violinist and vocalist, with passion, energy, tone, and stellar delivery and presence.

Influenced by electric blues/rock guitarists and nominated by the Music City Blues Society for Bluesy Award 2003, 2004, and 2005, in the category of "Other Instrumentalist" - she is a modern pioneer in electric blues violin.

With a solid rhythm section, Victoria and Zeta Five create a unique and magical signature sound that captivates the listeners. Influences come from electric blues guitarists, such as; Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Roy Buchanan,and other rock / blues greats.

Depending upon the venue, the Austin-based VICTORIA & ZETA FIVE BAND performs as a 4 piece core with vocals, electric violin, guitar, drums, percussion, and bass; to a 6 piece with keyboard and/or sax and/or harmonica. Scroll down to read more about the Texas artists and musicians that perform with the VICTORIA & ZETA FIVE BAND.

Click HERE for info about VICTORIA & ZETA FIVE & Studio Friends from Nashville.

"I love the creative process, and it is joy to perform and create with other artists - listening to and co-creating on the fly, working with the unique expression of each individual, complimenting and harmonizing, soloing freestyle, and expressing feeling through tone, melody, rhythm and lyric, that's what I love. The whole thang - it's all very healing for me and the little girl inside me - it brings out enthusiasm for life - its a gift - and it is so very beautiful when it is free-flowing and spontaneous and when the listeners, through their presence, are part of the process.

So, having a jam band that draws on blues, rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz fusion makes perfect sense due to the very nature and structure of these influences - it's "feeling" — it's "free-flowing" — it's "spontaneous" — it's "electric".

I am a native Texan - "Stevie Ray Vaughan" country - and I play violin gunslinger style - very high energy. So, as you may have already guessed, my unique signature and style has Stevie Ray and Hendrix influences, and I listen to other blues greats like Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Walker, and I am a big fan of rhythm and blues/rock greats like Carlos Santana, Sade, and Janis Joplin. I am also attracted to the music of John Lennon - his "sensitivity" and "honesty" and "depth" of his writing, and his incredible imagination, as well as Hendrix's colorful concrete style of writing that raises consciousness, and the healing words and feeling that Stevie Ray conveyed through his music that inspired many; and their fearlessness to experiment and incorporate new sounds and musical elements throughout their careers. And the artist/writer and the scientist/engineer side of me identifies with these attributes - having something to say through lyric, melody, rhythm, amplification, tone, effects, etc. (I am a degreed geophysicist who studied and worked professionally with microseismics and wave form propagation.)"

Prior to Nashville, Victoria performed with "The Brett Allen Jazz Trio" and with Edward T Hammill in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas. When she moved to Nashville in 1998, Victoria performed at the "Nashville Unity Festival", at "Bean Central" on the West End, at "Legends in Columbia", and at "The Nashville City Limits". With the band, she performed at "The Clarksville Riverfest", "Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar", "B.B. Kings Blues Club", "Bluesboro Rhythm & Blues Company, Inc., Nashville & Murfreesboro", "The Hard Rock Café", "Mercy Lounge", "Lipstick Lounge", "The 5 Spot", "The Boardwalk Cafe", and at "The Pond" and "Bunganut Pig" in Franklin". She also shared the stage with Shannon de Bayou, Don Kendrick, Patio Daddio, Brannon Lane, and Tom Larson (Delicious Blues Stew); James "Nick" Nixon (The Imperials), Mungo (Drummer for Bo Diddley), Waldo Weathers & The Mix (Sax player for James Brown & Charlie Pride), Steve Rossi (keyboardist for Peter Frampton), Dave McKenzie, and Miranda Louise, and Johnny Jones, to name a few.

Since relocating to the Austin area in 2007, Victoria has played in Fort Worth at "Stingray's Sports Cafe" and at "Key West"; in San Marcos at the "Cheatum Warehouse", "Cancun Rob's Fajita Hut", "Tantra Coffeehouse", and "Gold Crown Billiards"; in San Antonio at "Sam's Burger Joint", the "VFW", and "Make My Day"; in Austin at "Victory Grill", "Jovitas", "Momos", "Antone's", "Giddy Ups", "Sam's Town Point", "Nunos", "Hanovers", "Trophys Bar & Grill", and "The Ice House"; in Lakeway at "Carlos 'n Charlies" and "Detours Bar & Grill"; in Venture Point at "The Pier"; in Spicewood at "Poodies Hilltop Bar & Grill"; and has jammed with James Cotton (the one and only), Jackie Newhouse, Jimi Lee, J.J. Slyde, and many other notable Austin artists.

"I have been playing violin for nearly 17 years - 7 years of formal classical training, 2 years training of Texas Style Fiddling and 7+ years experience as a blues violinist with rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz influences."

Having grown up in an artistic environment, Victoria's background encompasses a rich supply of experience in the creative and performing arts. Her mother and father both taught art professionally and were actively involved in community theatre and oratorio and church choir. Her grandmother, who was well known professionally in classical circles for her days in vaudeville (the 20's), radio (the 30's), and opera and classical music (from the 40's - through the 80's); and her aunt, a gifted actress, who loved big band swing music of the 40's, were also early influences. So, in her early years, the music she played and performed drew heavy on classical, broadway, jazz, and folk.

Then when she moved back to the Fort Worth / Dallas Metroplex area in Texas, a whole new world of music opened up to her through meeting EDward T Hammill, who introduced her to artists, such as; Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and other blues / rock greats that rocked her world.

"It is so exciting, so creatively stimulating, and "feeling". When I listen to Hendrix - I hear everything - blues, rock, jazz, classical, rhythm and blues, native american indian - I hear the classical influence in his composition of original music - "Electric Ladyland" is a "symphonic masterpiece" ... especially the "Rainy Days, Dream Away", "1983 ... (A Merman I Should Be)", "Moon, Turn the Tides ... gently, gently, gently" and "Still Raining. Still Dreaming" suite. I love it!

(Click HERE to view and/or download high res promo photos of Victoria.)

Formerly with "The Truth Be Told Band", from Des Moines, Iowa, Eric is new to the Austin area.

Eric received his first guitar as early as 5 yrs old, and has performed in bands since age 11, and has been teaching guitar, bass, and mandolin, for the last 15 years. He loves to play and listen to all styles of music.

Bands he has opened for in the past include, Liquid Soul, Sonya Dada, The Schwag, The Bridge, Mr.Babers Neighbors, Blue Floyd, etc, etc.

Some of Eric's favorite influences are Danzig, Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Del McCoury, Motley Crue, Phish, Doyle Bramhall 2, S.R.V., Clapton, Benadictine Monks, Brian Setzer, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Dave Brubeck, Manowar, and more.

Omar Molina has been playing guitar for half his life, which isn’t much by any measure at age 21. Texas born and Texas bred, he grew up listening to classic rock and found the blues by tracing rock’s steps. By taking pages out of the playbooks of his favorite guitarists (Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Brad Paisley, and Robben Ford) and adding twists of his own, he is able to create a sound that is classic in a whole new way. Although he holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his heart and soul are in the guitar. When not playing with the Zeta Five band, Omar can be found on 6th street on lead guitar with the “Young Gunz”; on the UT campus in hot pursuit of a master’s degree; or behind a workbench designing, modifying, and rebuilding guitars, amps, and effects.

Rusty Trapps, Drummer - Vocalist - Entertainer, has been a professional working musician in the Austin, Texas area for 30+ years.

He has performed and backed many well known performing artists, such as; Kim Wilson and Jimmie Vaughan (Fabulous Thunderbirds); Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble at Austin City Limits with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton; Rhythm Rats, The Nortons (x-members of Texas Tornado), the Sir Douglas Quintet, Bo Diddley at Greune Hall; Wanda Jackson at San Antonio; and saxman, Clifford Scott, to name a few. He has also toured with W.C. Clark; and recorded with Willie Nelson and Buddy Miles.

Most recently, he was the drummer and vocalist for the Bluelights, and is currently the drummer and vocalist for the Redneck Boys, in addition to the VICTORIA & ZETA FIVE band. In the 60's, he played surf music with Ventures' Nokie Edwards (guitarist), famous for songs like "Hawaii Five-O" and "Wake Don't Run", during his California days.

Luiz Coutinho is a musician, drummer, and percussionist from Brazil, born into a family of culture of music and spirituality. While a young boy growing up in Brazil, Coutinho participated in several Samba schools -- Blocos, Afros and Afoxes – collaborating with other musicians and studies, traveling all over brazil, and studying Brazilian culture from North to South.

In 1993 he arrived in the USA, settling in Austin, Texas, “The Live Music Capitol of the World” in an effort to broaden his love and knowledge of music.

Upon arriving in the United States, he carved a sizable niche in the Austin, Texas music community, contributing to YaMenJa, Espiritu, Suzana Sharpe and the Samba Police, Soukus band Tamasha Africana, Nuance Section, Pieces of East, Ghandaia, The Brew, Raggamassive, Urban Roots, Papa Mali and the Instigators, Carlton Pride, John Arthur Martinez, Creative Opportunity Orchestra, Circle of Light, the Oliver Rajamani Ensemble, The Flying Club, and now to Victoria & Zeta Five.

Mike Patric, Bassist, relocated to Austin, Texas, a few years ago, after performing in the Rochester, New York area for 40+ years. His father, a trumpet player, surrounded Mike with jazz music in the house throughout his growing up years. In the 1980's he was the bassist for Chris "Stovall" Brown, a harmonica, guitarist and vocalist, who grew up with Muddy Waters. Most recently, he was the bassist for the Bluelights, and backs the Texellerators (Jaime Kruger), in addition to performing with the VICTORIA & ZETA FIVE band.