Vinx

by Kelly McCartney
Once upon a time (1990) in Santa Monica, CA, a famous musician (that would be Sting) wandered into a club to wait out the rain and was so enthralled with the performer on stage (that would be Vinx) that he signed him to a record deal and helped produce his debut album (that would be Rooms in My Fatha's House). Although he had a gig back in 1978 as a percussionist for Taj Mahal, Vinx was a world-class triple-jumper. In fact, in 1980 he posted the second best jump in the world, but the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics, and after an injury at the 1984 Olympic trials in Los Angeles, Vinx embarked on his musical career as a vocalist and percussionist. He recorded and toured with the likes of Ernie Watts, Rickie Lee Jones, and Toni Childs before forming his own band of drummers and hitting Europe, where he played the Montreux Jazz Festival between Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter.
Returning to L.A., he continued his lucky streak with the fortuitous Sting meeting. Following the 1991 release of Rooms in My Fatha's House, Sting further extended his courtesy and had Vinx as the opening act on his year-long world tour. A couple of quick follow-up albums came in 1992 and 1993, I Love My Job and The Storyteller, respectively, which landed Vinx a spot on stages next to folks like Herbie Hancock, Baaba Maal, King Sunny Ade, Me'shell NdegeOcello, Cracker, and others. He has also traded recording favors with Cassandra Wilson and Stevie Wonder, two of the many high-profile guest musicians to grace his albums.
In 1996, Lips Stretched Out was released on his own Internet label and Vinx formed a side project, Jungle Funk, with ex-Living Color rhythm masters Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish. The group was signed in 1998 to the German ESC Records before being picked up in North America by Zebra Records. A different project, Big 'n' Round, also came together that same year and released a self-titled album in 1999.